The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-05-12

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 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, end
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
cned. Marian forced her companion
back into a reclining posture, and whis-
pered:
"Hush! pretend to be asleep-it is our
only safety
And at the same instant curious
dwarfed figure climbed into the room,
its face looking singularly yellow and
corpse-like in the magic light, framed,
as it was, with mat of coarse red hair
A ragged coat hung loosely on its mis-
shapen shoulders, and it's feet were
cased in something that looked like
noccasins 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 60 mad with terror.
The creature, whether apparition or
reality, crept stealthily across the
creahing floor to where the girls neck
laces and earrings lay glittering on an
implanted pine table, and uttered a
strange, chuckling 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
feel his hot breath on their temples for
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
repetition of the strange visit until
daybrealz, and then hurried down to
Huldah Dare, to tell the story of their
nights adventure. The old woman list
ened, with an incredulous face.
NONSENSE" she croaked; "all stuff
and nonsense! You were dreamingv'
'But our rings and necklaces, and
Marian's coral brooch?"
There they are" said Huldah, with
motion of her head toward the pillow
of her own rough couch in the corner.
Il came up last night to see that you
were sleeping we'll, 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. l felt his very breath upon
my face"
dreams! dreams! dreams!' muttered
Huldah, impatiently. "Are 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 l 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-
fords lovely golden hair was brimful of
tidings.
Dear heart alive. MISS" said she.
did You know that Widow Huldah
Dale, who lives up on the mountain,
where you stopped all night in that
tremendous storm, you know
Yes" said Clara, impatiently. go
on:'
well, she's got crazy son that's
been wanderin' round in the woods,
livin' ON nuts and berries, like wild
man, these three months, for he's es-
capped from the asylum, where they
didn't use him we'll noways, and his
poor mother hadn't the heart to put
him back there again; and last night he
slipped on them rocks by Creefel's
creek and fell in and was drowned!
And Widow Huldah, she takes on lust
as bad as if he wasn't poor, deformed
creature without common sense-and
to think she's KEEP that secret all the
years she lived there, havin' a mad
son!"
Clara spoke no word, but her eyes met
those of her cousin Marian.
''Thatexplains the mystery" said the
latter, quietly. ''I'oor Huldah! no won
der she was so unwilling to shelter us
from the rain. She must have herself
taken the Jewels from him afterward,
and told falsehood to keep the awful
secret"
"Poor Huldah!" sighed Clara. but
Marian, how wonderful that our lives
were preserved. Suppose, in an instant
of mad CAPRICE
She stopped short, and shuddered, in
stead Of 8nishing her sentence.