Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-12
dinner
CHAPTER TX.

Mr.. Readc's cruel and preiudiced ac
cusations against Mr.. Rnyncr had moi
In the least shaken my faith in the kind
| ness OF the master of the Aiders; but ]
felt anxious to prove to myself that thf
charges brought against him were
groundless. Mr.. Rcade's suggestion
that he let his family sleep in the damp
house while he passed his nights else
where, for instance, was absurd in the
extreme. Where else could he sleep
without any ones knowing anythin .
about it? often heard his voice and
step about the house until quite late;
ne was always one of the
first in the dining-room to our
eight o'clock breakfast, and even
the wettest mornings he never !3oka.!
as if he had been out in the rain. It
often seems to me that when l have
puzzled myself long tiine over sora
matter l find out in SOM simple man
ner what l wish TO know
Thus the day after my talk with Nj.
Reade in the shop Haidee said to me:
''Do you ever have horrid dreams,
Miss Christie, which Brighten you and
then come true?'
"No, darling; dreams are only
fancics. you know, and never continue,
except just by accident"
She went on gravely:
But mine do. I'll tell YOU about
one l had two nights ago, if YOU II bend
your head and let me whisper You
won't tell, will you?''
mo, darling. I won't tell" said I.
She put her little hand up to nv
cheek, and, drawing down my face to
hers, breathed into my ear in the very
falntest, sottest whisper l have ever
heard:
''You know that day when we took
ret?"
Eyes. dear" said I.
'Hush! Whispcr,' coocd she
Swell, that night Jane put me to bed,
and then went to sleep Just like al.
ways do. And then dreamed that
heard mamma screaming and CRYING,
and papa speaking-oh, SO differently
from the way he generally does; it
made me frightened in my drearii!
thought it was all real, and tried to
get out of bed; but l was too much
asleep; and when l WOKE up remem-
bered 1t. L didn't tell anybody; and
the next night I wondered if 1 should
have the dream again, and I didn't
want Jane to go away; and, when l
said it was because I'd had a dream,
She said dreams were stuff and non
sense, and she wanted to go and dream
at having supper. And then she went
away, and l went to sleep. And then
woke up because mamma was cry.
ing, and thought at first it was MY
dream again; but Knocked my head |
against the rail OF my bed, and then ! |
knew l must be awake. And I got out |
OF bed, and ! went quite softly to the |
door and looked through the key-hole,
tor there was light in her room. When |
she has light, can see in quite plain.
" through the key-hole, and can see |
che bed and her lying in it. But she
wasn't alone like she generally isl
could see papa's hand holding the can.
die, and he was talking to her in such
a low voice. bat she was CRYING and
talking quite wildly and strangely SO
that she frightened ME. When she
talks like that, feel afraid--it doesn't
seem as if she We're mamma. And
hen saw papa put something on her
lace, and mamma said: Don't don't!
Not that! and then she only moaned,
and then she was quite still, and /
heard him go out of the room. And
presently called: Mamma. mammar
;ut she didn't answer; and | was so
frightened. | thought she was dead.
Gut then ! heard her sigh like she al.
ways does in her sleep, and got into
bed again"
Were you afraid to go in, darlingp"
81 cou!dn' t go in, because the door
vas locked. 1t always is, you know.
never so into mammals room; I did
'nly once, and she said''-and thp
hild s soft whisper grew softer still
nd she held her tiny lips closer to nv
ar-''she said was never to saw any.
hing about it-and l promised; so
mustn't even to you, Miss Christie,
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