The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-03-02
Everything depends upon this sleep! I
have impressed upon Herr k, your


servants. Should the patient be
frightened, startled out of his sleep,
there will be catastrophe. His nerv-
Gus system is SO greatly depressed
that the slightest noise in his proxim-
ity--such, for instance, as the slam
ming of door-would. in all proba-
billty, prove as fatal as q bullet shot
into his head or heart. l have warned
his wife. Sleep is now everything!'
with these words the doctor put on
his hat and departed. AS stood for a
minute in the hall. thinking over what
l had heard, Herr K crept toward
me OF tiptoe.
Listen, Herr Kotelmann,' said he,
in an undertone, 'Fraulein Won p,
who was SO brave at first, because she
has been Sister of Mercy, left my
house early this morning. She took
herself off because she was afraid of
catching the fever. Are you, then, some
what superstitious?'
Il laughed.
"'All right said he, t-iumphantly.
Il came to tell you that, if You please,
you can have the fraulein's room. You
will like it's situation so much. 1t over
looks the whole valley, right away: to
the forest. You shall have it FOR the
same price as you have been paying
Il was delighted.
"'Can l take possession at once?' I
asked.
This very moment replied the land
lord. Tine room stands empty. Ah!'
he added, Il forgot. 1t is next to the
sick mans chamber. Will that make
any difference to you:'
II laughed and shook my head.
"'Very good. The room has been
cleaned lately, and is quite ready for
your reception
II thanked him, and was ascending
the stairs, when he softly called me
back.
Pardon me, Herr Kotelmann, I for
got again. The doctor has given orders
that OH 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 as to defer moving your things I'M
til this evening"
II expressed myself perfectly salts
fed with this arrangement, but as
felt curious to behold my new habita-
ton, especially the belauded view from
it's windows, I-when the host had left
me-stoie 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 furri-
ture. | have already alluded to the fact
that am an observer of things as we'll
as Of persons. l possess the true de-
tective's eye.
''This being the case, very speedily
remarked weak spot in one of the
walls. 1t was tiny slit or hole, such
as would have been discoverab,e by
most persons only after q whole days
confinement IN the room. 4 small nail
just above It appraised me that the late
occupant, Frauleir Won P, must have
been accustomed to hang sorne garment
there.
IL approached this hole and peeped
through it into tie sick mans clam
Der. 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 express
sive of intensely earnest prayer Be-
hind the daughter saw the wife; she
alone was moving. The hired nurse
was not present, and had doubtless re.
tired to enjoy a well-earned rest.
sin perfect silence without producing
the slightest sound, she was drawing
along over the smooth surface, of the
WaN-polished tloor small table, whose
marble top was laden with quite a
dozen medicine bottles and number of
glass vessels of various shapes and
sizes.
II did not at first comprehend her
design. I knew very Wei that she had
received the strictest in,unctions to
make no sound. But when I caught
sight of her face! 1t was the face of
tiend! Never should I have believed it
possible that human face could wear
stamped upon it such horrible express
sion OF murderous hate. In an instan t
/ understood.
"She was in the act of sliding the
table into such a position that the east
movement of the kneeling blind girl,
absorbed in prayer for her beloved fa~
ther, would be sufficient to overturn it
with it's fragile burden.
II am, as you know, q somewhat
co'd-blooded fellow, but I can assure
you that for the moment I was rigid
with horror. ] would have given the
whole world to have been able to earn
that poor child. But what could do ?
\ cal. from me might be as disastrous
IN its consequences as the catastrophe
itself.
II stood in dumb terror, as if turned
to stone. There was no time for
thought. Before my whirling brain
could suggest any expedient the deed
was done.
1.-THE unhappy girl rose from her
knees; with hands still clasped, she
stood up. 1 saw the table reel and tot
ter, and as, half swooning, I averted
my eyes, 7 heard the thud of the table
and awful crash Of the breaking glass,
followed Immediately by an ear-pier-
cling, blood-curdling scream
Here Kotelmann made pause. After
a few moments of silence he said:
"Give me light, friend
When he had lighted his cigar asked
him:
did the cid man die?"