The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-20

| QuenceS winch had befallen the limo
cent made me very wide awake indeed
and after an Intellectual effort to make
my voice heard from the window and
! various other small attempts of which
/ L am not proud enough to relate I call
! ed my usual philosophy to my aid and
! L said that since all this had happened
| and | was shut up there and had to
! await events like any other weak and
| defenseless woman I might as we'll do
! 1t with calmness and in way to win
my own approval at least. The dupe of
| William and his sisters, I would not be
the dupe of my own fears or even of
| my own regrets.
| The consequence was renewed equa-
nimity and gentle brooding over the
! one event of the day which brought no
/ regret in its train. The ride with Mr.
/ Trohm and the acQuaintanceShip which
! it had led to were topics upon which [
| could rest with great soothing effect
| through the weary hours stretching be-
| tween me and daylight. Then of Mr..
| Trohm let me think as far as modesty
| would permit, since shame, trouble and
! horror lay in other directions into
which my now wildly aroused
| thoughts Nigh stray.
! Whether the almost deathly quiet
into which the house had now fallen or
! the comforting nature Of my medita-
| lions held ineXorably to the topic 1
| had chosen acted as soporific upon me
l cannot tell, but greatly as I dislike
| to admit, feeling sure that you will
| expect to hear I kept myself awake all
! that night, I gradually and insensibly
sank from great alertness to an easy
listening to my own heart beats, and
from that to vague dreams in which
beds of lilies and trellises covered with
roses mingled strangely with narrow,
winding staircase whose tops ended in
the swaying branches of great trees.
infA
that were broken into by a rap at my
door and a cheerful:
Eight o'clock, ma am. The young
ladies are waiting.
[ bounded, literally bounded, from
my chair. Such a summons, after such
night! What did it mean? I was sit
ting half dressed in my chair before
my door in Strengthened and uncom-
Portable attitude, and therefore had not
dreamed that 1 had been upon the
watch all night, yet the sunshine in
the ROOM the CHEEKY tones such as I
had not heard even from this woman
before, seemed to argue that my imag-
iEation had played me false and that
no horrors had come to disturb my rest
or render my waking distressing.
Stretching out my hand toward the
| door, l was about to open it, when I
bethOught me.
Turn the key in the lock-" said I.
Somebody was careful enough of my
| safety to fasten me in last night"
! An exclamation of astonishment
| came from outside the door.
| There is no key here, ma am. The
| door is not locked. Shall 1 open it and
come in?''
l was about to say yes in my anxiety
| to talk to the woman but remember
| ing that nothing was to be gained as
| yet by letting them know to what an
extent I had carried my suspicious I
| hastily disrobed and crept into the bed
| I had not pressed before that night
Pulling the coverings about me, I as
sumed a comfortable attitude, and
| then cried:
| Come i'm
The door Immediately opened
There, ma'am. What did I tell you?
Locked-this door? Why, the key has
! been lest for months"
81 cannot help it, I said, but with
little Of any asperity, for it did not suit
me that she should see [ was moved by
any extraordinary feeling. "A key was
put in that lock about midnight, and
was locked in. 1t was about the time
that scream was given by some one in
! your own part of the house"
Scream" Her brows took a fine
pucker of perplexity. "Oh, that must
have been Miss Lucetta.'
'Lucetta?'
Eyes, ma'am; she had an attack, I
believe. Poor Miss Lucetta She often
has attacks like that"
COMPOUNDED, for the woman spoke so
naturally that none but a suspicious
nature like mine would think of SUI
specting her, L raised myself on my ell
| bow and gave her an indignant look
Yet" said I, you said just now that
the young ladies were expecting me to
breakfast"
Yes, and why not?" Her look was
absolutely guileless. Miss Lucetta
J sometimes keeps US up half the night,
but she does not miss breakfast on that
account. When the turn is over, she is
as we'll as ever she was. A fine young
lady, Miss Lucetta. I'd lose my two
hands for her any day
"She certainly is remarkable girl, -
| said, not, however, as dryly as 1 felt.
81 can hardly believe I dreamed about
the key. Let me feel of your pocket"
| I laughed.
She, without the smallest hesitancy,
pulled aside her apron.
II am sorry you could think I would
| deceive you, ma'am, but Lor' me-
| ma am this is nothing to what some of
our guests have complained of-in the
| days, [ mean, when we did have guests
I have known them to scream them
/ selves and vow they saw white figures
creeping up and down the walls-all
nonsense, ma'am, but believed in by
some folks. You don't look as if you
| believed in ghosts"
and l don't" I said, mot whit.
It would be a poor way to try to
brighten me. How is Mr.. William this
morning."
"Oh, he's well and feeding the dogs,
ma am. What made you think of him %
"Politeness, Hannah" [ found my
self forced to say. Hes the only man
in the house. Why shouldn't I think
of him?"
She fingered her apron minute and
laughed.
II didn't know you liked him. He's
so rough, it isn't everybody who I'M
derstands him." she said
Must one understand person to
like him?'' I queried good humoredly.
l was beginning to think 1 might have
| dreamed about that key.
Il don't know" she said, 81 don't
like her, like her through and through,
ma am, as [ like this little finger. .
| And holding up this member to my
inspection she crossed the room for
my water pitcher, which she proposed
to fill with hot water.
I followed her closely with my eyes.
| When she came back, I saw her eyes
| fall on the break in the flooring, which
she had not noticed in entering.
oh" she exclaimed, what a
shame" her honest face colorng as she
drew the rug back over the small black
gap. 81 am sure, ma'am," she cried.
you must think very poor of US. But