The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-06-03
DONE IN DARKNESS.

JHo OF my dofenseR. The
window was without shutters and
lacked me pane, which left an OPEN
ing so situated that fastening the
sash would have been useless. These
rooms were on the ground floor, and,
by leaning out of the window, 1
might have touched some of the
passers in the street.
The insecurity had o%ccasioned me
no concern before, but money breeds
distrust and l thought Of ugly posi-
bilities as l stood in front of that win
dow. Circumstances forced me to
keep money in my possession. As it was
necessary to be at the end of a long
journey in the afternoon, l could only
take a train starting before banking
hours and the nature OF my business
precluded the use of a check.
after all why should anything
happen tonight" l thought and then
straightway remembered that thieves
have their detectives, and wondered
whether one had not seer me paid in
the bank and followed to my lodgings.
l thought of several hiding places,
and finally decided to put the money
in a large dictionary. and. with a
feeble effort to treat the matter light
ly, remarked. that although money
vas always to be found in a diction-
airy. no one would ever think of look
ing for it there. Then into my mind
came the whimsical idea OF putting it
On the page which bears the word
money" Now, it oddly happened
that on opening the book. the first
word that met my eye was murder. !"
1t was so significant that l shuddered.
1t was like speaking of ropes in the
house of a hangman.
l am not what is ordinarily called
superstitious. but l must confess that
this incident annoyed me greatly.
l tried to drive it from my mind by
reading, looking at pictures. and re-
peating verses; but every device
failed. l could not forget it. Per
haps it is a prophecy, was my morbid
thought Being q very persistent
man. l finally returned to my first
idea, and taking from my pocket ten
800 bills. found the page containing
the word money" placed them
there, closed the book, and returned
it to the bookcase. l then put soma
smaller bills in the toe of a shoe and
there remained only a few coins of
little value. which l left in my waist
coat pocket.
l was practically alone. for it was
not worth while considering my land
lady. who was the only other person
in the house. She slept on the floor
above me, and was very old and very
deaf.
There were no street-lamps near,
and it was so dark I could not see q
yard from the window.
lit would be difficult" l said to
myself, .for anyone to examine my
rooms without a light, and that would
expose him to discovery from a chance
passer-by."
That vas some consolation. and to
add to the risk of using a light l took
the rolling curtain from the window
just before l went to bed. Assuring
myself that my revolver was under
the pillow, l closed my eyes. l was
very tired, and, in spite of my gloomy
apprehensions, soon fell asleep.
How long l slept l have never been
able to determine. l was awakened
no doubt by the opening of a drawer
in my writing desk, for that was the
first sound OF which l was conscious.
There was utter darkness.
strained my eyes. but saw nothing.
heard a rubber band snap, and re-
membered that one had fastened the
top on a small box in the first drawer
of the desk. I felt a draft of air in
such volume as to convince me that
the window was wide open. These
were proofs of confirmation strong
enough.
According to Napoleon. the
o'clock-in-the-morning courage is the
rarest That he explains, is the Kind
that keeps the mind clear. when sud-
den danger awakens one from a sound
sleep. I confess it is a courage tina,
is not mine. | felt on this occasion
the impulse to act like a mailman, te
make a leap in the dark, to fly, if not
opposed, but to destroy. with the
strength OF desperation. whatever i'm
peded me. Such acts have often been
miscalled brave, when. in reality.
they are the effects Of terror.
For few moments l labored under
a terrible excitement my heartbeat:
were so violent that they seemed aud.
ible, and had any g or nearer sigr
or danger appeared, l could not have
remained quiet But a perfect still
ness prevailed, ana l had time to col
lect myself.
Becoming calmer I began TO no pc
that I was mistaken. A mouse nigh
have made the noise in thu drawer
and caused the swapping Of the rubber
Well, l had forgotten the missing
pane, and that l had taken down the
curtain.
'.Bah!n 1 thought, .it's all imagina
ton; l will get up. light my lamp ant
settle the question" But | had
grain OF doubt in my mind. n want
ed to have Try revolver in hand before
rising. 1t was under the pillow ava.
from me. l turned to reach it, ant
my motion male the bed creak; a mo
ment afterwards l perceived the odo
of tobacco as it is in the breath afte
smoking.
g. There was no doubt then that som
one was in the room, and had ap
preached ne on hearing the creakini
) of the be-. l expected to fee hi
: hand on me the next instant, and n.
terror was not lessenel by the fac
that he had not made the least noise
, / was quiet but more from the par
alyzing effects, of fear than from sell
control. could nottell how near tn
[ danger was. but the hope came to m
that, if l could convey the impressio
that l was asleep I would not be mt
Tested. For several moments the ode
. remained unchanged; then it gre
fainter, and finally disappeared er