The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-16

listen for what 1 feared would be more
than one dreary hour of this not to be
envied night.
And here just let me stop to mention
that, carefully considered as all my
precautions were, [ had forgotten one
thing upon leaving home that at this
minute made me very nearly miserable.
1 had not included among my effects
the alcoholic lamp and all the other
private and particular conveniences
which 1 have for making tea in my
own apartment. Had l had them with
me and had l but been able to make
and sip q cup of my own delicious tea
through the ordeal of listening for
whatever sounds might come to dis
turb the midnight stiffness of this
house, what relief it would have been
to my spirits and in what a different
light | might have regarded Mr.. Gryce
and the errand into which his suspic-
ions had driven me. But l not only
lacked this element of comfort, but
the satisfaction of thinking that it was
any ones fault but my own. Leila had
laid her hand on that teapot, but | had
shaken my head, fearing that the sight
of il might offend the eyes of my young
hostesses. But l had not calculated in
being put in q remote corner like this
of house large enough to accOmmo-
date a dozen families, and if ever /
travel again
But this is matter personal to Anne
liza ButterWorth, you say, and of no in
terest to us. And you are right. L will
not infiict my little foibles upon you
again.
Eleven o'clock came and went.I had
heard no sound. Twelve, and l began
to think that ali was not quite so still
as before; that l certainly could hear
bpr 70 int Of
cracking on its hinges, or the smothered
sound Of stealthily moving feet Yet all
was so far from being distinct that for
some time [ hesitated to acknowledge
to myself that something was going on
in the house which was not to be looked
fol in q home processing to be simply
the abode of a decent young man and
two very quiet appearing young ladies,
and even after the noises and Whisper
ing had increased to such an extent
that [ could even distinguish the sullen
tones Of the brother from the softer
and more carefully modulated accents
of Lucetta and her sister, | found my
self ready to explain the matter of my
conjecture short of that which involved
these delicate young ladies in any
scheme of secret wickedness
But when l found there was likely to
de no diminution in the various noises
and NOV ement that was taking place
in the front of the house and that only
something much out of the ordinary
could account for all this stir so long
after midnight in country house I de-
cided that only a person insensible to
all sight and sound could be expected
to remain asleep under such circum-
stances and that I would seem per-
fectly justified in the eyes of these
young people themselves for opening
my door and taking a peep down the
corridor. SO without further ado
drew my bed aside and glanced out
All was perfectly dark and silent IN
the great house. The only light visible
came from the candle burning in the
room behind me, and as for sound it
was almost too stilI-it was the still
ness of intent rather than that of natu-
raj repose.
This was so unexpected that for an
instant I stood baffled and wondering
Then my nose went up, and I laughed
quietly to myself. I could see nothing
and I could hear nothing but Amelia
Buterworth, like most of her kind,
boasts of more than two senses. and
happily there was something to smell
A quickly blown out candle leaves a
witness behind it to sensitive nostrils
like mine, and this witness assured me
that the darkness was deceptive. Some
one had just passed the head of nv
corridor with a light. and because the
light was eXtinguished it did not follow
that the person who had held it was
far away. Indeed. 1 thought that now
I heard palpitating breath.
"Humph,' cried out loud, but as If
In unconscious communion with my