The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-05-04
CHAPTER VIII.


for a tolerably widespread belief in super
natural appearances. She was ashamed of
the fceblencSS of mind which her expert
ences seemed to imply, and, resolved to
overcome the weakness, she resisted all
her fathers persuasions to change those
conditions under which she had passed the
last two nights.
Van Hoeck alone refused to believe in
Edith'S halucination.
One has only to hear Miss Lascelles
speak to discredit notion of that kind,
he said; she has every sign of mental
vigor and physical strength, and to accuse
such girl of that kind of morbid insanity
called hallucinatiOn, is just as crcditable
to your understanding as to believe in the
simplicity and honesty of a vagabond Cali
fOrnian card sharper and the half-breed
wench he chooses to call his daughter"
When night came he said to me. after we
had separated from the rest:
This is no time for sleep, Thorne; we
must watch through the night, whether you
like it or not, If it is only for Miss Lasceles'
sake"
/ readily agreed to this. and for an hour
we walked on a part of the lawn from
which l could see Edith's window. Then
the rain. which had been drilling for
some time, fell heavily, and forced us TO
go in.
We changed our boots for slippers, and
sat together in my room, / with book,
he with his chin in his hands. his face hide
Gus with the light Of the lamp on his pro-
truding eyes.
Heaven knows, was not wanting in love
for Edith. or solcitude for her welfare. and
yet | could not keep wake. 1t must be re-
membered that had had no sleep the preced-
ing night. and that did believe in Fdith's
hallucinati on, and therefore saw no actual
danger menacing her. | tried to interest
myself IN the book, but my thoughts grew
confused, the type swan before my eyes.
and helped to bemuse my senses. At length
| put down the book. and shaking nv wits
together, said TO Van Hoeck
Let us talk"
Talk" he muttered. scornfully; why
not ask me TO sing you a comic song? II
the Kid were here | suppose You wouldn {
want me to amuse you. You could keep
wake until three or four in the morning
watching her Dat as its only your future
wife who Is concerned, you are lOg-headed
before midnight
This sarcasm did not prevent me
doing again Il few minutes later. |
was ashamed OF my drowsiness, and after
a minutes dose | would wake with a
guilty start. only TO drop off again in a
lew moments know not how long
this had been going on, when Van Hoeck
shook me by the arm, and woke me thor
oughly.
1t is counting destruction to sit here
with the door open" he said. "one of us
blind, and the other dead asleep. ! cannot
me if il rains.
went to the window. and found that the
rain had ceased. l told him this.
VIII go out; take me down to the door, ="
he said.
led him down stairs. and gave him his
umbrella and hat. Then / took mine and
| opened the door quietly. fearing to awake
Edith. would have accompanied him. hut
he refused, saving night and day were alike
10 him. and he knew his way along the
paths and about the lawn
90 back 70 your room and iasten vCur-
| sell in. he said: 1T is our only security.
| Tap nj the window II let me know that an
- last. L beg you 10 do this he added
earnestly; YOU cannot understand the feel
lngN OF man in my position-the torture
OF CONSCIOUS lmpotency as yoE feel the an
proacElng late that you are powerless 10
avert"
His voice ratified in his throat. and indis-
,, 4Hetly Eeard him mutter, as he groped his
way along The wall Of the terrace:
trdmped IN coffin, and the clods fall
luE. 'Hliinu-
closed the door, and returned to nlvroom
with Shudder.
When mad fastened myself in I tapped at
the window, and Van Hoeck replied BY tap
ping on the wall below
Tae fresh air had revived me: l had no
longer 10 struggle with an irresistible droy-
slness-the inclination to sleep vas gone.
had my book 10 finish. but nv mind wa
no. sufficiently composed TO read =
walked about the room | thought of rlitb
ana o. an Hoeck, wondering il here coulI
Dc any connection between her strange ho,-