Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-07-30
CHAPTER K.

Olaf Brun had for some q made
himself invisible during the commotion
that followed her return, and Hulda,
though she was a trifle disappointed, ex-
cused him ON the ground that a stranger
always feels de trop during q domestic
difficulty. It was his good breeding,
not cowardice. which made him respect
the privacy of family affairs. She lay
awake hour after hour anticipating the
inevitable interview In the blue room,
inventing clever speeches with which to
checkmate her mother and invalidate
her argument. She was 80 passionately
convinced that she was right that it
seemed impossible that anybody else
could think otherwise. And yet she
Quaked a little AZ she fancied herself
tete-a-tete with hcr mother in that SOL
emn room crowded with "reminiscences
of her childish misdemeanors. She fam
cied the tranquil severity Of her &C.
cuser's eyer and her formidable judicial
calm a. she relentlessly brushed away
her most cherished arguments as 90
many cobwsbs.
She grew more and more wakeful the
longer she dwelt upon this scene and
wildly depicted the smallest details.
Finally the even breathing Of Magda,
who slept at her side. made her SO nerv-
q that she jumped out Of bed, lit the
candles upon the bureau and mechanic.
ally began to dress The fire in the stove
had long since gone out, and it was so
cold in the room that her breath was
visible. Yet her head was 90 hot when
she pressed her hands against her tenn
pies that she seemed to feel the intense
feverish thought within her. At the end
of ten minutes, when she had donncd a
wrapper and the most Indispensable gar.
ments, she sank down on q chair in q pro.
found fit OF encouragement, and catch
ing accidentally her reflection in the
mirror she marveled ct her own excite
ment and grew strangely skeptical as to
all things. Then q chill stole over her,
and she rose hastily, seized a candle and
merely to keep in motion went into the
hall. A vagrant draft slammed the door
behind her, and the bang gave a star
thing resonance in the nocturnal stiffness.
She paused for q moment, anxiously
listening. But no one seemed astir ex-
cept the north wind, which kept rat
thing the outer windows 1.-THE Norwe-
gians of the better class have double
windows in their houses during the
winter] and knocking the limbs of the
great oak tree against the gables Of the
house. A couple Of mice were gnawing
behind the wainscoting, and she could
hear them scamper away as her light
footstep fell upon the floor. A vague,
adventurous feeling mingled with her
nervous restlessness impelled her to
walk on. Presently the odor of a fine
cigar was waited through the chilly
hall, and Hulda saw "a she turned the
corner q slender ray Of light piercing
the gloom from the keyhOle of Bruins
door. She scarcely knew why that dis
covery set her heart beating 60 wildly,
but somehow 1t conveyed to her a deep
consolation. Her unhappiness, she rea-
soned. was his too. He was kept awake
by the same apprehension which Danish
ed her slumber. So subtle o sympathy
argued q profound affinity Of soul, sure
~. BY an irresistible force she was
drawn toward that door, and twice she
passed and repassed it with noiseless
step. lingering ono for a full minute,
signing, shivering, breathing forth an
ardent wish that he would divine her
presence and come to her. But AZ she
drifted hack and forth, holding the
Pickering candle in her hand, she caught
. glimpse Of her face in o distorting
window pane, and there was something
ghostly and terrible about 1t, and tho
impaired to it q strange
which started a host Of supersti-
tious fancies She seemed for n brief
to have seen herself ~ a corpse,
and she knew that that foreboded disas-
ter. She feared to look behind her, and
yet had q perpetual desire to glance
back over her shoulder. She had a
creepy sensation Of something awful
moving stealthily in her footsteps. and
once or twice she felt . long shadowy
o~utstretched as il to grab her by
the nape Of the neck. Impelled by I'M.
reasoning terror she fed through the
hall until her candle was blown out,
and the chilly darkness fall Of eyes and
horrible things, closed about her. Half
walking. half running, she pressed on,
scarcely feeling the touch Of the floor,
scarcely knowing whether she was as-
cending or descending. A minute or two
had elapsed perhaps when she found
herself in the large parlcr, where the
warmth still fingered and S dim, lumi-
nous light radiated from the smolder-
fire In the stove. Acertain coziness
lnimical to ghosts and bogies pervaded
the atmosphere, and the familiar odor
q the pastors pipA. blended with the
breath Of roses and fuchsiaa, obtruded
. multitude Of earthly suggestions.
HuldA flung herself painting In the
corner of thu sofa. and pressing her
hand agninst her heart tried to stay its
beating. She was absolutely
sure that there was some ono in the
room, but Il was now no supernatural
vtsitant aho dreaded. Was It Mr.. Falck
whom ahe had roused or was it MI.
Brunf She heard footsteps ON the door
md ngeoontly felt 4 nair az 0yea Nxed