The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-03-28
CHAPTER v.

as it stands Edith came down late TO
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
full asleep quite SO readily as usual
hey2" he asked smiling.
81 could not Sleep" she answered, but
SO gravely that 1 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 astonishment and
: Sc :. I wiilEtell yos, all al ont it," she con-
setinuad, -becHuse you may be- able TO ex-
plain what Perrplexes me, and that will be
: q great relief"
Che paused, as if to collect her thoughts,
and then said:
Il was nearly asleep when not:cel q
sound coming from the window. 1t was
Z ns if some one were rapping upon thu
glas not loudly or quickly, but softly,
as though with the tip of the finger, and
at intervals. / might have counted twenty
or thirty between ohe tap and the next l
took little notice of it at first, thinking
that as l had left the window partly open
it might te the wind moving the
Venetian blind; but after while the per-
sistent tap--tap-tap irritated me. / rose
and lit n candle. then / went to the win
dow. The lattice was just as had left
it. The blind hung perfectly motionless.
! drew it up and looked out There was n
gray mist everywhere. Not a breath of
air stirred; the flame of the candle burned
as steadily as though the window had
been closed I let down the blind and
listened; there was not the slightest
sound
"A moth on the ceiling" said Sir Ed
mund; they have worried mo in the same
Hold on; We amt heerd the last Oh it,
Kin see, said the Judge, looking at Miss
Lascelles intently, his shaggy brows bent
over his quick eyes.
Il explained it as you do, papa: I put
out the light and tried to sleep. / heard
no sound for quite ten minutes, think,
and then again that soft, slow tap-tap-
tap came from the window-the same
sound, with the same long interval be-
tween them. 1t was not like the beat of
moths wing. 1t was like nothing but the
touch of human finger. But tried to
think it was an insect in the wall-the in
sect that is called the death watch And
did my best to take no notice Of it, but
could not help hearing it, and after a time
grew frightened, and the sound grew
dreadful in my ears. 1t became unendur-
able; ! could not lie there listening pas
sively. | got up again and struck match
The wick of the candle was slow to light,
and during these moments | noticed that
frightened-vely frightened. And the un-
broken silence seemed more terrible than
the sound. There was something ghostly
and supernatural about it that brought
back the old terror l used to feel as q
child in passing the room that is said to
be haunted at night. And just then the
clock in the belfry struck. | dared not
go to the window. My hand trembled so
that could not take up the candle, but /
looked toward the window. The first thing
that struck me WAS that the laths of the
blind. instead of lying fiat, as they gem
orally do when down, and rs / had left
them were opene and turned edgeway. Do
you know how mean?'
She held her hand, that trembled with
the recollection of her terror, one above
the other horizontally.
But the next thing" she continued,
and then stopped with little shudder,
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
moro tirmness:
81 think 1 tainted; I must have done
so, for | was conscious of nothing after
that, until found myself upon the floor
The light was still burning npon the
table. As recollection returned 10 me, |
looked toward tho window. The laths
were no longer open, but turned fiat.
Then 1t occurred to me that all had seen
was merely imaginative; that it was more
~ realistic dream; that | had gone
through these experiences in my sleep
MY great terror was gono. / went without
fear to the window to ascertain if the
night was rs | had seen it. There was
the gray mist; the fame of the candle did
not flicker. Nevertheless. when ] looked
Gown and saw how impossible il was
tn haU gi,
dow, felt convinced that at least tho
vision OF tho two eyes was imaginary-an
outcome Of the fear felt when / looked
toward the window. | lay down again.
and. though l could not sleep for some
timo, henrd no further 2ound whatever.