Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-02-01
AS she went she had a sensation Of being

AS she went she had a sensation of being
FOLLOWED, and fastened on breathlessly.
When little Ally knelt down to say her
prayers, the kooK opened quietly as II Dor.
oYly had not properly secured II.
She noticed, her nerves we're at such cruel
tension, every noise. however slight.
"fGentle Jesus, meek and mild, look up
son a little child,'" said Ally in her softlisp-
ing baby language, and Dorothy saw the
door open a little wider.
When the prayers were ended, and the
baby lips kissed into silence, and ALLY lay
snug and warm In the pretty white bed,
Dorothy went TO the door 10 lock IL, and 10
the key was gone.
Dorothy looked on the floor, all over the
room, in the corridor, and still 1t was not TO
be found.
Then she a the bel! sharply. Old Ag-
mes came TO answer it q little sulkily; all
the maids were ont, and IL made her breath
short to mount the stairs.
II can't find the key of my door, has any
one removed it?"
why should they? The keys In this
house are rarely touched; we can trust one
another, Miss Snow"
"Yes, Of course, but l am accnstome d TO
lock my door, and l can't sleep unless 1t II"
I'm very sorry, but Ii Is no fault Of mine.
Put a chair against the door; no one will in
terfere with you-why should they? / never
locked my bedroom door In my life. What
should / do in case of ire?'
Unlock 1t and get out If you value your
life, l suppose. | am annoyed. The key
was here this morning. Well, l suppose /
must get to bed, but / don't believe / shall
sleep"
II don't suppose you will, it Is not ten
O'Clock. Shall | bring you a little negus?''
Yes, please, 1 wish you would. I feel
tired and nervous"
Old Agnes went down again, and got the
hot wine-and-water, grumbling as 81, did
so about the loss Of the key; Il was so
strange, she could not account for 1t, and IL
worried her.
After seeing Dorothy drink her wine In
bed, and turning the gas down to a faint
glimmer, old Agnes said goodnight and left
her, closing the door securely behind her,
and went down to wait up for the maids.
Dorothy went to sleep after laying awake
some time; little Ally slept serenely by her
side, but Dorothy dreamt someone was
dragging the child away from her to de-
stroy.
The dream was horribly realistic, and she
fancied someone was lifting Ally above her
while she sank lower, overpowered by o
sickening odor that seemed 10 saffucate
her.
She made n desperate effort TO break this
spell Of horror, aud awoke 10 find herself In
total darkness except where the moon made
light just where the window CLEANED q
glimmering square.
A handkerchief that had covered her face
she had torn away just in time to see little
Ally lifted from her side by a dull dark
shape with a plume of feathers on its head
like a hearse.
Weak, sick, and faint felt Dorothy, but
her promise To protect the child was vivid
In her mind. No one should take her away
while she had power to prevent it.
Who are you? What are you doing with
that child?' cried Dorothy, s~pringing out of
bed, and pulling at the belErope-it only
hung by a thread and gave way at her
touch.
Dorothy screamed with terror, and took
hold Of Ally TO wrench her out of the
strange Soman's arms.
She might as well have tried TO move o
marble column.
'Silcnce, you fool. or by the Heaven, I'll
kill, you! only take my own. Keep of.
or | shall do you deadly harm."
The low fierce voice never failed. In vain
Dorothy tried 10 rescue the Child, q hand of
iron grasped her throat.
She tore frantically at the hand; the lace
at the wrist came away, the silk gave way to
her inaddened grasp, but she could not
loosen the cruel fingers.
With a horrid thud she was thrown
against the bed-p)s. and rolled over, heavi-
ly stunned.
Then the woman, squirting the PROSTATE
form with her foot as If she had been a
loatlisnme reptile, picked up Dorothy's fur
lined cloak from the foot Of the bed,
wrapped the still sleeping child in it, and
went silently away like a night shadow that
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