Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-10-09
CHAPTER vi.

1
| Instead of enjoying the dreamless
slumber to which his days work fuzzy
entitled him, Armathwaite had not
been asleep more than a quarter of
an hour when he was half-awakened
| by certain dull sounds in his ears
which he heard at first drowsily, as
il they had been part of a disturbing
| dream. But the sounds continued
until his dulled faculties apprehended
that he was listening to a woman's
signs. This became gradually clearer
to him until, convinced that he was
awake, he sat up and held his breath
on the alert for the last sound. The
ing, but still from time to time a gust
| would sweep round the house, rafting
the window-panes, rustling the ivy,
and then dying away with a moan
among the hills. He heard one such
gust as he sat up, staring with sleepy
eyes in the direction of the window,
through which, however, there. came
as yet no light. Then, satisfied that
his drowsy senses had deceived him,
he lay down again with already clos
ing eyes. No sooner had his head
touched the pillow than once more,
close to his ear, he seemed to feel
rather than hear long, quivering
sigh. He put ont his hands, feeling
right and left in the darkness, but
they encountered nothing but the cool
linen sheet and the yielding surface
Of the eiderdown quilt. He sat UP
again, and listening, heard nothing
but the faint cracking noise of tree
branches blown together by the WING
Then once more as his head fell back
upon the pillow he heard the strange
sound that disturbed him. The story
connected with the room came back
into his mind, and, as he was not a
person of weak nerves, it quoted his
curiosity instead of stimulating it.
"Ghost-wind in trees" he muir.
INJURED to himself; and as the sound
continued at intervals it would
speedily have lulled him to sleep
if the signs had not given place
to words which seemed to be whisper
ed straight into his ears.
"Who is it?" he heard distinctly.
Then, after a pause: Come in" He
was half-asleep now, he was sure;
and the weak but clear little whisper
that buzzed on into his stupid ears
was one of those odd dreams of
partial consciousness which touch
of fever, cons equent upon over-fatigue
and excitement, sometimes brings.
The tiny whisper went on; he heard
it quite clearly, though it bore him al
first no great meaning.
what is it? Why have you come.
You frightened met"
Then a different voice, thin, at
tenuated, but louder, said, brighten
ed you, did 1? Well, you may be
sure | sha'n't stop long I want to
know what you were telling that
doctor-fellow while I was out of the
room this evening, and what you
meant by bringing him here, and
where you got him from"
An odd dream this; Armathwaite
turned his head on the pillow, but
still the soft buzzing voices went on,
the weaker one speaking now.
Il told him only what everybody
can see-that I am growing stupid,
nervous, ILL.,"
ell! Well, it is your own fault Ii
you are. You won't go out. Only
the other Gay you were invited to
The Crags, and"
''The Crags. No. It would do me
no good to go there. Let me so
away. Oh, Ned, Ned, let me 60
away! I am no comfort to you only
a burden to you. Try as may, am
nothing to you. You will not treat
me as wife, or even as a sister.
Oh, | have been trying for days and
weeks to get courage to speak to you,
to call back my old spirit, to insist
on being treated fairly; but my mind
and my will seem to be ebbing away.
| cannot tell what has happened to
me, but think I am-dying."
To be continued