Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-05-12
tho mountain side will be an adventure

AAhC d 1ttOASA GtlStu SGitiIS, WHICH lcQ luCO
the garnet, Clara's delight was greater
| than ever.
"What a love of an old place. she
exclaimed, looking round her at the
| bare beams and rafters, which, at their
| apex, almost touched her head. 'How
unsteady the rain sounds, and how
cozy that little bed under the beams
| looks, only we shall have to go on our
hands and knees to get into it. OH
Marian, what do you suppose we shall
dream about?"
companions arm. what noise was
that?"
"Only an owl hooting in the woods
| What bundle of ridiculous nerves you
are, Marian"
"Ah! but the strange grating sounds
as if skeleton fingers were feeling over
the roof"
Clara bu.st into laugh.
Nothing on earth but the trees that
hang over the ledge of rocks, and brush
to and fro across the ridge pole at every
gust of wind. What will you fancy
neXt?"
Marian drew deep sigh Of relief.
"But shall not undress," she said,
quietly.
"Why not?'
81 think it safer to lie down just as l
am"
Marian, you are goose" exclaimed
Clara. ''However, l don't care; we'll
just draw the patchwork coverlid over
us and sleep as soundly as if we were
| in the state chamber at Windsor castle,
for think never was so sleepy in oil
my life"
II shall not sleep wink all night
said Marian. "Oh! Clara, I wish we
had kept on down the mountains. 1
wish we had not come here"
Marian, what ais you?' cried Clara,
almost impatiently. II wouldn't be
such an old maid as you for thousand
dollars. Do lie quietly down and let
me go to Sleep
Marian Dale said no more, but at
midnight she roiselessly walked her
companion.
"Clara! Clara! Hush! Do not speak,"
she whispered "but face was looking
into the window just now"
Into this window, Marian? No one
but bird could reach it. You are
dreaming."
II am not dreaming Neither have I
been asleep. But I tell you face did
| look in just now. A face CHASTITY in the
moonlight, with shaggy hair and
beard"
Clara raised herself on her elbow, and
perceived that the violence Of the storm
was over and that the moon was shin
ing so as to cast a square of white radi-
ance on the rough board floor.
Suddenly the flood Of light was dark
ened. Marian forced her companion
back into reclining posture, and whis-
pered:
FLUSH! pretend to be asleep-it is our
only safety"
And at the same instant curious
dwarfed figure climbed into the room,
its face looking sjngularly yellow and
corpse-likc in the magic light, framed,
as it was, with a mat of coarse red hair.
A ragged coat hung loosely on it's mis-
shapen shoulders, and it's feet were
cased in something that looked like
lnoccasins of fur. And as Clara lay
there, she could feel the blood pulsing
in wild leaps to her heart. She could
! not speak-she had no voice to scream
1t seemed to her for the moment that
she must surely go mad with terror
The creature, whether apparition or
reality, crept stealthily across the
creaking floor to where the girls neck
laces and earrings lay glittering on On
implanted pine table, and uttered a
strange, chuclzling sound as he gathered
them together and dropped them into
some receptacle hidden away in his
clothing. Then, horror of horrors! he
| approached the bed, leaning over and
listening so intently that they could
an instant!
"Asleep!' he murmured, "asleep!"
And when Clara and Marian next
dared to open their eyes he was gone
They lay there trembling and fearing
a repetition of the strange visit until
daybreak, and then hurried down to
Huldah Dare, to tell the story of their
nights adventure. The old woman list
ened, with an incredulous face.
| 'Nonsensew she croaked; ''all stuff
and nonsense! You were dreaming!'
''But our rings and necklaces, and
Marian's coral brooch?"
''There they are" said Huldah, with
a motion of her head toward the pillow
| of her own rough couch in the corner.
81 came up last night to see that you
were sleeping well, and saw them all
spread out, and knew it wasn't safe, so
l brought them down with me and put
EN- under my pillow for safe keeping. -
Clara lifted up the homespun linen,
and there, sure enough, lay the spark
ling treasures! She looked at Marian,
almost inclined to disbelieve the evil
dence of her own senses.
'But, Huldah," said Marian, quietly,
II saw it with my own eyes-the hor-
rid, dwarfed creature gather up our
rings and charms and drop them into
his pocket. l saw his face, very white,
with his gllttering eyes and red, tan
gled hair. I felt his very breath upon
my face
dreams! dreams! dreamsr' muttered
Huldah, impatiently. care you ready
for your breakfast, young ladies?'
But neither of the girls could eat after
the hideous night they had passed.
They rewarded the old woman literally
for her grudgingly given hospitality,
and set out to walk down the noun
tain side. with what speed they might.
But knew it was no Dream" said
Clara, in whisper, as if even the
copses, and birds, and powders of rock
had ears to hear.
About a week afterwards the maid
who daily came up to brush Miss Wyn-
ford's lovely golden hair was brimful of