The Dickinson press., 1892-05-14

minute-hand was so bent that it
could not pass the hour-hand; when
| lifted it, the movement recommenc.
ed, proving that the spring had not
run down.
The hour marked by the hands
was five minutes to one
cat five minutes to one Lola was
sleeping at my door," | said.
CHAPTER VIII.
Edith could not say whether the
lath she had seen turned were open
when she went to the window, and
there were no means OF confirming the
fact afterward, because in pulling up
the blind they would, ii open, be re-
turned TO their former position. In
face OF my evidence, she was firmly
convinced that what she had seen and
heard WAS an extraordinary illusion
OF the senses, parallel to that which
furnishes the sole excuse for u toler-
ably widespread belief insupernatural
| appearances. She was ashamed of
the feebleness OF mind which her expe-
riences seemed to imply, and, resolved
to overcome the weakness, resisted
all her fathers p%ersuasions to change
those conditions under which she had
passed the last two nights.
Van Hoeck alone refused to believe
in Edith's hallucination.
"One has only to hear Miss La.
scelles speak to discredit q notion OF
that kind, "hesaid; she has every sign
OF mental vigor and physical strength.
and to accuse such a girl OF that kind
OF morbid insanity called hallucina-
ton, is Just us creditable to your un-
Outstanding as to believe in the SIM
plicity and honesty OF a vagabond
Californian card. sharper, and the half
breed wench he chooses to call his
daughter.
When night came, lie said to me,
after We had separated from the
rest
"This isnotimefor sleep. Thorne; we
must watch through the night, wheth-
er you like it or not, ii it is only for
Miss Lascelles' sake"
l readily agreed to this. an for an
hour VIC walked on Il part OF the lawn
from which | could see Edith's win
dow. Then the rain, which had been
drilling for some time, fell heavily,
and forced us to go in.
We changed IL boots for
slippers, and together in my
room, with IL book, he
with his chin III 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 | could not keep
awake. 1t must be remembered that
! had had no sleep theprecedingnight,
and that | did believe in Edith's hal
l%ucination, 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"
Chalk" he muttered scornfully;
"wliy rot ask me to sing you q comic
song? ii 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 q few minutes later. ]
was ashamed OF my drowsiness, and
after o minutes doze l would wake
with u guilty start, only to d:vp Off
again Iii II few moments. | know not
how long this had been going on, when
Van Hoeck shook me by the arm, and
woke me thoroughly.
cit is counting destruction to
sit here with the door
open, he said, zone OF us blind,
and the other. dead asleep. lean not
stand it any longer. it is intolerable.
feline ii it rains"
went to the window, and found
that the rain had ceased. / told him
this.
~ 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. Iwouldhave
accompanied him, but herefused, soy
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. 1
beg you to do this" he added earnest
ly; "you can not understand the feel
ings OF a man in my position,--the
torture OF conscious impotency asyou
feel the approaching fate that you are
powerless to avert"
His voice ratified in his throat, and
indistinctly heard him mutter, as he
groped his Way along the wall OF the
terrace
"Cramped in a coffin, and the clods
falling, falling"
l closed the door, and returned to
my room with a shudder.
When | 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; l had
no longer to struggle with an ~i1resist-
ibie drowsinees,@the inclination to
sleep was gone.
had my book to finish, but my
mind was notsufficiently composed to
read. AS | walked about the room,
l thought OF Edith and of Van Hoeck,
wondering il 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 un.
der which we lived. to produce an ef-
feet which, though characterized by
cases attrabutable only to s" a disorder pIsr.
ed Imagination; and | wondered if ],
i'll my turn, should come under this
occult influence.
might have been occupied with the
speculation for half-an-hour or more,
when | / heard @ scream OF terror that
l could not doubt came from the wing
In which Edith lay. In an ,n>.",.