People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-04-11
TIE POKTENT.
\ Story Of the Inner Vision OF tn.
HighIanders, Commonly Called
the Second Sight
By GEORGE MACDONALD.
CHAPTER XVII
NEW INTRENCHMENTS.

NEW INTRENCHMENTS.
But this way of breaking into the
house every night did not afford me the
facility | wished For | wanted to sec
Lady Alice during the day, or at least
in the evening before she went to sleep;
8 as otherwise | could not thoroughly
Judge Of her condition. So | got Wood
to pack up a small stock of provisions
for me in his haversack, which took
with me; and when entered the house
that night, | bOlted the door of the
court behind me, and made all fast.
/ waited till the uSua! time for her
appearance had passed; and, always
apprehenSiye now, as was very natural,
/ had begun to grow uneasy, when ]
heard a voice, as | had heard it once
before, singing. Fearful of disturbing
her, listened for a moment. Whether
the song was her own or not | cannot
be certain. When | questioned her
afterWard, she knew nothing about it.
She ceased singing. Still she'did not
enter. went into the closet and found
that the door was bOlted. When J
opened it she entered, as usual; and.
when she came to herself, seemed SUI
better than before.
Duncan" she said. Il don't know
how it is, but | believe | must have
forgotten everything | ever knew. /
feel as if | had. | don't think l can
even read. viii you teach me my let
tiers?
She had a book in her hand. | hail
ed this as another sign that her waking
and sleeping thoughts bOrdered on each
other; for she must have taken ,ne
book during her SOmnambulic cOndi-
ton. did as she desired. She SEEM
ed to know nothing till | told her. But
the moment | told her anything. size
knew it perfectly. Before she left me
that night she was reading tOlcrablv,
with many pauSeS Of laughter that she
should ever have forgotten how. The
moment she shared the light Of my
mind, ali was plain; where that had
not shOne, all was dark. The fact was,
she was living still in the shadow Of
that shock which her nervous system
had received from our discovery and
my election.
AS she was leaving me, | said:
"Shall you be in the haunted room
at sunset tomorrow, Alice
"0f course | shall" she answered.
"YOu will find me there then" | re-
Joined; that is, if you think there is
no danger of being seen"
mot the least" she answered. "NO
one follows me there; not even Mrs
BlakeSley, good soul! They are all
afraid, as usual"
"And won't be frightened to see
me there?
Frightened? No. Why? Oh! You
think me queer, too. do you"
She looked very yeXed but tried to
smile.
"I2 | would trust you with my
life," LSaid That's not much, though
with my SOUL whatever t!:61 means,
Alice"
"Then don't talk nonsense" she re-
joined, cOaXingly, ''abOut my being
frightened to see YOU"
When she had gone, | followed in
to the old hall, taking my sack with
me; FOR, after having found the door
In the closet EOlted, | was determined
not to spend one night more in my old
quarters, and never to allow Lady
Alice to 80 there again, if | could pre-
vent her. And had good hopes. that.
If we met in the day. the same cOnSe-
QuenceS would follow as had followed
long ago, namely, that she would sleep
at night.
My object was to choose one of the
deserted rOOmS in which | might cS-
tablish myself without chances of
discovery. l had not turned many
Gamers, or gone through many passa-
geS, before | found one exactly to my
mind. ] will not trouble my reader
with description of its odd posi-
ton and shape. All wanted was con
cealment, and that it provided plenti-
fully. l lay down on the floor. and was
soon fast asleep.
Next morning, having breakfaSted
from the contents Of my bag, proceed
ed to make myself thoroughly ac-
Quainted with the bearings, etc. of this
portion of the house. Before evening.
] knew it all thoroughly.
But | found it very difficult TO wait
for the evening. BY the windows of
one of the rooms looking westward. |
sat watching the dOwn-gOing of the
sun. When he set. my moon would
rise. AS he touched the horizon, went
the old, well-knOwn way to the haunt
ed chamber.
One moment longer and a light hand
was laid on the door. 1t opened gently.
and Alice, entering, tlI,,ed across the
room straight to my arms How beat
tiful she was; her old fashioned dress
bringing her into harmony with the
room and its old cOnSecrated twilight.
For this room looked eastward. AMI
there was only twilight there. She
brought me some water. at my request
and then we read. ald laughed over
our reading. Every moment she no.
only knew something fresh, but knew
that she had known it before. The
dust of the years had to be swept away
but it was only dust, and flew at 4
breath. The light soon failed us in
the dusky chamber; and we sat and
whispered, till only when We kissed
could we see each others eyes. Al
length Lady Alice said:
''They are looking for me; l had bey.
ter go. Shall l come at night"
no" l answered. "Sleep, and do
not move"
Every well, will"
She went. and returned to my den
There l lay and thought. Had she
ever been insane at all? | doubted it.
A kind Of mental sleep or StupOr had
come upon her-nOthing more.
Next evening We met again. and thu
next, and many evenings. Every time
Woc mora convinced tban hofo-,