The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-03-30

were after her, and she could not keep
up, because her legs were so short, and
had to pun her along by the hand.
How funny! Yes, put the gas down. l
don't think I'll try to go to sleep just
yet"
every WELL" said the nurse. "Call
me for anything you want. Don't hes
itate-however often you want your pill
lows turned. YoH know Pm here to
look after you"
"You are good to me-" said Selward.
He d0zed for time, and then opened
his eyes. Mrs Hollick, in pink fan
mel jacket, was sitting beside him.
"What time is it?p
''Oh, you're awake, sir. It's nearly
s o'clock. Just sup of milk you was
to take. That's right And are you
better, Mr. Selward?"
Sunlight bathed the houses opposite
He could see the window at which the
woman had gazed. He looked at it
with curiosity. As he looked he be-
came conscious of drowsiness stealing
over him. He had long arrears of
slumber to make up, and he yielded to
the sensation gratefully. But his eyes,
he is ready to swear, were open and
fixed upon the window opposite. 1t
was higher than his own, and clearly
visible from the bed. lie had read
somewhere that you could hypnotic
yourself by gazing steadily at given
spot. Perhaps he was hypnotizing
himself now. Someone was moving
in the room behind the window. Pres
emily the sash was thrown up, and a
man, dark mana foreigner, Selward
thought from his loOk-proceeded to
seat himself on the outer sill, and, hav-
ing pulled down on to his Thighs the
sash he had raised, TO clean the glass
with a sponge and washleather. He
worked without interruption for some
minutes. Then he tried to pull down
the upper half of the window, but it
TcSlStcQ niS cuOlLS- DclMuAu lcAt very
nervous as he saw that the man was
drawing his legs out and raising HIM
self to his feet on the narrow ledge.
He was holding with one hand TO the
woodwork of the sash now and plying
the wet sponge. How long he had
been so employed Sslward did not
know, when he (the watcher) became
aware that some one else had entered
the room-a woman-the woman. Sell
ward saw her clearly in the sunlight
the ill-shaped form, the pretty face; but
the face was distorted by an evil pur-
pose. Something was going to happen.
In a moment the thing was done. Her
big strong hands had seized the win
dow-cleaner by the feet.
At Stewards cry Mrs. Hollick sprang
from her chair.
"What is 1t, sir, for 'eaven's sake ?"
"He must be killed." Selward said
white as a sheet and trembling in every
limb. Mrs. Hailiclz ran to the window
to which he was pointing.
There's no one killed, sir. There's
nothing happened"
"He must he smashed" cried Sell
ward. "His body must be in the area.
What do you see?" he asked, when
Mrs. Hollick protested that there was
nothing the matter.
Everything as usual. They're tax
ing in~the milk opposite. What did
you fancy, sir?'
"a man was cleaning that window
He'd have been smashed"
"Lor', sir, how did you know about
it? 1t was long before you come Ia
lodge with me, and 1 don't remember
as I've ever told you of it, but perhaps
1 have and forgot it,"
"What?"
Selward was recovering himself, little
by little.
"Why, about the man as fell from
that very window. It's six years age
now, it must be. He was cleanin' il
when he missed his fOotin' and met his
death"
"What kind of man?''
"You do speak in strange voice
Mr.. Selward; your dreamin's regular
upset you. Big, black, foreign man he
was, as 'ad come with the old gentle
man as owned the house from foreign
parts. He had strange servants, had
that old man; the 'ousemaid was &
foreigner, too, and as for the cook, you
never saw such lookin' woman in all
your life-alI body an no legs. She'd
a decent face, though, that will say,
and it was gossip about here as the for
eign man was carryin' on with both
women. You look very bad, Mr.. Sci
ward. think you ought to ave little
brandy-just a spot to pull you togeth-
er. I'll ask nurse"
John Selward was not so well when
the doctor saw him that morning. II
was many weeks before he began to
mend, but in time he regained his
health.
"What was the verdict at the in
quest ?' he asked Mrs. Hollick abrupt
ly, early in his convalescenee.
"Lor', sir, couldn't think for mo-
ment what you was alludin' to. Death
from accident, it was, of course. Ii
made me very careful 'ow ! ave my
windows cleaned"
John Selward looked at the dusty
panes of his sitting room and smiled
Richard Pryce in Illustrated London
News.
nG.Ii.--..