Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-22

the NereS all returning TO my nina In
the clear lines OF memory. A sentiment
OF regret for my beloved villa on the
bank of the Marne took possession OF
me, and evoked in my dreaming vision
of my peaceful chamber, my books, my
students lamp and the joys OF intellec-
tual meditation that had so lately and
rashlv quilted. rD
A minute passed thus Beside me
heard the respiration of the little creole
still sound asleep, and then the wind
brought to me the sound OF the hour
striking from some old church beyond
us, back there in the city--it was mid
night. And, surprising thing, il APP
peared to meta thought,of course, hold
ing on to sleep. a strange isolated ideal,
but 1t appeared to me, | say, that the
balancer Of that distant dial was here in
my chamber, and with slow, regular
strokes, struck alternately now upon
the masonry OF the wall, now upon the
partition of the adjoining chamber.
But in vain did my eyes essay to
pierce the thickness OF the shadow
whence that noise of the clapper con-
tinued to scan the hour to right and
left. Why it was | cannot tell, but in
the mean time Weakening thoughtfully,I
became uneasy as | listened to it, and it
seemed to me, for | must tell you every
thing, that the sound of the wind from
the sea came with it through the inter-
stices of the closed shutters, and-this,
also, found very strange-produced q
sortof noise like whistling upon wet
wood. This accompaniment to the
swinging of the balancer-this ugly
noise of the sea-wind-made this slow,
long-striking twelve seem to me abso-
lutely interminable.
L.. Il. = Z 4 4 L..
passing by the hostelry aud all around
ings, in the neigh boring chambers muir
murings, short, brief, breathless--a
coming and going as of people recloth-
ing themselves in haste; heavy foot
steps on the planks, and the
precipitate tread of feet that
were running away. l put
out my hand toward the little creole to
awaken her, but the child was already
awake, for she grasped my hand with q
nervous strength that produced magnet
ically an impression of insurmountable
terror; 1 knew instinctively, and how it
increased the cold and glacial trance
knew that she desired to speak but
could not do so. / heard the clicking of
her teeth in the black silence, and her
hand, her whole body shook with con-
vulsive trembling. She knew then, she
recognized then, what all this signifiedl
Like shot lifted myself, anu while
it was yet vibrating in the distance, the
last throb of that old midnight, l cried
out to the darkness, but with all my
strength:
"Ho. there! tell me, say, what's all
this that goes on here?n
At the question bedlam answered m e,
voices hOarse, harsh, strident, panic
stricken and muffled, interrupted and
replied to me from every quarter:
''The devil fly away with you! you
know without asking.p
"And what fool to sleep with the
devil in your chambeh'
They took me for the lieutenant evil
IDENTIFY, but the flying away continued,
across corridors and down staircases in
perfect tumult. Yes, s,they took me for
Gerard, and the tone Of the words told
me, though confusedly, that | had
dreamed happily in the midst of some
great danger, and if they fled like this
in such haste IT was not to be doubted
that the peril of the unknown thing
was imminent. With heart oppressed
by mortal anxiety I thrust the creole
from me and feverishly sought the
matches, feeling them on the candle
All! how few there were, they would be
too soon consumed. l rummaged my
pocked, seized from it folded paper
purchased at Bordeaux, twisted it into
torch and with one quick scratch of
the matches upon the head of the bed
fired my improvised beacon. / looked
about the chamber. The noise had
ceased