People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-03-14

lie for a little while with my eyes
closed wondering and hoping, and
afraid to open them, lest l should find
myself only in my own chamber;
shrinking a little, toO7just a little
from the first glance into your face"
But when you awake, do you know
nothing of what has taken place in
your SleepT
Nothing whatever"
"Have you no vague sensations, no
haunting shadows, no dim, ghOsty
moods, seeming to belong to that con-
ditiOn, left?'
None whatever"
She rose, said Goodnight" and left
me.
1t was sitting late one night in my
room. l had all but given up hope Of
her coming. l had, perhaps, deprived
her of the SOmnambulic power. was
brOoding over the possibility, when all
at once felt as if l were looking into
the haunted room. 1t seemed to be
lighted by the moon, shining through
the stained windows. The feeling
came and went suddenly, as such Wis
ions of places usually do; but this had
an Undesirable something about it
more clear and real than such reSur-
rectiOns of the past. whether willed or
unWilled, commonly possess, and a
great longing seized me to look into
the room once more. l rose with a
sense of yielding to the irresistible, left
the room, CROPPED my way through the
hall and up the oak staircase-I had
never thought of taking light with
me-and entered the corridor. No soon
er had l entered it than the thought
sprung up in my mihd-"What if she
should be there" My heart stood
still for a moment, like wounded deer
and then bounded on, with a pang in
every bound. The corridor was night
itself, with a dim, blush gray. light
from the windows, Suficing to mark
their own spaces. l stole through it,
and, without erring once, went straight
to the haunted chamber The door
stood half open. | entered, and was be-
wildered by the dim, mysterious,
dreamy loneliness upon which | gazed.
The maan shOne full upon the windows,
and a thousand cOlOred lights and
shadows crossed and intertwined upon
the walls and floor. all so soft, and
mingling, and indebted, that the brain
was filled as with a Pickering dance of
ghOstly rainbOwS. But l had little
time to think of these; for out Of the
only dark corner in the room came a
white figure, fitting across the chaos
of lights. believed, bespangled, be-
spattered as she passed, with their null
titudinOuS cOlOrS. | was speeches. with
something far beyond joy. With a low
moan of delight Lady Alice sank into
my arms. Then, looking up, with a
light laugh. 1.-THE scales are turned
DEAR" she said. You are in my power
now; l brought you here. l thought /
could, and | tried, for l wanted SO
much to see yOu-and you are come
She led me across the room to the place
where she had been seated, and we
sat side by side.
Il thought you had forgotten me-
l said, cor had grown tired of me-"
did you? That was unkind. YOu
have made my heart so still, that, body
and soul, sleep at night"
"Then shall | never see you mOre|
1--WE can meet here. This is the best
place. No one dares come near the
haunted room at night. We might
even venture in the evening. Look.
now, from where we are sitting. across
the air, between the windows and the
shadows on the floor. Do you see moth
ing moving"
| looked, but could see nothing. She
resumed:
Il almost fancy. sometimes, that
what old stories say about this room
may be true. l could fancy now that
| see dim. transparent forms in an
cient armOr, and in strange antique
dresses, men and women moving about.
meeting, speaking, embracing, parting,
coming and going. But l was never
afraid of such beings. l am sure these
would not, could not hurt us"
81 could not persuade myself that !
too, see them" | replied. 81 cannot say
that l am afraid of such beings any
more than you'll only they will not
speak"
"Ahw she replied, with a heightened,
meaning utterance. expressing sym-
pahy with what l said; Il know what
you mean. l, too, am afraid of hear
ing things. And that reminds me. ]
have never yet asked you about the
gallOping horse. |, too, hear some
times the sound of loose horseshoe. Ii
always betOkens evil to me; but
do not know what it means. Do you?'
Il will tell you what my old foster
mother told me-" | replied. And | be-
gan narrating when and where | had
first heard the sound; and then gave
her. as nearly rs could, the legend
which the nurse had recOunted TO me
l did not tell her its association with
the events of my birth, for l feared
exciting her imagination too much. She
listened to it very quietly, however.
and when came to a close. only said.
"Of course, we cannot tell how much
of it is true, but there may be some
thing in it. l have never heard any,
thing of the sort, and l, too. have an
old nurse. She is with me still. You
shall see her some day"
She rose to go.
will you meet me here again, soOn?'
l said.
"AS soon as you WISH" she answered.
Then, tomorrow, at midnight:"
"YeS."
CHAPTER Y.
THE CLAIMING SHOE.
Time passed. We began to feel very
secure in that room. watched ne If was