Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-05-24

| Was 1t insanity he saw in her burn.
ling eyes ?Duke thought so for q mo-
ment, and his heart stood still. She
was standing up, her eyes fere staring,
her lipS moving.
"Cicely, my darling Cicely," he cried
In a broken whisper.
And lie stretched out his arms to her.
She came nearer. and bent over him
again, still With the same strange ex-
altation Of expression.
| A nurse was looking in at the door
for the second time. and she looked
gravcly from patient to visitor.
With one kiss. which communicated
in its tenderness both comfort and
hope to the sick man, Cicely left the
room.
The drive back was less melancholy
THAN the journey to the hospital.
Minm was brushing her hair for the
night. having sat UP rather late reading
in her own room. when the soft OPEN
ing Of Cicely's door disturbed her. She
listened. and heard by the occasional
creaking Of stair or board that her
sister-in-law went downstairs. That
was all she could discover, as she did
not like to play the spy by opening her
own door. She lay awake n long time,
however. in the hope Of hearing the
footsteps returning. but finally fell
asleep without having satisfied her
wish. But anxiety having rendered her
sleep unusually light. she was awaken
I'd by very slight noise. that of some
one stumbling on the stairs Then CT
cely's door opened and shut.
Nlinna Sprang out Of bed, struck a
light and looked at her watch. 1t was
1 O'Clock. Cicely had been absent from
her room three hours! nat could she
have been doing?
Minna repeated this question to her
self with still more emphasis on the fol-
lowing morning. when Cicely appeared,
white from apparent fatigue and want
Of sleep, and With her right hand bound
up. She had broken her her soap dish
and cut herself, she explained. But
Minna stole into her SiSter-in-law's bed
room in the course of the morning, and
found that this was not true. She had
hurt herself OH that mysterious noe
turnal expedition evidently; and AIinna,
who was getting more and more
alarmed about Cicely. decided that her
Scruples should not prevent her follow
ing the unhappy young wife, if the lat
ter We're again to wander about the
house ut night.
Minna expected that Algy Hurst
would call that day, having for an ex-
clSe to report the result of his. visit to
MIR. William Remington. But he did
not come. And it was not until the
last post that night that Il letter came
from him. recording the favorable re-
ception he had met with Mr.. Berrins-
ton had been gracious enough to eX-
press regret at his ncpllaw's accident.
and to announce his intention of again
calling upon mis- niece. This news Min
ma resolved for the present to keep to
herself; she knew that it would afford
no consolation to Cicely.
1t was up in her own room that night
that Mlnna gloomily considered the
chances of Algy Harst's detection, and
in her moody musings she had for a
time forgotten Cicely, when the sound
Of door being softly opened and shut
attracted her attention. Cicely was
on another mysterious noctur-
nal expedition; and her sister-in-law,
with very little hesitation, resolved to
follow her.
After waiting until she judged that
Cicely would have reached the hall,
Minna opened her own door without
noise, and dlmly seeing a figure moving
below. carrying a small shaded night
lamp, she cautiously followed. Cicely
went straight down the stone staircase
to the cellar; and Minna, not without
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
q hoarse cry-not so loud as to make
the other woman aware that she was
being followed, yet loud enough to
make her pause, listening, before she
shut herself in the cellar and turned
the key
Minnt heard this last sound, and
grew first hot and then cold with ter
ror then she descended the rest Of the
stone steps. fulnbled 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
q tune. she heard strange noises: muf-
fled by distance, Of heavy weights be-
ing dragged about, and stealthy knock
lrg, came to her ear. Full Of underlined
terrOrs. Mlnna shook the cellar door
anu knocked at it. calling to Cicelv.
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.
Hitherto it has been found impossl-