Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-07-01

pad night AFTER the excitement Oh see
ing so many OF her offspring in such
an unexpected fashion. so l had not
asked Kate to remain with me.
The room itself was not attractive.
1t was an oblong apartment, not very
high, with a door leading into the
grounds, as well as the one connect
ing with the house, and these doors
were at least fifteen feet apart. The
furniture was not remarkable, except
that it was decidedly old fashioned. The
bedstead with its side close to the outer
wall of the room, and at the foot OF II
was an iron safe 1t was a comfort
able bed enough, however uninviting
its position, and felt weary enough to
sleep even in a strange place, so re-
tired after paying due attention to the
fastenings of the outer door, which |
o-der, and, strange to say, l fell asleep
is soon as my head touched the pillow
and slept soundly for some time.
How long the duration of that
L
start from the selfsame dream which
| had tie preceding night, and amid
what appeared to be babel of voices,
Ole of which | heard distinctly.
Not now until the fifteenth"
There had been something strange
about the dream CT the preceding
Il git. While it left the impression of
uLCue npleasantness, and l knew
that i. concerned my father, | could
not recall single incident of it. But
now | remember that there vas in it
some reference to the fifth, and that
vas all although | had evidently
dreamed it the second time. When /
had fully recovered my waking senses,
| sat up and tried to pierce the intense
darkness Of the room. Yet the words
had made such an impression on me
that they had apparently fastened
themselves in my brain, for Not now,
III til the fifteenth" seemed to shine as
if branded in fire ON the deep gloom of
my chamber.
The day before had been the fifth of
the month; ten days off was the fif
tenth What was to occur upon that
date?
There is no need for me to say that
that night was full of horrors. Every
form of trouble and disaster paraded
before my mental vision, until the
darkness through which nay eager
eyes could not pierce began to grow
appalling to me, and the silence which
had succeeded to my disturbed dream
me at that moment that | would have
welcomed any sound, however dis
agreeable
| had sunk back upon my pillow
after my first uneasy start, ard now
raised myself once more to a sitting
position, resolved to get out of bed and
procure light to dissolve my fancies,
when a sound fell upon my strained
sense of hearing, at first astonishing
me, later filing me with alarm, and
| finally removing from me any desire
to get out of bed. for the present at
| least. This sound was the rhythmical
breathing of a man who was evidently
sun. an the profoundest slumber To
| listen to the sound of snol ing is not
pleasant at any time, but to hear the
whole scale run up the gamut of sound
from under ones bed is appalling. AS
soon as | had located the sound it
robbed me of the last remnant of
courage, while my late ghostly fancy
gave place at once to fears.
Could | have indeed heard voices
outside my dream? Was there plot to
rob my brother who, as postmaster,
had about this date considerable cash
on hand front he money factory iowa.
and numbers of non-residents work
Ing there in the busy season and send
ing home their earnings to family and
friends What was | to do? How was
| to act under the dreadful circum-
stFrces? | can never describe the
agony Of terror which | endured as !
lay there listening, hardly daring to
breathe myself, to those unmusical
sounds.
AS | was compelled to hold myself
still, and must think, my terror grad
uaIy subsidized a little, and common
Sense began Cnce more to resume
swey. If the man under my bed was
a burglar, or was there for the purpose
CT committing a felony, was il at all
! likely that he would calmly go to
sleep This consideration aWoke a
new terrier What if the wretch was
only feigning sleeping, waiting until
my regular breathing assured him
that was locked in slumber, ana
would not add to the difficulties Of his
undertaking by compelling him to
commit murder in order to carry ont
his scheme of robbing the United
States government?
i would be tiresome TO relate all
my fears and all my fancies. or the
arguments which | held with myself
during that, to me. interminable night.
Z 4 Fy.l ... . IN