Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-11-28


tween them. It was not IKE the beat q
a moths wing. II was like nothing bu
the touch Of human finger. But Itries
TO think It was an insect In the wall-th,
insect that Is called the death watch.
And / did my best to take no notice of It
but could not help hearing It; and aftel
q time grew frightened, and the SOUND
grew dreadful in my ears. It becam,
uncomfortable. could not lie there listen
ing passively. gotup again, and struch
match. The wick OF the candle wal
slow TO light, and during those moment:
noticed that the sound had ceased. Al
say, ! was frightened-very frightened.
And the unbroken silence seemed more
terrible than the sound. There was
something ghostly and supernatural
about It, that brought back the old ter.
ror ! used 10 feel as child in passing the
room that Is said to I've haunted at night.
And Just then the clock in the belfry
struck. dared not SO to the window.
Ny hand trembled so that I could not
take up the candle, but looked toward
the window. The first thing that struck
me was that the laths of the blind, in
stead Of lying fat, as they generally do,
when down, and as had left them, were
opened and turned edgeway-do you
know how / mean?"
She held her hands, 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" 4.a.
She paused, and then continued with
more firmness-
~ think fainted-I must have done
50, for was conscious Of nothing after
that. until found myself upon the floor.
The light was still burning upon the to
BILE. As recollection returned to me, /
looked toward the window. The laths
were no longer open, but turned fiat.
Then it occurred TO me that all had seen
was merely imaginative-that 1t was
merely a realistic dream-that had gone
through these experiences In my sleep.
My great terror was gone. went with
out fear to the window to ascertain II the
night was as had seen it. There was
the gray mist; the fame of the candle
did not flicker. Nevertheless, when !
looked down and saw how impossible it
was for anyone to have stood outside the
window, felt convinced that at least
the vision of the two eyes was imaginary
an outcome OF the fear felt when /
looked toward the window. ] lay down
again, and though could not sleep for
sometime, heard no further sound
whatever, save the Ginning of the clock"
''Is it not very probable, my dear, said
the baronet, ''that the sound you speak
of was also the outcome Of fear!"
II had no fear when / went first to the
window. The sound was q reality. 1t
is that I wish explained"
"Do you know what time it was when
the tapping first began, Miss Lascellesy
Van Hoeck asked.
ut was quarter to one by my watch
when I recovered from the fit.
''May ask, Miss, without offense, if q
thing of this kind hes ever happened to
you afore!" asked the Judge.
"As child was tinid, but ! cannot
ever being 80 frightened"
"You don't look as if trihe would
skeer you. / will allow" and, rising from
his chair, the Judge added, ''if you'll ex-
cuse me, I'll 60 and prospect the place
straight off, for I'm forth to say it looks
to me like as if the Kid had been taking
q hand in the game"
by all means" said the baronet, "the
sooner the truth is discovered the better"
We all went out onto the lawn which
faced that part of the building in which
Edith's room was situated.
On the way, Van Hoeck, who had tax
en- my arm for guidance, gripped it tight
" and whispered:
"What did 1 tell you? This is the be-
ginning of the end"