Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-04-21

| S9tlpll tiidii W tdhs away the ulaIlOnl
that has created this difference between
| YOU and her, and to reduce you once
more 10 her level. 1t is the only hope
she can have of getting you away from
Miss Lascelles. and restoring the former
condition of equality upon which you
r~onpanlonship with her rested"
Again ! was compelled TO admit the
force of Van lIoeck's argument.
But why" | asked, should Brace
trust such u p%erilous undertaking to his
daughter"
"For an obvious reason he replied.
eff you caught her in the act of robbing.
you would not raise your hand against
her; if you caught him, you would blow
his brains out For her you would find
excuse; for him none"
In this there was truth also.
Talking of that" he continued, "what
arms do you keep about you for defense"
"None," l replied.
81 thought so. Take this" ne said,
drawing a long clasp-knife from his
breast pocket.
He showed the spring with which the
narrow blade opened, and the catch
which locked it ut the back of tho horn
handle, and made me promise 10 use it
for my defense, no matter who attacked
me. ] also promised to close my VIM
dow, which | habitually kept open ut
night, n to secure the fastening Of
that, as well Is the door, before going to
bed. Finally, he exactcd that l should
once more enclose the Iiesprr in the
leather case, and strap il 10 my wrist he
last thing at night.
The Judge did not return until dusk.
He was fatigued, and his general APP
pearancc indicated d pursuit through
rough and thorny WAYS.
IL hev seen the Kid he said; but
she would not listen 10 reason: and not
bein' Altered Of spiling her clothes, she
naturally got the best OF the argument,
and played it low down on her father"
he advocated starving her into better
behavior, and would have had the door
closed to cut off her communication with
the dairy. and Miss Lascellcs would not
listen TO this; she would not yielS TO fear,
and declined to change her &c alter
her ordinary habitudes.
We separated n little before eleven.
The night was close and stuffv. ] had
no inclination TO go to bed, especially as
] had given Van iioeck my word to close
the window beforehand.
There was q ~reading-lamp in my oom.
/ lit II. put out the candle. and seated
myself in a comfortable chair with a
book. MOI "A sound was 10 Ia heard after
the clock struck eleven. / read on with
ont moving from my char until past
twelve. From time to time ] had taken
NY eyes from the book and listened in
;ently-not IN anticipation of hearing the
mysterious tapping at my own window,
but In apprehension of It's bong repeated
upon FIith's-and rs the last stroke Of
midnight reverbcrated through the still
night | closed my book and listened again.
I'll. Eti,,,on ,,rstl,nt,t ,t~., 40 ,Nrl,tn 1nt
the burning of the oil in the Imp at my
side was distinctly audible.
At that moment heard aboard break.
II was SO slight a sound that, had my
attention been fixed upon the book. /
should not nave noticed it. i could not
tell where it came from; I was not sure
that ii was not from the tloor under my
foot as | changed my position. lnstinc-
lively / looked toward the window. /
could see nothing beyond the circle Of
light reflected by the l~ampehadc. It
was too absurd to take the lamp to the
window-thcre was no board there to
! creak. / waited some minutes, nnd there
being no repetition of the sound, l re-
opened my book, but I paused with my
finger on h page to listen once more.
A shuddering sigh, like that of a child
who u crying itself TO Sleep, rvached my
ear.
went to tho window, drew up the
blind softly. and looked out; for the
sound had seemed to come from q dis
lance, and | thought it might be the
flutter Of leaves in a breeze. But the
night was unchanged-heavy and still,
the moon obscured, and n thin gray veil
of mist hanging over the lawn, as Edith
had seen it the night before. l opened
the loo noiselessly. All WA dark. /
rnt,I3 cpa NpJxy thn vnp1t~u IF thA how
standing out vaguely against the gray
ness. listened. At night heavy cur
tains were drawn across the head Of the
corridor, shutting it off from the passage
upon which it abutted at right angles:
nevertheless, j could hear the stertorous
breathing of the Judge or Van HOeck
from the rooms beyond. was sure that
the sound / had heard was not imagin-
airy, and determined, if possible, to dis
cover the cause. ! went lack to the ia
bic and fetched the lamp.
/ had returned to where / stood by the
door, when my eyes fell upon something
lying ut the threshold. Another step,
and l should have put my foot upon it.
In stcadying the shade, my left hand
screened the light; as | withdrew it /
saw that the object at my feet was Lolai
| She had cnrled herself upon the mat
within the einbrasure Of the door. Her
face was toward me and pillowed upon
her folded hands. She was asleep, yet
her long black lashcs were wet, and
chung TO her cheek with an undried tear.
Even Van Hocck, If he could see you
now: poor child said to mysolf, could
not think i'll of you"
would not awake her; l withdrew
the Light until she was in shadow, placed
it on the table, fetched my book, and
seated myself where l could read and yet
watch the sleeper. AS l did this the
| clocl, in the belfrv chimed the Ealf-hour:
| looked at my watch, and saw that it
was half-past twelve.
| could not fix my attention upon the
book for some time, my mind being oc-
cupied with conjectures to account for
Lola's presence. 1t fitted in with Van
Hoeck's theory and warning in some re-
spects, yet-possibly because my judg-
nlent was biased by sentiment-I could
| not believe she had come there with any
| sinister intention. | was rather disposed
to think that she had found solitude no
longer bearable, and had sought this
resting-place to be near the only friend
she knew.