The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-05

fathers trust. Then, pulling herself to-
gether. she looked up quickly to discover
if she had disturbed her charge. She
looked. but could see nothing-she felt
with both hands-she called to her moth
er, but the room was empty-Mrs. How
ard had disappeared
An idea came to Denise in that moment
of terror which sent her running back
to the window, with her heart humping
like a steam engine. The white figure
took familiar form in her minds eye.
and she looked for it now with an equal
sense of alarm, though her fear was of a
different kind.
Yes-now there could be no mistake, the
pale wanderer she had mistaken for an
apparition was a nesh-and- blood woman
her own mother-out alone in the solitary
garden at midnight.
Denise watched her slowly vanishing
down the haunted grove, at the end of
which lay broad lake Where was she
going and why was she up? Evidently
she had not wished Denise to know. 1t
was all very mystifyingi And. OH how
could she walk under those terrible yews?
The child experienced a great thrill OF
admiration as she thought of her mothers
courage. knowing personally that she her
self would never have dared.
But even as these thoughts passed with
their vivid sensations a fresh idea came
to Denise. Her father had told her to
stay with mamma, to take care of her,
to be with her as much as possible, and
clear along the path of duty stood the
haunted grove, the deserted moonlit gar
den, with its mysterious legends
Oh, no. no; of course she need not fol-
low; she would hide her head under the
bedclotheS and wait till her mother came
back. Physical terror spoke the smooth
words, but stern reality echoed her prom
Use, IN take such great, great care; III
be ever so CAREFUL
For some moments she stood battling
with cowardice, struggling to muster
courage. To face the unseen foes of dark
ness seemed petrifying task for the ner-
Yous, overweight child, and her very
fear made Denise doubly a heroine, as
she mastered self, obeying her nobler in
stincts.
Drawing the terrors of the night. the lit
tie white-robed figure ran noiselesSly
down the broad staircase across the hall
paved in black and white marble, over
numerous Turkey rugs. passed an old In
dian lac screen to a narrow doorway
leading into the garden A stream of
moonlight told her this door stood open;
the dreaded ground running swiftly in
her mothers footsteps.
Hesitation meant retreat. so Denise
rushed blindly forward. hardly conscious
of the cold air blowing on her bare neck
and iuttering the thin, white gown. She
held her breath as she neared the monks
tree, keeping her eyes cast down. quite
sure she would have seen something SUI
pernatural had she ventured to glance
round.
Denise flew like lightning. for at the
end of the grove she overlook the wan
derer. whose feet We're on the brink OF
the lake, just as small band grasped
her arm, drawing her gently back.
What are you doing. mammal" Denise
asked. in a whisper.
She looked up as she spoke into the va
cant face. The unanswertng eyes. the
rigid features told their own story. De-
Mise guessed in that painful moment what
had hapuened: her mother was Sleep
walking, and for this reason needed