Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-24
The Niue Room.
Copyright, 1899, by S. r. Crockett,)
on AnILn LIZ

~.
I can yet remember the feelings OF awe
with which / looked about me when my
grandfather had left me alone in the blue
room Of the great house of New Milns,
lie took the candles with him, lest l
should set the place on fire. But he pointed
to a pannier Of fagots set by the side of
the great andirons on the hearthstone.
"If you need light, put a stick on the
fire. one and no more" he said.
Then for the first time in his life he
stopped and kissed me-.
THE Lord our God be a sun and shield
60 you, little mani" he said softly, as If
TO himself, and so went out.
1t was with a strange quiyering of the
flesh and a creeping Of the bones that I
laid me down. There was no reason for 1t
in the world, but certain it is that at the
first glimpse l had conceived the strongest
dlstaste of that quiet room caparlsoned
with blue, and with the same putf-cheeked
hunter hunting the same wooden antlered
stag all about the walls.
! started to take off my clothes, but be-
fore | had gone far 1 stopped, listened, and
then, hearing nothing, ran to the bed in a
fright, climbing up the broad flight Of steps,
wide as at the front of a mansion, all in a
creeping tremor and making a dive for It,
] hid me, head and all, deep in the clothes
and coverlets.
Here ! was almost smothered before |
dared cautiously to put out my head. The
great bed in which l lay was like a tent.
On either side, but much further off than
] could reach with my hands, was a straight
fall Of blue hanging, lined with silk of a
lighter hue, depending from the bar above,
which was solid as a rafter. l looked as 1t
were down a blue tunnel out upon the flicker
80 A. a-z ,.l ~, ,,n,o4s,-. 80 ~ H. al,
flames on the dull oak Of the doorway.
And as l lay there 1 can mind a strange
feeling come upon me. Perhaps it grew out
OF the terrible things | had seen that night;
perhaps out OF the forlorn state Of my
another and the fact that never before had
l slept away from her side. But as | lay
there in the blue uncertain leme Of the fire.
light and listened to the thousand ticking
noises in the wainscot, l seemed to grow
conscious of something that had happened
in that same chamber The whole story
became clear to me, yet l can swear that 1
had never heard it from any nurse or serv-
ant-nor indeed, so much as known that
that there was a blue room in the great
house OF New Milns.
I thought saw a young lady lying asleep
On that same bed in which l couched. She
lay on her side with her face turned, like
mine, to the fireplace, and away from the
window. For awhile that was all 1 knew.
Then through the multitude of the night
noises / was conscious that with a long,
steady push the windowsill rose, rose. rosa,
till from the darkness without a mans head
looked in. Well did l know that this was
fantasy. Yet ! dared not look or turn my
head to certify myself.
Still lin my imagination) l saw the window
rise till | could discern a mans leg clothed
In a tight stocking of silk, and above that
baggy trunk-hose, thrown over the sill into
the room. Then | saw, or rather knew, that
the man had ducked his head under and was
in the room.
Also was aware-how I know not-that
this was a foreigner, an Italian, whom the
young lady had married, but secretly, for
fear of her father. And now this man de-
sired to be revenged on her, because, fcl-
lowing her fathers will, she had cast him
off. ! could see the dreadful smile with
which he advanced upon the bed. He dill
not come TO the foot of the bed, but went
and stood behind the arras toward the head;
then | could hear his hand twitching at the
hangings and the bed itself moved a little.
! suppose with my own trembling, My
tongue clave to my mouths roof. | desired
to cry out, but could not,
Then-there came the twitching again.
The h~angings moved again. The mans
cruel face looked in, his bold black eyes
sparkling like those of a demon. In his
hand was a stiletto with which | knew he
meant TO stab the young lady to the heart.
] saw him raise his hand till the point or
the blade g]littered beside his ear.
And with n cry l awoke, as it seemed to
me, in time to see in the blue flicker Of the
dying fame a dark figure fit behind the
fapastry to tho left nr tho 6rpDIope
My heart was beating so loudly and ct
the same time so thickly that it's mct'on
seemed to suffocate me. Tho bedclcthes
pressed like go much lead upon mo and
every hair on my scalp stood b~ristlIng W
with terrible fear.
Yet / knew that ! must have been dream
ing. For there, quietly dying out, was the
fire; the faggots were all burned through in
the middle and fallen down upon a lite
glowing heap, the ends still on the andirons
and the flames ficking each other with a
curious pulsation like the green streameTs in
the northern sky.
So ] lay "A long time quaking in my naked
bed, the sweat pouring off me, yet cold in
my bones, as II / had been COUGHING on a
doorstep all that drear night Of December.
] must have do2ed, yet it was a troubled
unstable sleep with many s~tartings and
much uneasiness. But over in the wastes OF
the winter morning, perhaps about 3 Of the
clock, | was startled broad awake by such a
crying as l had never heard before, breaking
the deep silence of the night.
1t was a cry so wild, so strange, and 50
loud that for a time my reasonable soul
shook within me.
] could have sworn II came from the room
next mine, or even from Immediately be-
hind the arras where | had seen the dark
figure vanish. But yet nothing more sue
ceeded, and il seemed as II | might have
heard the crying in my dreams, For the
echoes OF 1t fingered quivering in my ears
as / sat up in bed. trembling, affrighted, and
with all my night gear damp and chill about
me as the frost and the outer blackness took
hold on me.
There was no repetition Of the terrible
shrek which had awakened me. But instead
j grew conscious of a bafied snarling, in
human. cruel as the grave, Il seemed like
the complaint of a demon from whom a
stronger hath snatched a coveted prey.
dared not rise, ! dared not lie still. My
whole spirits were dashed with unreliable
fear. Yet, being but a boy, l was more
afraid OF being alone than of anything else,
] thought that II | could only clasp a hand
! should be safe and happy.