The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1897-11-05

and therefore Sarah's vague fears did
not produce in me q feeling of fright;
hut there was a watchfulness about my
senses as though there were funny
things" to use Sarah's term, about the
house, which would become apparent
ia due time.
Nesting my head down on the pill
low, redolent with the grateful health
giving aroma of spruce, / closed my
eyes.
Sleep did not come as quickly rs had
boosted to my old nurse it would. and
II was some time before my conscious
ness began to wander into the domain
Of vague fancies and indistinct ideas
which characterize the period between
waking and sleeping.
Then, almost before my eyes could
open, l suddenly sat up in bed and
listened with hearing sharpened by the
sense of expectancy which had come
over me.
Out through the silence of my room
there came stealing the sound Of voice
but such n voice! Not possessed by
any human being, surely! Pitched on
n high, quavering tone, and yet SO soft
and small; SO faint, as though borne
from a great distance; so plain, as
though right at my bedside; bearing no
semblance to human tones, but never
theless undoubtedly voice: for after
a time 1 could distinguish word now
and then.
II there were in the world weird, mis-
shapcn little folks like fairies and
gnomes, and we could hear their con-
r hAir ys,ir would
sound like this one to which now was
listening.
There was no wonder Mrs. Snyder
had been impressed by 1t, IL this were
tic voice she had heard.
Strange indeed. and unnatural, as
though not of this world. 1t seemed to
me. A creeping sensation came over
inc, not exactly like chat produced by
fear; there was more Of awe, Of SOL
emnity, about It.
The sound of the voice was intermit-
tent. There would be . few words,
then y pause, and 30 on. could make
no sense of the few disjointed sentences.
Ii lasted but q few minutes. Indeed, no
brief was the conversation, II that II
what IL was, there was no time TO make
an investigation.
After "a long period Of anxious listen
ing I settled down again for sleep. And
when at last slumber came. it was
troubled. Vague. shadowy dreams Hit
ted acrsns my consciousness, and
through them all was q sort OF premo-
milton OF future events. which seemed
to have a bearing upon the robbery.
The next morning wus awakened BY
A u-s
the sun shining in my lace. hardIy
had got my eyes open and my senses
aroused to my new surroundings, when
. loud and long-continued humping
on the front door caused me to spring
out OF bed. Hastily donning a Few gar
ments. l went TO the door and opcned
it.
Mrs. Snyder was standing there, ana
nm unmistakable look VI RELIEF came
over her face when she saw me.
"Ach my! you schleep 30 sount vas
afrait somesing de matter!" she said.
''Dreakfns' vas retty long dime alretty."
"All right. Ill be right over and eat
IT," l replied.
While was dressing the recollection
Of the strange voice Of the last night
came to me. Now, in the broad glare Of
the forenoon. when all mystery takes
flight and the hnllucinations of the
darkness become trivial, wondered II
Try imagination had played me trick.
voice in n dream. SO unreal did thc~cir-
cumstance appear now.
was standing by the huge chimney.
when again. breaking in upon my
thoughts. came the sound Of that mys