Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-02-23

drawing upon every energy possessed
! again Z i. listened for a renewal Of the
cry which was yet curdling my blood
But none came. and presently all was
as still as If no sound had arisen to dis.
turb the midnight, though every fiber
! in my body told me that the event ]
had feared--the event Of which hardly
dare mention the character even TO
self--had taken place. and that /, wii'
was. sent there to forestall it, was nrr
only prisoner in my room, but pris-
oner through my own folly and MY Iii
ordinate love of tea.
The anger with which contemplated
| this and the remorse felt at the conse-
| quences which had befallen the inno-
cent made me very wide awake indeed
and after an Intellectual effort to make
| my voice heasd from the window and
various other small attempts of which
am not proud enough to relate / called
my usual philosophy to my aid and said
that since all this had happened and |
was shut up there and had to await
events like any other weak and defense
less woman might as we'll do it with
calmness and in a way to win my own
| approval at least. The dupe of William
| and his sisters, l would not be the dupe
Of my own fears or even of my own re-
grets. ~ -'.u.
The consequence was renewed equa-
nimity and gentle brooding over the
one event of the day which brought no
regret in it's 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 might
stray. &c.. ,..:r . .n'f...u.. :n....
Whether the almost deathly quiet
into which the house had now fallen or
the comforting nature of my medita-
tions held inexorably to the topic had
chosen acted as soporific upon me
cannot tell, but greatly as dislike to
admit it, feeling sure that you will ex-
pect to hear 1 kept myself awake all
that night gradually and insensibly
sank from great alertness to an easy lis
tening 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
staircases whose tops ended i'll the sway
ing branches of great trees, and SO into
quiet and a nothingness that were only
broken into by rap at my door and
cheerful:
Eight O'Clock, ma am. The young
ladies are waiting"
I bounded, literally bounded, from
my chair Such summons, after such
a night What did it mean? l was sit.
ting half dressed in my chair before my
door in a Strengthened and uncomfort-
able attitude, and therefore had not
dreamed that had been upon the watch
all night, yet the sunshine in the room,
the CHEEKY tones such as / had not
heard even from this woman before,
seemed to argue that my imagination
had played me false and that no horrors
had come to disturb my rest or render
my waking distressing.
Stretching out my hand toward tie
door, I was about to open it, when be-
thought me. 3" "'
"Turn the key in the lock-" said l.
Somebody was careful enough Of my
safety to fasten me in last night
An exclamation of establishment came
from outside the door, - ..+
"There is no key here, ma am. The
door is not locked. Shall l open it and
come in?'
l was about to say yes in my anxiety
to talk to the woman, but remembering
that nothing was to be gained as yet Ey
letting them know to what an extent !
had carried my suspicious hastily dis
robed and crept into the bed l had not
pressed before that night. Pulling the
coverings about me, assumed COM
Portable attitude and then cried: .a
"Come in" .,..,, $50. ..,,
The door Immediately opened. ....
There, ma am. What did tell you?
Locked-this door? Why, the key has
been lost for months 49,
81 cannot help it," I said, but with
little if 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" ru.
Scream" Her brows took a fine
quicker of perplexity. ooh, that must
have been Miss Lucetta. - .....-..
"Lucetta?' IL. ....r .1I. -.
''Yes, ma am; she had an attack,
believe. Poor Miss Lucetta! She often
has attacks like that" A ...-
COMPOUNDED, for the woman spoke SO
naturally that none but suspicious ma
,ture like mine would think of suspect
ing her, raised myself OH my elbow
and gave her an indignant look.
"Yet," said I, "you said just now
that the young ladies were expecting me
to breakfast
eyes, and why not?' Her look was
absolutely guileless. p"Miss Lucetta
sometimes keeps us up half the night,
but she does not miss breakfast on that
account When the turn is over, she is
as well as ever she was A fine young
lady, Miss Lucetta. I'd lose my two
hands for her any day.. 1" u.