Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-07-25

nera we have a few friends to dinner
hope" "e WE'LL l
parents!" and this is an illu-
sion to her own sister, whom she had
=; nos . for years! Her greeting!-
~ iact' her manner, everything about
ner-was perfectly polite, but strangely
Yes replied. "they are quite we'll,
thank you"
You can come down stairs when Won
are ready" she continued, as she stood
per pe,ore the glass giving the
last touches to her toilet.
Dinner will be on the table in
ABOUT twenty minutes. 1 had better 90
down-theyll be waiting for me-" say
ing this she left the room.
"A curious woman: 1 thought, when
she was gone; and, although Ibid not
are much about her, perhaps, also, 1
was q little sorry that against the wishes
OF my parents I had come to the Will
lows at oil. When I came into the
drawlng-room [ found q party of about
a dozen people assembled there. There
We're, besides my aunt and an elderly
German lady, VINO was a relative of her
late husband. the clergyman of the par
lsh and his wife and two daughters, the
local doctor-a good-looking young
man OF about six or seven and twenty:
the Squire and three or four Others,
who, like myself, were staying on a
visit at the house. Dinner passed verv
pleasantly. We had music aud q dance
hen the gentlemen came up stairs.
Altogether l enjoyed myself very much
and it was past midnight when we rose
from the supper table. One thing 1
noticed almost unconsciously during the
evening, aud this was q strange, absent.
and at the same time searching, express
sion which sometimes came upon Aunt
Judith's face. 1t was as though she was
looking at or for something which was
invisible to everybody else.
Well, when supper was over, and
those of the guests who were leaving
the house had taken their departure, /
went with Aunt Judith to her bed
room, "to see," she said, whether So
phia had got my room ready vet"
Sophia was waiting for us when we
entered the room, and my aunt and
she Immediately began to talk in Ger
man. What they were saying 1 could
not tell, as I did not understand the
language; but somehow, from their
manner or the tone of their voices, it
seemed to me as if they were discussing
something which they did not want me
to know about. At last my aunt said
to me in English:
my dear, l am sorry the room I had
intended for you is not ready yet. It
will be ready tomorrow, but for to-
night you must sleep in another ROOM"
Here Sophia said something in Ger
man. and after a moments pause, Aunt
Judith said, as if in answer:
"The blue-room. Yes, my dear"
she continued, speaking to me. "it is an
old-fashioned room, but very comfort.
able. Sophia will show you to it.
Goodnight, my dear"
Again the curious look I had noticed
before came over her face as I left the
room with Sophia, who walked before
me with q candle.
We went up a flight of stairs that led
to q part of the building which seemed
to be but little used. At the top OF
these stairs there was a long, narrow
passage, the walls Of which were lined
with oak panels. When we got to the
end of this passage we turned to the
right and went a few yards down
another and similar passage, until the
servant opened adoor that led into 8
spacious bed-chamber.
Having put the candle on the mante]
piece and laid nv travelling bag, which
she carried with her, on the floor, she
looked curiously round the room,
anG then, when she had hidden me
goodnight, went out and shut the door.
I felt very nervous as I looked about
an uninhabited part of the large house,
and was furnished, I thought, in an
antique and rather grewsome manner.
The lofty walls, paneled as they were
with wood painted blue, contrasted
strangely with the heavy silk window
curtains, which were of a dark red
color, and with some old portraits in
oil that hung in massive oak and ebony
frames. The chairs and tables were
cumbrous and old-fashioned, and, as tc
the bed, it almost frightened me to think
of sleeping in it, so vast and gloomy did
it look with it's huge canopy and somLre
curtains.
It is not easy to go to sleep at once
during the first night of ones stay in 6
strange house, especially if anything
has happened to make the mind uneasy
and suspicious. For a long time I lay
awake wondering at the curious look ]
had seen on Aunt Judith's face, and
shivering, % and again, as I thought
how far away I was from the rest of the
household. If I were to be taken sud
denly ill, or if anything were to HAPPIER
to me during the night. what could
do? There was a bell rope in the
room, but l had forgotten to ask
Sophia whether it communicated will
q bell, and, if SO, whether there was
anyone to answer my ring. Isolated
as I was in this large and gloomy
chamber, my mind was agitated with
vague fears, and it must have beer
nearly two hours before got to sleep.
How long this state lasted i do not
know, when suddenly 1 awoke: In 9
moment I was wide awake, staring be-
so.o 49, ,p4o %ba b1ooI- 1orkOoas VIII