Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-02-20
CHAPTER Xxx.
Asleep or Awake?

blamed his passion, Telling u1Luo6h
that it was his duty to watch her in
this sleep walking state, lest i'll should
befall.
How thoroughly awake she seemed
to be. Her every act was that OF a
person perfectly herself and eager to
find something that was hidden.
Softly and quickly she examined
the cabinet, opening drawer after
drawer, and taking out one after the
other. to see whether there was a con-
cealed cavity behind.
Next she kneIt down before a large
carved oak chest, and Capel saw how
carefully she searched that, and ex-
amined top and bottom to see whether
either was false.
This done, she walked to the bed,
and stood bordering there. Crossing
to the built-up portal, she drew the
curtain aside, revealing the half-dry
cement.
She shook her head, and walked to
the window, where she carefully re-
arranged the heavy folds there to
keep the rays of light from passing
out and betraying her task to any one
who might be at the upper windows of
some house; the act displayed the
working of a brain that, if slumbering
still held a peculiar activity Of an
abnormal kind.
Once or twice he caught sight of
Katrine's eyes, that were not, as he
had seen them on that other night,
wide open, and staring straight before
her, but bright, eager, and full of ami
nation.
"She must be awake" he thought;
and the idea was strengthened as he
saw her throw herself down upon
chair, and with a peculiar action of
her hands indicative of disappoint-
ment, rest her elbows on her knee,
her chin upon her clinched fists, and
there she bent down, her fact intent,
her brOws knit, and looking ten years
older, as the candle cast a curious
shadow on her cOuntenance.
Then the lover interviewed on her be-
half.
No; she could not be. To suppose
that she was awake was to credit her
with being deceitful-with cheating
him into the belief that night that she
was asleep.
He was about to spring out, throw
himself at her feet, and waken her
with his caresses, but chilling feel
ing of repulsion stayed him. 1t might
work mischief in the terrible fright 1T
would give her at being awakened in
that gloomy room. sAnd besides, what
a place to select for his passionate
avowels! It was secret and silent,
the very home for such a love as his;
but there was the terrible past.
Where she was seated but short
time back there lay the CHASTITY body
of the murdered man. Behind her was
the bed where so recently a strange
occupant was stretched, and beneath
it lay that other lately discovered hor-
ror Beyond that built-up wall was
the Colonels tomb.
Love was impossible in such place
as that: and did he want conffrma-
ton of the fact that Katrine was a
somnambuIist, he felt that he had 1t
here before him. For no girl of her
years would dare to come down in the
dead of the night and enter that
room, haunted as it was with such ter
rible memories.
He stood watching her as he crouch
ed there, looking straight before her;
and as she suddenly sprung up and
went to a picture painted upon a
panel in the wall, he found himself
growing excited by the fancy that,
perhaps, in the clairvoyant state of
sleep, she might be able to discover
the mystery that had baff1ed them all.
He stood there, rapt in his thoughts,
till he saw her turn from the frame
that she had tried to move in dozen
different ways, her fingers playing here
and there with marvellous quickness
about the corners and prominent bits
OF carving, as if she expected that any
one might prove to be a secret spring.
Again she tried another picture;
darted to the group of statuary in the
corner, and tried to lift it back, as if
expecting that which she sought might
be hidden beneath it; and again there
was the movement, full of detection
and despair, as she stood facing him
with the light full upon her eyes.
She turned away despOndently, and
then started upright, with her eyes
flashing, and one hand raised in the
involuntary movemen. of one who
listens intently to some sound.
Had she heard something, or was it
fancy-a part of her dream?
Paul Capel thought the latter; for,
light as a fawn, he saw Katrine dart
across the room to where the candle
stood.
The next moment they were in total
darkness.
HAPTER XXI