New-York tribune., 1895-02-10

i was 50 sorry, MISS CWenny, Tor the cCnmO-
ton had raised. l could have shot myself af-
| terward when saw that had frightened your
mother and annoyed you; but. forgive me for re-
| peating it, you looking very different and
are you sure there is nothing the natter"
Moo nothing that is Oh. If you've no.
| ticed, it must be notceable"-and Gwenny's
! face grew suddenly pink and her eyes filled with
tears. IT'S the nights here. Major Danvers.
! don't know what it is but they are terrible, al
! ways the same kind Of terror, and the same
| figure
| She stopped in confusion.
! They had walked to the end Of the tennis
| ground. and we're practically alone even Mrs
Trent would not have been so tactless as TO dls-
| turb them and as thev leaned against the rail-
| ing DanveW could feel the shudder that shook
the girls slight frame.
do you mean that YOU dream and dream al
| ways OF the same ngureg' he asked in a low
voice
II don't know If l. is dream. or Il ! am am
something horrible-n my room. Gwehhv saIu
| in shaken. jerky tones II think go 70 s,eeP
all right. and it is later ihat 1t comes on hon Wn
can't tell anybody; let Us go back TO me o,ners
and she turned to walk back put Danvels n ,'o saw
| that her face ashy white now ana hei eyes
! distended with real fear .,, -, ..c,.,
| ''One moment. he saiu ue'"i"i"s "''' ~
| YOU tell your mother? , !. .,.
| II want to- but she took such pleasure IN max
| ing that pretty room for me. ana now can
| never enter IL without tho dreadful feeling com
| ing me. and 1T seems-oh' IL see"s DR. IL
| Nonsense Miss Gwenny, you mustn't say such
| things. even in jest. You must tell your father.
| then"
| mand struck her She a soldiers daughter.
| and answered to ii at once.
| Papa? Do you think ! could? He Is always
| so busy. and never thought OF daring To trouble
| him; but could more easily explain II 10 MN
than TO mamma. think" ..
Then do it at once; promise me, Gwenny; TO-
nigh; without fail the young man said. almost
| fercey for they nearing the others now.
and Mrs. Bogle's pince-nez was fixed IKE
burning glass upon them. Promise and Gwen
.,ttinl
| thing a girl cannot resist in man. and That is
a sudden exhibition Of masterfulness
Like other powerful animals II Is perhaps a
| good thing they do not know wherein their
| strength lies.
| About 10 O'Clock that night as Danvers was
| smoking and fancying he was reading In ms
quarters Colonel Travers came in: the younger
| man guessed in a moment something oi Wnat
| had brought him. and jumped up nerVous'N WIN
| the expectancy Of an explanation III MS rae
| IL want you to come UP to the bungalow WIN
me Danvers. | can tell you what about as we
| go only look sharp" and moment iater lhc
| two men were str.ding quickly over the "hi'e
| moonlit read. - about,
"My girl spoke to You this afternoon about
! something-something that troubled anu H,s-
| turbed her and YOU told her to come 10 me- No,
] Won did quite rightly"-as the MAJOR wou.o
| have explained his seeming inierference-'lulr ,,
rightly; it is myself blame for my blindness III, I
| now she came and told me this evening an
| about IT, and now want your nep to see nle
| through something that requires NOR" man o,,c
mans nerve and evidence That poor cn''t 49, ,eis
|
| since she has slept in the pink room she mas
! dreamt-she supposes II TO be dream a
figure which stands beside her oed hoa, ann u's''
| "A ghost?" Danvers asked: he was sorry ior
| poor little Gwenny in this. to him. sei-ihn''eu
| torture but he did not believe in ghosts aha
| "As the figure turns away from heI pcusiue s"r
| invariably sees its face-and it Is the face oi a
| hanged man. Danvcrs. ,.
| .'Whew, some one has told her the story
| 81 think not: even her mother doesn't KNOW u.
