Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-04-30


of the sofa. But the elder man wa.
not asleep; he opened his eyes anG
said:
What's that?"
THAT light tries your eyes LORD
Kildonan"
ooh, very WELL" he answered
docilely.
And the doctor retreated into the
next room. 1t was now twenty-five
minutes past ten. Faint night-noises
unnoticed by day, but rendered start
ling in the silence of the dark hours
assailed the listening ear on all sides
The chirp. of a cricket, the cracking
of the woodwork, the scurrying OF
mice, each of these sounds came with
almost deafening distinctness to
Armathwaite as he stood by the door
hearing the drawing of his own breath
and feeling interested in it, as if it had
been that of a patient. At last in
the distance he heard something
which no nearer sound could stifie-
the creak Of a board under a human
tread, followed presently by soft slow
.
outside. He drew back from the door.
In the bare room there were neither
curtains nor screens behind which he
could retreat. On the other hand the
lamp, with it's dark. green shade, cast
only a small circle of bright light on
the table, and still smaller one on
the ceiling above. He withdrew into
the darkest corner of the room and
waited, standing upright and as still
as a statue.
The door-handle ratified and turned,
and the door itself was pushed open
so very slowly that Armathwaite had
to battle with an impulse to take
three strides forward, pull it towards
him, and look round it at the intruder.
At last a figure appeared, looking
hardly more solid than a shadow in
the gloom that filled every corner of
the apartment beyond the little ring of
the lamps light-a woman's figure,
moving slowly and lightly over the
floor towards the inner room. Armath-
waite remained motionless until she
had drawn the curtain aside on it's
rings and passed through; then he
stepped out from his corner and
passed to the other side of the room.
AS he did so he saw in the gloom the
lady bend down over the head of the
sofa and kiss the forehead of the re-
cumbent man.
Good night, my darling" he heard
Lord Kildonan murmur. And then
followed a soft womans whisper:
curtain moved again, and the lady
returned passing close by where he
stood without turning her head. She
crossed the room, opened the door,
and went out into the gallery, and it
was not until her footsteps had died
away that Armathwaite began to
breathe naturally again. He was still
standing with his face turned in the
direction of the closed door when he
was startled to hear Lord Kildonan's
voice behind him. The doctor con-
fronted the elder man with an express
sion of deep, unmistakable alarm
"Why, what ails ye?" asked the old
Scotchman, and coming closer he
peered into the young mans face.
Eye look as scared as lass, and your
face is wet and your hands are cold,
and altogether We look as if ye'd seen
ghost. Did ye fall asleep, maybe,
and TAX my wife for ghost?"
mo, indeed, did not! was afraid
finding me here might brighten her
ladyship, that was all, answered
Armathwaite, with smile which was
rather forced, though he looked much
relieved. "You had better not go out
into the draughty passages now,
Lord Kildonan," he continued, as the
elder man made his way to the door.
IF you want to send message to her
| ladyship. let me take it."
| Lord Kildonan looked rather sur
prised. but he turned back again, rub
bling his eyes and yawning as he shook
his head.
mo. no: I've nothing to say to her
that won't keep till tomorrow, and
tonight I'm so sleepy myself I'm fear
ing | shall ma keep awake much
! lOnSSf-lI, luue0u, III QuilS aNohS
noo," he said dreamily, as he sat down
in his large chair at the table and
rested his head on his hand. There
was something so sweet in the touch
of her lips on my face tonight, some
thing so tender, so GENTLE he muir
INJURED aloud-but to himself, not to
the doctor-"that thocht maybe she
felt kinder to me and began to feel
l." After a pause, he tossed his head
up suddenly. and passed his hands
over his head "Ah, I'm an old fule, and
it's all the whisky, ma doot! But
young man, wish We were here to
mix my whisky every night, for we've
given me the sweetest dream I've had
for months past, though it did but
last for a minute!"
Armathwaite shivered as he tool
the hand Lord. Kildonan held out t.
him, gently helped him to rise, and lee
him to his bedroom door. Then th'
| doctor disposed himself for a little
,ast On the sofa hut not to sleep