The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-11-05

she knew not. She was awakened by
a rattling at her window, which she
had left half opened on account of the
| heat.
i Wat was her terror when, in the
feeble starlight, she saw a form climb
Ing noiselessly through the window.
| She tried to scream, but her throat
was parched with fright and she could
| not utter sound.
| The man had entered the chamber.
| Then the poor wG.iran hastily buried
| her head beneath the bed clothing.
| Half dead with fear, she could hear
| her nocturnal visitor going and coming
across the carpet with muffied steps.
1t seemed as though he must have re-
moved his shoes in order to tread softly.
Bathed with cold perspiration and her
teeth chattering, she awaited the NOR
| tai blow from the invader. But it did
not come.
After about quarter Of an hour she
| timidly peered out. She could see and
| hear nothing. Slightly reassured, she
| recovered the use Of her voice and
! started a series Of shrieks, SO sharp,
| piercing and terrible that in an instant
| the entire chateau was turned into her
chamber with lights in their hands,
NJ. and Nine. De Kerdan at the head.
what is it? What's the matterw
| they cried.
| She recounted her horrible vision.
They would not believe her; she had
been dreaming. Who could have climb
ed into this chamber, so high above the
ground, without ladder?
did you see him plainly?" asked the
| Marquis, with a touch of suspicion in
| his voice.
GAS plainly as 1 see you, and it even
seemed" She hesitated.
'What?"
''It seemed as though I could recog-
nize DR.. Cornabuc in his blonde wig
and redingote."
Everybody laughed. What! DR.. Corna-
buc! A man Of age and character seal
ing windows at midnight! 1t was GER
tain now that Nine. Lartigues had
been dreaming. They tried to dissipate
her fear, and she was just about to per-
suade herself that she had been the vic
tim of an hallucination when she hap
pened to cast her eyes upon the bureau,
where she had left her jewels.
They were gone! 1t had truly been a
| robber!
The laughing suddenly ceased, and
| they looked at one another in conster-
nation.
All at once another cry was heard, a
piercing shrek coming through the
stiffness of the night. 1t appeared to
emanate from Miss Hawthorne's cham
ber There was a rush for her apart
ment. and the English lady was found
standing in the middle of the room,
with frightened eyes.
There! there" she cried, pointing to
the window. "a man! He has escaped,
but l recognized him."
"Who was it?''
"Dr. Cornabuc!
| The doctor again! This time nobody
| laughed. Cornabuc was looked for
among the persons who had been at
tracted by the excitement, but he was
| not there. He was the only occupant
of the chateau who was missing.
'Come, let us go to the doctors room,"
said the Marquis, knitting his brows.
He will doubtless solve the mystery
for u.s."
All followed Kerdall-the men half
dressed, the women in their white
MI OH oil
weird procession.
Upon the entrance Of the crowd the
doctor hurriedly wrapped himself in
the bedclothes, his wrinkled counten-
ance alone being visible over the top,
and this convulsed by anger into
comical grimace. The candle light was
reflected from his bald pate, which
shone like ivory.
rs this some ill-timed joke" he
stormed. "What is going on? Is the
chateau on fire? l heard terrible out
cry, and was about to inquire into it."
'sYou must come and join us, DOCTOR
said Kerdall.
"And how shall 1 do it?'' cried the
Doctor, furiously. ''Some rascal has
run off with my clothing, and in eX-
change he has left me this" and he
savagely hurled a white object into the
middle Of the room.
"My corsets!' murmured Miss Haw-
thorne, modestly lowering her eyes.
"And this?" continued the Doctor,
wildly brandishing another article.
"My hat" cried Nine. de Lartigues.
"This raillery passes all bounds
howled the Doctor, whose shining head,
with one final grimace, ducked beneath
the bed clothing, like the clown going
through a trap door in the marionette
theater.
They knew not what to think. The
mystery was growing more complicat-
ed 1t certainly looked as though a rob-
Der had entered the chateau-perhaps
a whole band of burglars and assassins.
Nine De Lartigues imagined troop Of
brigands armed to the teeth.