Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-11-22
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Len y CLOCK bUFllCR WIN SWEEP anu
solemn chime from the old square
tower OF the parish church, as Gilbert
Sinc.a opened the lattice and stood
by the open window OF the dressing
room, waiting. There was not leaf
stirring in the garden, not shadow
save the motionless shadows of tho
trees, No light in the windows Of the
balcony ROOM The stars frightened
in the clear gray, and in the soft twi'
light of summer all things were dimly
defined not dark, Bat shadowy.
The quarter chimed from the church
tower behind the trees yonder, and
still there was no movement in the
garden. Gilbert stood motionless, his
watch divided between the old Dutch
garden with its geometrical flower
beds and stone sun. dial, and the win
dows Of the balcony room. AS tho
sound of the church clock dwindlod
slowly into silence, light appeared
in the center window, a candle held in
woman's hand, and raised above her
head. Gilbert could but family dis
tinguish the dark figure in the feeble
glimmer of that single candle before
figure and light vanished,
A signal, evidently, for u minute
later u mans figure appeared from the
angle of the hedge, where it had been
hidden in shadow, A man -- tall,
strongly bult-yes Just the figure
that patient watcher expected stepped
lightly across the garden, carefully
keeping to the narrow gravel-paths,
leaving no tell-tale footprint on flower.
bed or box-border. He reached the
iron stair, mounted it swiftly, had his
foot on the balcony, when Gilbert Sin
clair fired, with the unerring aim OF a
practiced sportsman and the firm hand
of man who has made up his mind
for the worst.
The figure reeled, swayed for a mo-
ment on the topmost step, and rolled
backward down the light iron stair,
shaking it with the force of the fall,
and sunk in heap on the gravel-path
below.
Gilbert waited, expecting to be
thrilled by woman's piercing shrek,
the despairing cry of a guilty soul but
no such cry came, All was darkness
in the balcony room. He fancied he
saw figure approach the window and
look out, but whatever that shape was
it vanished before he could verify his
doubts.
He went over to the chimney piece
and. put away his gun as coolly as il
tho purpose for which he had just used
it we're the most ordinary business Of
daily life, but this mechanical tran
guilty had very little significance
1t was rather tho stolidity of sleep
walker than the calmness of mind
that realizes the weight and measure
of its act. He went back to the win
dow. There lay the figure, huddled IL
a formless heap as it had fallen, hid
eously foreshortened from Gilbert's
point of sight. The open hands
clutched the loose gravel. No sound
no light yet in the balcony ROOM
"She does not know what has hap
pened," said Gilbert, grimly. 81 had
better go AID tell her."
He unlocked his door and went out
in the corridor His wife's bedroom
opened out of the balcony room. The
child slept in a smaller room adjoining
that. He went into the balcony room
and found it empty, then opened the
bedroom door and paused on the
threshold, looking In.
Impossible to imagine more peace
full picture than that which met the
husbands eyes. A night-lamp shed 6
faint light over the white-curtaineC
bed, Rn OPEN book an an eXtinguished
candle on little table by the bedside
shove that Cons ance hal read her
self to sleep, The door of the innel
room stood half open, and Gilbert
could see the little white crib and the
sleeping child. The mothers face was
hardly less placid in its repose thar
the child's.
lTo BE CoNTGNUED, "a