The Red Cloud chief., 1896-11-27
The Great Hesper.
BY FRANK
CHAPTER N-CONriNrEp

CHAPTER N-CONrlNrEn.
81 was nearly sound asleep when |
noticed u sound coming from the
window. IL was as if someone were
rapping upon the glass-not loudly.
or quickly, but softly, as though
with the tip of the finger. aud at in
tervals. | might have counted
twenty or thirty between one
tap and the next. | took little notice
OF it at first, thinking that as | had
left the window partly open, it might
be the wind moving the Venetian
blind but after awhile, the persistent
tap-tap--tap irritatcd me rose
and lit Il candle, then | went to the
window. The lattice was Just Us |
had left it The blind hung perfect.
ly mot.onlcss ! drew it up and
looked out, There was a gray IN =
everywhere. Not II breath of air
stirred; tho fame of the candle
burned as steadily as though the
window had been closed. | lot down
the blind and listened; there was Mt
the slightest sound
"A moth on the ceiling" said Sir
Edmund; they have worried me N
the same manner. Then you get II
light and the thing stops"
Hold on, we amt herd the last
on it, / kin see" said the Judge, look
ing at Miss Lascclics iutcntly, his
shaggy brows bent owe his quick
eyes.
81 explain it as you do, papa. |
put out the light, and tried to sleep.
! heard no sound for quite ten min.
utes, and then again that soft, slow
tap-tap-tap came from the window
tho same sound, with the same
long interval between them II was
not like the beat of II moths wing.
1t was like nothing but the touch OF
a human finger. But | tried to think
it was an insect in the wall-thc in
sect that is called the death, watch
And | did my best to take no notice
of it. but could not help hearing it,
and after a time | grew frightened:
and the sound grew dreadful in my
ears. IL became uncomfortable; | could
not lie there listening passively. |
got up again and struck a match.
The wick of the candle was slow TO
light, and during these moments |
noticed that the sound had ceased.
As l say, | was frightcned-very
frightened. And the unbroken
silence seemed more terrible than
the sound. lhcrc was something
ghOstly and supernatural about it.
that brought back the old terror |
used to feel "a a child in passing the
room that is said to be haunted at
night. And just then the clock in
the belfry struck. ! dared not go to
the window, The first thing that
struck me was that the laths Of the
blind, instead Of lying flat. as they
generally do, when down, and as |
had left them, were opened and turned
edgeways--do you know how ] mean"
She held her hands that trembled,
with the recollection Of her terror,
one above the other horizontally.
But the next thing" she con-
tinued, and then stopped, with a lit.
tie shudder, while we who listened
held our breath--''the next thing !
saw was two great black Eyes that
caught the light from my candle in
between the laths of my bind"
She paused, and then continued
with more firmness-
Il think | faintcd--l must have
done so. for ! was conscious Of moth
ing after that until | found myself
upon the floor. The light was still
burning upon the table. AS recol-
lection returned to me, ! looked to.
ward the window. Tho laths were
NO longer opened, but turned Hat.
Then it occurred to me that all ! had
scen was merely imaginative-that
1t was merely "a realistic dream
that | had gone through these eX-
periences in my sleep My great
terror was gone. | went without
fear to the window to ascertain il the
night was as had seer it. There was
the gray mist the flame Of the candle
did not Kicker. Nevertheless, when
! looked down and saw how impossi-
BILE 1t was for anyone to have stood
outside the window, | felt convinced
that the vision of the eyes too was
imaginary-an outcome of the fear |
felt when | looked toward the win.
dow. lay down again. and though