Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-01-03

/ e. N''SASh VI iiSA VI. ~ Httle
face. Instead of the eyelids he saw
the eyes; that was all
She looked first ut the figure on the
bed. always without turning her head;
then at the doctor in his corner.
Then, more like bundle of old
clothes than n living, breathing wo-
man, she slid out of her chair rather
than rose from 1t, all without the least
noise, without so much rs shufiling
OF the feet, and glided slowly across
the floor In n straight line to the door
without so much as moments pause
by the sick girls bedside. In tie same
noiseless manner she slid round the
fmprovised screen and disappeared
from his sight.
He just saw the top Of the door
move as 1t was opened very little
way. but every movement on the old
woman's part was so entirely noise
less that he crossed the floor hastily
and looked round the screen to be
quite sure that she was not still in the
room.
But she was gone.
OF all the uncanny sights and
sounds words and warnings which
had fallen to Masson's lot since his ar.
rival at the farmhouse few hours be.
fore, this disappearance of the witch-
like, enigmatic person who had been
his silent companion for the past three
hours seemed to his excited fancy the
most weird, the most alarming.
Had she hnan 1rolJo oil A..
Had she been listening to all that pass
ed between the patient and himself?
The keen watch kept by the sick girl
herself upon the motionless figure of
her grandmother seemed to warrant
this suspicion. And as for the a.sur-
ance he had received that the old wom-
an understood no English, what was II
worth in the midst Of so much that
was suspicious, mysterious and ugly?
Mason looked again at his patient,
who was still sleeping peacefully, and
then returned to his corner and placed
himself in exactly the same position as
before, with his head thrown back and
his eyes half closed, that he might
watch for that unknown, ugly some
thing which he felt sure must happen
as a sequel to the old woman's action,
1t was about half an hour after her
disappearance, and even with the fears
and dangers In his mind he was grow
ing drowsy and dull of wits, when a
feeling that there was some one In tho
room rather than any definite sound
made him look mistrustfully at the top
of the screen.
And he saw the door open.
Without moving he watched between
his half closed eyes and waited.
In couple of seconds he saw the old
woman, Invested of her shawls and
moving with the same gliding step.
appear round the screen The hand he
could see, the left, she held In front of
her. clutching at the empty air. With
the other, which was still hidden be.
hlnd the screen, she was evidently
dragging some one else, some unwill-
Ing person, forward into the room.
She stopped. she turned impatiently,
without uttering word, but her I'm.
seen companion, treading with heav-
Ter step than hers upon one Of the old
boards, made 1t crack and rattle, and
the sick girl started up from her sleep
with cry. Instantly the old woman
disappeared. Mason ran to his pa
tient, whose breath was coming quick.
~ and whose eyes were wide and wild
with fright.
"Who was that7" cried she.
"Only your grandmother" answered
Mason in reassuring tone.
The girl stared about her, painting
and trembling. Then she pointed to
the screen.
"Only she? Go and see; go and seey'
He obeyed her at once, looked behind
the screen and saw no one. lie opened
the door. Standing outside against the
wall, with her unblinSing black eyes
watching the handle, was the old wo-
man alone.
He came back into the room and as
sured his patient of the fact. She lay
back on her pillow, her features puck
cred with an expression of great un-
easiness.
you are sure she was aloner
"Quite sure"
She drew long sigh and appeared
to grow more satisfied.
He gave her something to drink and
resumed his watch in the corner.
OF whom was the girl afraid? Who
was the unseen person, whom the old
woman had tried to drag into the
room. who had effected SO rapid. SO
neat retreat.