The Afro-American advance., 1900-03-03

frightened, startled out of his sleep.
there will be a catastrophe. His nery-
Gus system is so greatly depressed
that the slightest noise in his proNim-
ity-such, for instance, as the slam
ming OF a door-wouId. in all proba-
bilty, prove as fatal as bullet shot
| into his head or heart. l have warned
his wife Sleep is now eyerythingi'
with these words the doctor put on
his hat ana departs. As | stood for
minute in tie hall, thinking over what
/ had heard, Herr X erept toward
mt or tiptoe.
Listen, Herr Kotelmann,' said he,
in an undertone,, ,Frauleiu Won p,
who WAS so brave at first, because she
has been Sister of Merey.left my
| mouse early this morning.. She took
herself off because she MAS afraid of
| catching the fever. you, then, some
what superstitious .
= laughed.
Z"An right said he. t7iumphuntly.
1 came 10 tell you that, if You please.
you can have the fraulein S room. on
will ike its situation so much. Ii over
| looks the whole valley, right away to
the forest. You shall have it FOR the
! same price as you have been paying
II was delighted.
"'Can l take possession at once" l
asked.
This very moment replied the land
lord. Tine room stands empty. Ali!
he added, I forgot. 1t is next to the
| sick mans cha amber. Will that make
any difference to you"
Il laughed and shook my head.
livery good. The room has been
cleaned lately, and is quite ready for
your reception
II thanked him, ard was ascending
the stairs, when he softly called me
| back.
"'Pardon me, Herr Kotelmann, for
got again. The doctor has given orders
! that on no account must any sound be
| heard in the neighborhood of the sick
room. He says that the old gentleman s
life depends upon his sleep being un-
disturbed. Perhaps you will be so very
| kind Us to defer moving your things un-
til this evening"
81 expressed myself perfectly salts
! fled with this arrangement, but as
| felt curious to behold my new habita-
tion, especially the belauded view from
! its windows, I-when the host had left
me--stole with light steps along the
corridor, opened the door with caution
and entered noiselessly.
THE room had friendly look and
was large. The view was magnificent.
| After duly admiring this threw an APP
| proving glance over walls and furni-
ture. | have already alluded to the fact
that | am an observer of things as well
as of persons. / possess the true de-
| tectiyes eye.
This being the case, very speedily
| remarked a weak spot in one of the
walls. 1t was a tiny slit or hole, such
as would have been discoserab,e by
most persons only after a whole days
confinement an the reom. A small nail
just above Il apprised me that the late
occupant, Fraulein Won p, must have
been accustomed to hang some garment
| there.
Il approached this hole and peeped
| through it into tie sick mans clam
| her. The room contained three human
beings. On the bed lay an old man in
deep sleep. Beside the bed knelt his
blind daughter, with c.asped hands and
| bowed head, her whole attitude esxures-
sive Of intensely earnest prayer. BE-
| hind the daughter | saw the wife; she
alore was moving. The hired nurse
was not present, and had doubtless re.
tired to enjoy a well-earned rest.
"In perfect silence, without producing
the slightest sound, she was drawing
along over the smooth surface of the
wax-polished floor small table, whose
marble top was laden with quite a
dozen medicine bottles and number Of
glass vessels of various shapes and
sizes.
81 did not at first comprehend her
design. / knew very well that she had
received the strictest injunctions to
make no sound. But when | caught
sight Of her face! 1t was the face of a
fiend! Never should | have believed il
possible that human face could wear
stamped upon il such a horrible express
sion of murderous hate. In an instant
| understood.
"She was in the act OF sliding the
table into such position that the east
movement of the kneeling blind girl.
absorbed in prayer for her beloved ia
ther, would be sufficient to overturn Il
with its fragile burden.
II am, as you know, q somewhat
coid-blooded fellow, but | can assure
you that for the moment was rigid
with horror. I would have given ts,e
whole world TO have been able to Earn
that poor child. But what could do?
A cal. from me might be as disast
in its consequences as the catastrophe
itself.
81 stood in dumb terror, as II turned
TO stone. There was no time for
thought. Before my whirling brain
could suggest any expedient the deed
was done.
'The unhappy girl rose from her
knees; with hands still cIasped. she
stood up. / Jaw the table reel and tot.
ter, and as. half swooning. / averted
my eyes, heard the tbud Of the taBss
and awful crash OF the breaking glass.
followed Immediately by an ear-pier.
cing. blood-curdling scream"
Here kotelmann made pause. After
few moments of silence he said:
give me light. friend"
When he had Lighted his cigar asked
him: