Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-10-18

I stood there as If petTiGca, popev-'ess 10
more.
u.,,. 1aii u.i over me. she was
a somnanbulist! The thought quickly
grew into a conviction.
turned quickly and followed her, a
wild tumult Of passion puls1ng through
nv being. It was no dream then. l
had found her at lastl Was it fate that
had directed her steps to that place, OF
had nv spirit called her thlther while
I thought l had only been dreaming!
Heaven only knows. Yet till my dying
day shall never cease to believe that II
was my spirit that called her to the
ruin that night.
Like one catranced, l followed her,
keeping close behind. She crossed the
onen. court. Then through broken
archway she glided like a spirit. Then,
turning, she was about to make her way
along the very verge of deep pltfall
when with cry OF horror Isprang for
ward and caught her by the arm. l had
bed that those who walk IN sleep are
never harmed by walking in perilous
places, yet the thought that she was In
danger made me forget everything else
for moment. 81
AS my hand touched her arm she
stopped abruptly. ThentI saw that she
had awakened. For a moment there
was an astonished, bewildered look In
her eyes, Then she uttered low cry OF
terror, and turning quickly fled across
the open court. The next instant | saw
her stagser, then reel downward and fail
in heap unon the rock strewn ground.
Leaping forward, [ soon reached her
side and was bending over her PROSTATE
form. She lay limp and lifeless, her
head resting against sharp stone,
against which it had struck as 3she fell.
AS | lifted her head saw a stain OF
blood uEon her temples. Had the blow
killed her? Ny God! The very thought
drove mo to the verge of insanity. Hard
" knowing what did, lifted her from
the ground and deposited her upon
little strip OF grass that grew near where
she had fallen. Then removing my coat
placed it beneath her head. Still she
lay notionlecs, as II death had already
claimed her What must ] do? Where
coullI so for help? glanced about me,
but tho nearest sign of human habita-
ti2n was tho villa upon the slope an
eighth Of mile away. Perhaps might
find some one there who could assist
me. Yet feared to leave her alone FOR
single moment.
AS I again turned my attention to her
saw with a thrill Of joy that life was
not extinct. She uttered a faint moan,
and there was q slight Guttering OF the
lips 1t was only Il swoon, after all, and
she would soon recover. The thought
gave me moro joy than | had ever before
experienced. | bent down and began to
examine the wound upon her temple.
20 my infinite relief, | found that it was
not serious, yet it might have rendered
her unconscious. But | now believed
that her swoon had been caused more
by terror than by the blow she had re-
ceivel.
! sat there by her side chatting her
hands while | watched the life slowly
coming back to her. The shawl she had
worn had slipped from her shoulders,
anu HUM LIZ 'Lll0 AIGG tIiuO C1SCOVGI0u
that she was clad in only her night
dress. This left no doubt in my mind
that she was a solanambullst.
Now that | had discovered that she
was not seriously hurt great Joy came
to me, and it seemed as If I could have
sat there forever, holding her hand in
mine, forgetting all else save that was
with the one / loved. The very touch Of
her hand thrilled me with a strange
ecstasy. A wild tumult of passion
surged through my soul. Mad with the
lntozication of her presence, the tortur-
ing fear that | should soon be separated
from her reused in me for one brief mo-
ment the selfish hope that conscious
ness might not return to her just yet It
was wild, cruel hope which l crushed
back with a feeling Of bitter self re-
proach.