The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-03-23

| Minna stole into her SiStnr-Nl-laN : hed'
ro. m III the course OF the morning, aha
found that this was not true. SA" had
| hurt herself on that mysterious noe
| tlrnal expedition evidently: and Mlnna,
who was getting more and more
alarmed about Ccely. decided that her
scluple.s should not prevent her follow
lng the unhappy young wife II the III
| ter were again to wander about tue
| house ut night.
/ Minna expected that Algy hurst
would call that day, having for an eA-
cuse to report the result OF his WISH -
Mr.. William Remington. But he oia
not come And iL was lot nnli tI'
last post that night that Il letter came
from him. recording the favorable re-
csption he had met with Mr.. Berrtlls
ton had been gracious enough ID cA-
rreSs regret his nephaW's accident.
ani 10 announce his intention of again
calling upon MS niece. This news MIN
na resolved for the present 10 keen 10
| herself: she know that it would aHofa
no consolation TO Cicaly.
1t was up in her own room that night
that Mlnna gloomly considered the
chances of Algy Harst'S detection, ana
| in her moody musings she had for
time forgotten Cicely. when the sound
Of a door being softly opened and smut
/ attract u her attention. Cicely was
starting on another mysterious noctuf-
nal expedition: and her sister-inlaW,
with very little hesitation resolved 10
| follow her.
/ After waiting until She judged that
| Ctcely would have reached the hall.
Mnna opened her own door without
noise, and dlmly seeing a figure moving
! below carrying 4 small shaded night
lamp, she cautiously followed. Cicely
went straight down the stone staircase
to the cellar; and Minna, not without a
few tremors and nervous glances to
right and left in the darkness, went
too. Where could Cicely be going?
The young girl stopped Short in fright
as the clank of the big cellar key in its
lock suddenly startled her. She uttered
a hoarse cry-not 50 loud as TO make
the other woman aware that she was
being followed yet loud enough u
make her pause. listening, before She
shut herself in the cellar and turned
the key
MirIla heard this last sound, and
grew first hot and then cold with ter
ror ther she descended the rest Of the
stone steps, fumbled in the darkness
until she found the cellar door. assured
herself that it was really locked, and
listened outside.
AT first she heard nothing, but after
a time. she heard strange noises: muf-
fled by distance, Of heavy weights be
ing dragged about, and stealthy knock
n a.,p I~1,l1 nf lAf
tel'rors. Minna shook the cellar door
and knocked at it. calling to Cicely
But there was no answer and the
noises still! Went on. So Minna desisted
from her own vain attempts to be
heard. and her mind being full Of fears,
none the less ugly for being vague, she
crept up into the hall and clung in
limp and helpless fashion to the bot
tom hanister. frightened to DEATH
as she would have expressed it. yet de-
termned TO wait until Ciecly came UP
again. She wrapped the folds Of her
dressing gown tightly around her for
It was cold down there at / o'clock in
the morning. and sat on the bottom
stair. SO that nobody should pass with
out her knowledge. Nobody. for to add
to her terror there was the possibility
since She had not properly seen the fig
nre she followed that it might not be
Cicely at all
Minna sat waiting so long that at last
she dozed off to sleep.
She woke as somebody tried to pass
her. Starting up, only half-consoious.
in her droWsy state, Of what she was
doing. the girl threw up her arms to
stop her disturber. 1t was Cicely.
A bright stream Of summer morning
sunlight was flooding the hall with light
ard Minna, now wide awake. was able
to take in every detail of the appear
ancc Of the woman she was embracing,
Cicely was as pale rs the dead, her
hands and her dress were covered with
dirt and dust: even her brown hair was
disordered and begrimed with cobwebs
But the circumstance which most Of
all attracted Minnas attention was
that Cicely's eyes Were shut.
Minna watched her. trembling Was
she really asleep? she wondered. keep
ing her eyes fixed on Cicelys totteriny
figure as the latter ascended the stairs
and shut herself into her bedroom.
Next morning Minna. who, to tell
the truth. was too much alarmed by
what she had seen TO be quite candid
affected to laugh at her sister-in law.
telling her she had taken to sleep walk
ing.
Yes went on Minna. laughing, ..you
gave me nice fright. / can tell you,
| heard noise down stairs. went
down. got frightened. and fell asleap
in the hall. and you woke me as Won
tried to walk past me in your sleep
l wonder what YOU had been doingY
Il wonder" echoed Cicely. who look
ed indeed very white. but with pallor
which Minna thought was rather tho
result Of terror than Of astonishnent
Don't tell anybody that | walk in
my sleep" Cicely said nervously rs
they rose from their chairs. Il should
be so laughed at, you know. | shall
be all right when Duke comes hone