The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-06-22
trembling and did not go to sleep again.

for instance-suggest that he had been
drowned, and then you went and
dreamt of the peculiar appearance Of
this pond?"
No, no, no. she protested. with
rapid vehemence. Did / not say that
1 dreamed it the very night On which
all trace of him was lost from his ho-
tel IN London? Nobody thought then
that he was not coming home soCn.
And do not think l had noticed this
pond then | have dreamed the same
dream several times since. but that
may be nothing at all / shall very
likely dream it tonight.
That made me shudder.
But what said, "do you suppose
then, the dream meanst"
II do not know at ALL" she said
Il guess and guess till my head aches
and whirls with guessing. but | can
make for myself no certain opinion |
think sometimes that flames may be
about his poor head because of his
loss-you understand me? or that he
may have gone away for the time to
some other place where they work in
chcmicals-but l cannot believe he is
dead"
"Ah,' l said, you must not let a
dream prey upon you So Dreams
| declared in my dull male ignorance
of the mysteries that lie beyond the
touch of all philosophy AMI science
dreams are begotten of Indigestion, or
bad air, or an awkward position when
asleep. or anything"
All she said, sadly, II did not
think you would refuse to believe me-"
My dear Miss Lacroix," ] said, 1T
is not that | do not believe you. but
that | would like you to relieve your
self from the power this has evidently
over you. Come, you should so home
now"
! turned away from the pond and she
followed me- We walked along in ST.
lence for some distance.
Oh she exclaimed at length, Il do
long so very much to know what has
really happened to my dear father--my
poor father
Il wish | could help you to find out
| said; indeed l do. You may be sure
| shall think of all you have told me,
and try to discover anything more. I
have friends in London who may be Of
use if | may mention it to them
'Oh. certainly" she answered. You
are very kind. Becon's Hotel, Great
Queen street is where he was last heard
Of
At a certain corner where the lane to
Timperley Hall diverged from the way
through the village, she insisted on
parting from NE. ! let her 60 with lit
tie hesitation, for / knew there was no
fear Of her being molested; she would
pass public house on her way, but I
I, q Il
or uproariously drunk, ale, which seem
ed TO be the liquor commonly consumed
only had gentle soldering effect.
| had no sooner, however, seen her
disappear round the corner Of the lone
ly lane than | determined to follow her
not to disturb her with my presence,
but mere ly to have the delight of see
ing her, though at distance, and the
satisfaction of knowing that she would
reach Timperley Hall in peace / NOV
cd quietly in the shadow, watching her
tall figure pass steadily on in the moon
lit middle Of the lane. l followed her
to the gate of Timperley Hall, and wait
ed there till heard her footstep at the
door, and heard teh bell ring-then l
returned to the village.
1t may be presumed that while I
smoked at my poSt-coenal pipe |
thought over the strange scene at the
pond, and all that Miss IacroiX had said
1t was certainly very mysterious, but all
the conclusion I could reach concerning
it that night was i resolve to 90 and
look at the pond by day.
went in the morning and discovered
how the strange tintS of water We're
produced The pond was fed by a
rlinlet, which flowed at the bottom of
the bank on one side of the lane called
by the name of Lacroix "Lacroiks,'
the natives called it after their uncom-
promising Lancashire fashion) This
lane, had already learned, had been in
other days the private carriage drive Of
the first LacroiX (before a Steinhardt
had been heard of from his fine man
sion to his dye works and his model
farm. The mansion, with its noble
rookery had long ago become the prey
Of the Omnivorons speculative builder;
the model farm had disappeared all but
the farm house, which, squeezed into
sordid corner of the spreading village,
was now let out in tenements; Stein
hardt now reigned in the LacroiX dye
works, and, in his scorn Of the past,
was in the habit OF tipping" his AMI
line refusedoWn among the tree roots
of the cherished avenue, narrowing
more and more the already CONSTRUCTED
channel of the little stream, and poison
ing and discoloring the one clear flow
Of water in the whole neighborhood.
This it was which washed color into the
pond and gave it its varying tints.
| stood thus in some doubt and great
indignation-doubt whether Miss La
croixs dream might not, after all. be
capable of as simple an explanation as
l had found for the tints of the pond,
and indignation at what I saw around
NE | had never before yentured into