Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-02-20

1880
he stood aside she would pass him
and fasten him in the room.
He listened in the intense darkness
and could just detect the short, hur-
ried breathing of one who was ex-
cited by dread.
But as he listened in the darkness
clear now of the heavy curtain, he
heard another sound-a peculiar scrap
ing sound, that seemed to come from
outside the window.
It was that which had alarmed
Katrine, and made her extinguish the
light.
The noise ceased. Then it was re-
peated; and directly after, sounding
mufled by the heavy curtain, the
window ratified a little in it's frame, as
if shaken or pressed upon by some
one outside.
The painting grew louder, there was
a warm breath upon Capel's cheek,
and the next moment he held Katr1ne
in his arms.
She uttered low cry of fear and
struggle to escape.
"Hush!" he whispered. 'You have
nothing to fear. Are you awaken"
There was no answer; only vigor-
Gus thrust from the hands placed upon
his chest, and he felt that she was try
ing to open the door, trembling vio-
lently the while.
"Katrine," he whispered, ''why do
you not trust me? Wake up. There is
nothing to fear"
He tried to clasp her in his arms
again, but with quick movement she
eluded him; and as he caught at her
again, it seemed as if the great cur
tain had been thrust into his arms,
for he grasped that; and as he flung
it away, the door struck him in the
face and then closed. He heard it
locked, and the key withdrawn.
Then he stood listening, for the
window ratified again, and he wondered
that the noise he had made in his
slight struggle with Katrine had not
been heard by whoever was on the sill.
There was a bell somewhere in the
room; but if he rang, and reused up
the butler, the man would be Mortified
at hearing his old masters bedroom
bell ringing in the dead of the night.
Even if that had not been the case,
what excuse could he make? And
could he explain his position to Mr.
Critic without making him the con-
fidant Of all that had passed? And
how could he relate to any one that
Katrine had been wandering about
the house in the middle of the night?
What would Mr.. Critic say? Would he
think it was somnambulism?
No; he could not ring. It was i'm
possible; and all the while there was
that strange noise outside, muffied by
the curtain.
He walked cautiously through the in
tense darkness toward the window, till
he could touch the curtain, and then,
passing to the left, he softly drew it a
little inward, and looked out.
It was almost as dark out there as
in; but there was a faint glow from
the lamps beyond the tall houses that
closed in the back, and against this
he could dim1y see the figure of man
standing on the sill while more indis-
tinctly and quite low down there were
the heads and shoulders of two more.
It seemed to him that the man
standing on the sill was trying to pass
some instrument through between the
two sashes so as to force back the
windCw-ca
What should he do?
Give the alarm downstairs he could
not, without compromising Katrine.
Alarm the nocturnal visitors?
That would be to give up chance
of getting hold of the clew.
What should he do?
Be a coward, or, now that the OPP
portunity had come, make bold eff
fort to capture these intruders?
Three. to one Yes; but he was in
the fo~t, and they had to attack; and,
could he secure one, bribery or pun
! ishment would make him tell all.
There was the sound going on at ~ne
window, which was resisting the eff
forts, and with palpitating heart and
heavy breathing, Capel asked himself
the questions again. Should he be
cowardly, or brave, and make daring
effort to gain that which was his from
the information those people could
give?
There was a grating and clicking
still going on as he stepped cautiously
across the room, the sound guiding
him to the stand where his uncle's
old East India uniform and accOunter-
ments were grouped, and the next
minute his hands rested upon pistol.
Useless, for it was old-fashioned and
unchanged.
That was better! His hand touched
the ivory hilt of the curved saber.
For a time the blade refused to leave
it's sheath; then it gave way a little,
and then he drew it forth, laid the
scabbard on the floor, passed his hand
through the wristknot, and thought
that he would have to strike hard, for
cavalry saber is generally round
edged and blunt.
AS he thought of this, he touched