Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-23
CHAPTER ".
The P1ue Room.

me Eiue kOOm
can yet rcmcmter the feelings of awe
with which I looked about me when my
g-andiIthe- had left me alone in the blue
room Of the great house of New Minis
He took the candles with him. lest l
should set the place fire, but he pointed
to pannier of fagots set by the side of the
great andirons on the hearthstone.
IF you need light. put stick on the fire;
one. and no more. he said.
Then for the first time in his life he
stopped and kissed me.
1.-The Lord our God be sun and shield
to You, little man he said, softly, as if to
himself, and so went out.
1t was with a strange quivering of the
flesh and a creeping of the bones that 1
laid me down There was no reason for it
in the world, but certain it is that at the
first glimpse l had conceived the strongest
distaste of that quiet room caparisOned
with blue, and with the same puff-cheeked
hunter hunting the same wooden-antlered
stag all about the walls.
l started to take off my clothes, but be-
fore / had gone far l STOPPED, listened and
then, bearing nothing. | to the bed in
a fright climbed UP the broad flight of
steps wide at the front of a mansion, all
in creeping tremOr, ard, making dive
Tor 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 tent.
On either side, but much further off than l
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 rafter. 1 looked, as
it were. down blue tunnel out upon the
flicker of the fire aid the reflections of the
dancing flames on the dull oak of the door
way.
And as I lay there / can mind a strange
feeling mi PHrnanl II 70
out of the terrible things 1 had seen that
night; perhaps out of the forlarn state Of
my mother and the fact that never before
had ! slept away from her side. But as
lay there i'm the blue uncer tain leIne OF the
freight and listened to the thousand tick
Ing noises in the wainScot, seemed to
grow conscious of something that had hap
pened in the same chamber. The whole
story became clear to me. yet l can swear
that had never heard 1t from any nurse
or servant-nor indeed. 50 much as known
that there was a blue room in the great
house Of New AIiInS.
! thought / saw a young lady lying asleep
In that same bel In which / crouched. She
lay on her side with her face turned, like
mine. 10 the fireplace, and away from the
window For while that was all l knew.
Then through the multitude of the night
noises l was conscious that with long,
steady push the " indoH sill rose rose rose
Ill from the darkness without mans head
looked In Well did l know that this was
fantasy Yet 1 dared not look or turn my
head to certify myself
Still Tin my imaS!natien) I saw the win
COW rise till L could discern mans leg
clothed in tight stocking OF silk, and
above that baggy trunk hose. thrown over
the sill into the room. Then I saw, or
rather knew. that the man had 3ucked his
head under and was in the room.
Also l was aware-hOW / 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, fol-
lowing her fathers will. she had cast him
OFF l could see the dreadful smile with
which he advanced upon the bed. He did
not come to the foot of the bed, but went
and stood behind the srras toward the
head. then 1 could hear his hand twitching
at the hangings. and the he'd itself moved
& little. l suppose with ray own trembling.
My tongue claved TO my months roof. l
desired to cry out but could not
Then-there came the twitching gain.
The hansings moved aside. The mans
cruel face looked in. his bold black eyes
sparkling like those of demon. In his
hand was stiletto. with which. l knew,
he meant to stab the young lady to the
heart. ] saw him raise his hand till the