Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-08-12
and was beloved; she was a happy

yt,ing bird. secure in its little nest, yet
shudder ar the passing shadow Of 4
ha wk's wing? A deep gloom, like the
shade east by the pinions Of a descend
ing demon. settled heavily upon the
young brides soul. In vain she tried
/ to cast ii Off. IN vain she called up all
/ the dark scenes of her past life to COM
pare them with the brightness of the
present, and TO assure herself how
great a cause she now had for graft
Jude all JOY. In vain. for The dark
siad, ~ would not depart.
AT length. however, with Il bound of
relief from the w.erd nightmare, she
Eeard Colonel Grev;lle ascending the
stairs. enter his dressing room. and in
Il cordial. cheerful one of voice. d.s-
iaaS wh.ci the apostle f:.s with advice
! ard Instructions TO husbands and wives.
miss his servant 10 rest. Now. she
thought that IL a few moments she
would no longer be alone; for her lover
husband would rejoin her. She
brcathed freely and with 4 smile ut her
But She read with a divided attention
frequently lifting her eyes from the
book agG listening for those expected
| footst ps, that seemed so slow in COM
ing. Useless vigilance. all was pro-
fourdly still in Colonel Greville's apart
ments.
But she heard the sound OF painful
breathing Meas her door. 1t was Miss
Hits painting and blowing, as, with her
bridal apartments and went MP into thr
shestole Il r%eyerential silence past the
attendant nymphs, Mandy and Sephy,
th.r Story.
With a gesture of ~petulant impa-
tienca. Astrea glanced at the ormolu
recent childish weakness, she once
clock upon the mantlepiece. 1t was IN
TIE stroke OF midnight. Then. with n
sigh. si,e resumed her reading OF he
Scriptures, ard read on until she had
finished her chapter. Finally she laid
more took Up her Bible. opened il. and
began TO read that chapter In Ephes-
the book aside and listened.
But as yet all continued perfectly ST.
lent in Colonel Greville's apartments.
What was the meaning of this silence?
her every sense was strained IL its ut
most tension of vigilance. She listened
until her ears became so acute that she
heard the distant sounds of the Kitchen
| servants retiring to rest in remote por-
| tons Of the house. AT length these,
| also, ceased. and not a motion dis
turoed the deep silence of the night.
Again she glanced at the clock: II was
on the stroke Of one: and her lamp was
burning dimly. as though presently IL
must expire. The shadow that had
fallen upon her grew blacker and heay-
Ter until to her profound depression of
spiri's was added an excessive nervous
iiritabiiity, n strange terror OF being
left alone, and q wild dread of ilnpend-
irg ruin. She would willingly have rp-
tired TO bed. but some awful spell
seemed 10 rest upon her. to hold her
fast to her seat. TO deprive her OF The
y wer to move and the courage 70 look!
Yes. in this strange. unexplairahle pan
ic of the nerves, she dreaded even to
! glarce over her own shoulders!
And well she might.
What dark form is that lurking above
the shadows of her bed curtains? 1t is
clothed in female apparel, yet seem
too tall to be Il woman! Its face is cor
caa.ed in a black mask. and its head
wrapped in a black handkerchief. Its
leng. black gown descends to it's feet.
which are cased in thick. soft slippers
incapable of sound. In it's right hand
il clasps what seems a dark lump of
some yielding substance. With its left
hard 1t holds by the hang:ngs of the
bed and guides itself along. as IL glidcs
stealtl.ily toward the recumbent figure
OF the bride in tn eeasy chair. 1t glidcs
nearer and nearer-it has passed the
foot of the bed-,t Is crossing the room
lit steals closer and %closer-if stands
at the back Of the chair-this appalling
soactrei
Feeling. rather han seeing or hearing
the atrocious presence, Astrea started
up with a smothered cry. but in an in
slant a strong hand was clapped over
her mouth. and a large sponge. saturar-
( ed with chloroform. was pressed TO her
nostrils. until her feeble, silent strug-
giles subsidized. and she sunk into her
seat ~overpowered. insensible, and for
the tine being. dead. Then her head
was laid carefully over the low top OF
the chair, ard the sponge. filled again
with chloroform. was placed over her
mouth ard los to retain her in that
state of temporary death. and a large
white sheet was thrown over the whole
figure 10 confine the vapors Of the dead
ly drug. while the dark minister OF
doom went about other nafarious work.
1t glided noiselessly to the door con-
Meeting the chamber with the dressing
= INDlu anu Siituuy DbitttA ~. ihtt ts
/ stealthily passed TO the door leading
out Of the hall. and turned the key.
Having thus secured the against
all chances Of intrusion from anyone In
the house, the apparition passed to the
French window leading out upon the
upper porch, and raised its shrouded
arm.
AnG at that signal. in an instant, the
room was silently filled with a black
crowd cf dark forms, all clothed with
long black gowns. and MI wearing
black masks. after the of the
first one. There was one among tile
dusky group. however. that differed
from the others-this was Fifine. the
French maid Of Astrea. The group
gathered around the chair Of the insens-
ible victim. where they stood and spoke
In low whispers.
"Is all quite safeT' inquired one who
seemed TO be the leader OF the band.
'All. outside OF this room not a
mouse stirs," answered the tall figure
who had signalled in the others.
And my brother, the happy bride
groomf"