| II happened as YOU know. when my VII" was III
| England and I've taken the utmos, care tna a ,
the particulars of poor keiterinG uea'h ,,
| never come to her ears-Rosina the maid. rs new
| tho od story of Kettering being seen mas qul'v
| died away averse. II Is true. 10 'W'''n .
| having that room but my wife had set her healt
| on it, and | thought 1t would MAKE m"re SIT m 10 /.
| cxplain than to let ii pass. And all thesr weeks
that child has been suffering in silence. Shc 81,
| that after Il has shown her lis race II m'.'
swav az il were into the big corner cupboard
| What do You say 10 ihatE ., , ,.,
| .'The cupboard where ne hanged himself SIT
| "The same az.
| "What do YOU mean TO do Colonel?'
MY wife has gone to bed with headacns, '
| I told them to make me up the dresslhs l''o''' ~
| bed and would sleep there. as had SOM
| acrounts 10 go through and might be very late
! have Just sent Gwenny to bed win n dose ol
| bromide that will keep her fast and SOUND 70,
| .he next nine hours She veiy brave ana
| good about sleeping alone in the room tha' sH.
| 50 fears and dislikes. but | promised neI INA,
| This should be the last night in H. ana that
| would watch her and keep her safe. here we
are"-softly tiptoeing across the veranda' ana
| letting himself in al one Of the drawins-rVoIi
| windows-"I am going TO open Gwenny uooI
| ,here across the passage and shall sit ana
| watch-and you can remain here. Just WITHIN
| call; smoke If you Ike but don't drop on 10
! sleep if YOU can help 1T: and II see anyth'hs
| will call and YOU must come and bear witness
| Danyers hardly knew whether 10 laugh or not
| at the Colonels simple Rhosi-'rapping prepare
tons but after all they were senslh.e mater -.i
| fact easlres which would reasslre Gwcnhy TO-
| morrow morning when she woke aiter ioi,s r.
| freshing sleep. and learnt that the speIi was
J. a.fl ~
| About two hours later: 'Danvers. come.
| sounded in hoarse whisper across the pissage'
| Roger al the Colonel's side IN second,
| What was that? In the faint light OF the ped
| room where "A nlght-iight burnt. aided by the
rays from the passage lamp outside the w"
watchers in the doorway could see sngh',
| shadowy figure on the farther side OF Gwenny
| hed-a figure that was strangely familiar to them
both for though but IT,; side ana shoulder wei"
! 10 them they recognized the bearing and shape
| Of Charlie Kettering, the smarlest young feilow
tbe regiment had ever known. The thing stopped
| over Gwenny's pillow and held out its arms but
the girl lay perfectly still, her face hidden from
| them and after what seemed an hour OF horror
II lifted itself up erect and turned away. Then al
| the bottom Of the bed 1t halted for a moment
| and slowly cast "A lingering glance around the
| room moving its head deliberately till IL looked
| full in the faces Of the two men not tweniy ieet
| away-it was the face Of Charlie ketterhg as as
| the Colonel and the Major had last seen IL
| eighteen months before. lvid and terrible from
his own suicidal act,
Hold back--ho.d back! don't wake Cwennyi
u might kin her" the Colonel entreated Az Roger
| struggled hard TO dash into the room; the hsnre
| was gone-gone even aJ .hey looked MEETING
| aw.v in the direction Of the great corner cup
| hoard which Mrs. Travers had decorated for hei
| daughter Here. help me with TINS. ana step,
pine across to Gwenny's bed ne lifted one end
| OF The little mattress on which the girl lay ana
| signed 70 Danvers to lake the other.
| "Wc'u have her out Il this! Ana without
| ,o,hor yord they carried her across the passage
a. fho Coloners dressing room. and laid her Jusl
| as she was. on the Coonel's bed Her fatnel
| iooLed at her anx.ouslv. mo. believe It's al
| 80. ,bo bromide hasn't failed me: whatever
| that deyish thing was. tonight she mas not
| seen IT. And to think that we have let her SUMO
! 1bis without finding out. Cad man. why don
| ,om sneako what do you think 1t was?
Il don't think. Colonel know 1t was charH'
|