The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-04-20
CHAPTER V.

as 1t stands. Edith came down late 10
| breakfast. She looked pale, and said she
| had oversight herself.
| For the first time in your life, | be-
| lieve, said Sir Edmund. You did not
| fall asleep quite so readily as usual
| hey?" he asked smiling
Il could not sleep, she answered, but
so gravely that l saw it was not from the
| cause the baronet implied-the love that
| had kept me awake; and then she added,
Il have been terribly frightened"
| We looked at her in establishment and
anxiety.
Il Will tell you all about it," she con-
| tinued because you may be able to eX-
plain what perplexes me, and that will be
a great relief.
| She paused, as if to collect her thoughts,
| and then said
| L was nearly asleep when | noticed a
sound coming from the window. 1t was
as if some one were rapping upon the
glass-not loudly or quickly, but softly,
as though with the tip of the finger, and
at intervals. | might have counted twenty
or thirty between one tap and the next. |
took little notice of it at first, thinking
that as l had left the window partly open
| it might he the wind moving the
| Venetian blind; but after a while the per-
| sistent tap-tap-tap irritated me. | rose
and lit a candle, then | went to the win
| dow. The lattice was just as | had left
| it. The blind hung perfectly motionless.
| l drew it up and looked out. ! here was a
| gray mist everywhere. Not a breath of
air stirred; the flame of the candle burned
| as steadily as though the window had
| been closed. l let down the blind and
| listened; there was not the slightest
| sound
A moth on the ceilira,r said Sir Ed
mund; they have worriea me in the same
manner. Then you get a light and the
| thing stops.
| Hold on; we ain heerd the last on it.
| | kin see" said the Judge, locking at Miss
| Lascelles intently, his shaggy brows bent
over his quick eyes
| Il explained it as you do, papa put
cat the light and tried to sleep. L heard
no sound for quite ten minutes, | think,
| and then again that soft, slow tap-tap-
tap came from the window the same
| ound, with the same long interval be
| tween them. 1t was not like he beat of
moths wing. 1t was like nothing but the
| touch of human finger. But | tried to
| think ii was an insect in the wall-the in
| sect that is called tie death wat h. And
did my best to take no notice of it, but
| could not help hearing it, and after a me
| grew frightened, aud the sound grew
| Dire Jul In nv ears. II became unendur-
able; | could not lie there listening pas
| sively | got up again and struck match
| The wick of the candle was slow 10 Ii hit,
| and during these moments | noticed that
tie sound mad ceas d. As ! say. | was
| fnghtened-yely frightened. And the IN
broken silence seemed more tertibl than
| the sound. There was something ghoStly
and supernatural about it that brought
back the old terror | used to feel as a
| child IN passing the room that is said to
| be HUNTED at night. And Just then the
| clock in the belfIy struck. | lred not
go to the window. My hand trembled 80
that | could not take up the candle, but
looked toward the window. The first thing
that struck Inc was that the laths of the
| blind. Ii stead of lying fiat, as they gen.
| orally do when down. and as | hld left
them, were opeEe and turned elgeway Do
YOU know how | mean?"
She held her hand, that tremb1ed with
the recollection of her terror. one above
the other horizontally.
But the next thing" she continued,
and then stopT ed with little shud Ter,
while we who listened held our breath
the next thing | saw was two great black
eyes that caught the light from my candle
IN between the lower laths of the blind
She paused, and then continued, with
more tirmness:
I think l tainted; | must have done
so, for | was conscious of nothing after
that, until found myself upon the floor
The light was still burning upon the
table. As recollection returned to me, |
looked toward the window The laths
were no longer open, but turned fat
Then II occurred to me that all had seen
Iu-o- l.. 90, =
lily a realistic dream; that | had gone
through these experiences in my sleep.
My great terror was gone. / went without
fear to the window 10 ascertain if the
night was as | had seen it, There was
| the gray mist; the flame of the candle did
not flicker. Neverthele IS, when looked
down and saw how impossible it was
for any one 10 have stood outside the WIN
dow, felt convinced that at least the
vision of the two eyes was inaginary-an
outcome of the fear | felt when | looked
toward the window. l lay down again.
and, though | could not sleep for some
time, heard no further sound whatever.
save the Ginning of the clock"
is 1t not very probable, my dear.
said the baronet, that the sound you
speak of was also the outcome of fear?n
Il had no fear when | went first to the
| "
that | wish explained"
DO you know what time it was when
the tapping first began, Miss Lascelles?7
Van Hoeck asked
1t was a quarter to one by my watch
when l recovered from the fit.
May l ask. Miss, without offense if a
thing o this kind hes ever happened YOU
afore: asked the Judge.
As child l was timid. but I cannot
remembers ever being so frightened"
You don't look as if a trife would
skeer you, 1 will allow" and. rising from
his chair, the Judge added, If you'll ex
cuse me. II so and prospect the place
straight of, for I'm lorth to say it looks to
me like as if the Kid had been taking a
hand in this game"
By all means" said the baronet.
the sooner the truth is discovered the
better"
We all went out on to the lawn which
faced that part of the building in which
Edith loom was situated.
On the way Van Hoeck, who had taken
my arm for guidance, gripped it tightly,
and whispered
What did tell you? This is the be-
ginning of the end."