The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-04-21
THE GREAT RESPER.
TALE OF A BIG DIAMOND.
How an immense Gem Was Lost,
Recovered, and Lost Again.
CHAPTER IX-coNTINuED.

6IGef We ndu Selltrdte1 lEOAh viz
rest
This is no timefor sleep, Thorne; we
must watch through the night, wheth-
er you like it or not, if it is only for
Miss Lascelles' sake"
readily agreed to this, an for an
hour we walked on part of the lawn
from which / could see Edith's win
dow. Then the rain, which had been
drizzling for some time, fell heavily,
and forced us to go in.
We changed our boots for
slippers, and together in my
room, with book, he
with his chin IN his hands, his face
hideous with the light of the lamp on
his protruding eyes.
Heaven knows, was not wanting
in love for Edith, or solicitude for her
welfare, and yet l could not keep
awake. 1t must be remembered that
had had no sleep the preceding night,
and that did believe in Edith's hal
lucination, and therefore saw no
actual danger menacing her. l tried
to interest myself in the book, but
my thoughts grew confused, the type
swan before my eyes, and helped
to bemuse my senses. At length Iput
down the book, and, shaking my wits
together, / said to Van Hoeck,-
'Let us talk"
Talk he muttered scornfully;
"why not ask me to sing you comic
song? If the Kid were here suppose
you wouldn't want me to amuse You.
You could keep awake until three or
four in the morning watching her; but,
as it is only your future wife who is
concerned, you are logheaded before
midnight"
This sarcasm did not prevent me
doing again a few minutes later. |
was ashamed of my drowsiness, and
after minutes doze l would wake
with a guilty start, only to drop off
again in few moments. know not
how long this had been going on, when
Van Hoeck shook me by the arm, and
woke me thoroughly.
sit is counting destruction to
sit here with the door
open, he said, lone OF us blind,
and the other dead asleep. can not
stand it any longer; it is intolerable.
Tellme if it rains"
went to the window, and found
that the rain had ceased. l told him
this.
II will go out; take me down to the
door," he said
led him downstairs, and gave him
his umbrella and hat. Then | took
mine. and opened the door quietly,
fearing to awake Edith. Iwould have
accompanied him, but herefused, say
ing night and day were alike to him,
and he knew his way along the paths
and about the lawn.
go back to your room, and fasten
yourself in he said; sit is our only
security. Tap at the window to let
me know that ali is fast.
beg you to do this, he added earnest
ly; you can not understand the feel
ings of man in my position,-the
torture of conscious impotercy asyou
feel the approaching fate that you are
powerless to avert.
His voice ratified in his throat, and
indistinctly heard him mutter, as he
CROPPED his way along the wall of the
terrace
"Cramped in a coffin, and the clods
falling, falling"
Iclosed the door, and returned to
my room with shudder.
When l had fastened myself in, l
tapped at the window, and Van Hoeck
replied by tapping on the wall below
The fresh air had revived me; had
no longer to struggle with an i1resist-
IDLE drowsinees,-th inclination to
sleep was gone.
l had my book to finish, but my
mind was not sufficiently composed to
read. AS l walked about the room,
l thought of Edith and of Van Hoeck,
wondering If there could be any con-
nection between her strange hallucin-
alton and the terrible presentiment
which night and day possessed him.
1t seemed as if there must be some
thing abnormal in the conditions I'M
der which we lived, to produce an ef-
feet which, though characterized by
different peculiarities, was i'll both
cases attributable only to a disorder
ed imagination; and | wondered if J.,
in my turn, should come under this
occult influence.
might have been occupied with the
speculation for halfan-hour or more,
when heard scream of terror that
l could not doubt came from the wing
in which Edith lay. In an instant |
opened the door and ran through the
corridor. The doors in the picture
gallery we're open. AS I drew aside
the curtains which closed in the
staircase corridor of the left wing
saw Sir Edmund come from his room
with lamp. The door of Edith's
room exactly faced his; it was wide
open; all was dark within.
What is it, my dear, what is it?'
he called as he entered the room.
There was no answer.
@ l followed to the door. Sir Ed
mund was standing by the empty BED
looking around him in blank dismay
"She is gone," he gasped 1.-THE door
was wide open"
The bed stood away from the wall
bade Sir Edmund look on the further
side.
There was scarcely room for him tt
pass between the foot of the bed anG
the wall; but, as he lowered the light
he said, in quick ALARM
"She is here-unconscious,-ring thu
bell for the women"
ran to the bell and rang it violent
ly; then from the stairs cross the gal
lery called to the servants to come
down. In the meanwhile Sir Edmund
had raised Edith, and placed her OF
the bed, where shelav like one dead.
From his room got a spirit case
but we knew not how to apply tn,
remedies at our hand, and it was al
intense relief to us when the house
keeper hustled in, followed by Edith
maid, for we were as helpless as child
rem in this emergency.
The housekeeper told me to leav
the room. went to the door, ant
stood there trembling from head t.
foot.
Ihad taken Edith's hand, and tn
icy GOODNESS of the lifeIess fingers tina
1 had only known quick with warn
blood, chilled my very heart wit
fear.
There was q long period of tel