Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-06-09
CHAPTER III.

/ must make mention of q popularity
in my habits to which l have been sub
ject from my earliest remembrance. 1
am a somnambulist. Often in my youth
full days was 1 followed by my nurse
and relatives in the night. while l was
walking in my sleep, and carefully watch
ed, in order that l should not come to
harm. My wanderings were generally of
a harmless kind, and sometimes afforded
merriment, as on occasions when l made
my way to the larder and helped myself
to the good things deposited there. But
there was one occasion when they took
a more serious turn.
l slept on the second floor of semi
detached house. In the adjoining house
resided a mana widower-with a lit
tie daughter, between whom and myself
some innocent lovemaking took place.
The father of this little girl, whose name
was Elsie. married again. and the step
mother was not kind to the child. In
deed, when the father was absent from
home Elsie was cruelty treated by this
woman, and / used to hear her cries
through the wall which divided the two
houses. These sounds greatly distressed
me, and my child-mind was exercised as
to the means by which could rescue my
sweetheart from the torture to which
she was subjected. On one occasion bust
ness took the father from his home for
two or three weeks, and during this time
Elsie's undeserved punishment was
sharper and more frequently admins
tered. She showed me the marks of the
blows on her skin, and l remember cry
ing excitedly:
Il win kin herr l will kill herr
remember also Elsie's grave reply to
the effect that it was very, very wrong
10 kill people, because. as she illOgically
added. you would set hanged for it. The
killing business was therefore set aside.
the consequences being too awful to con-
template. and we decided instead that
we would run away tomorrow when the
clock struck l.. Where we should run
to was not decided; why we should take
our flight in broad daylight was not ex-
PINNED; how we should exist was not
considered. We were placidly satisfied
that the mere fact of running away when
the clock struck II would be a crushing
blow to the hard-hearted stepmother.
On that night 1t was that my little
sweetheart's cries pierced my mind while
was sleeping. and | unconscieusly rose
with the intention of going TO her rescue.
Ii happened that those about me were
less watchful than usual. and thus l sue
ceeded in creeping unohserved to the tep
of our house, where a short ladder lead
Ing 10 a trap door in the roof enabled me
70 reach a similar door In the adjoining
house. which found unlocked. IL was a
dark night and my enterprise was full OF
dangers. but sleeD walkers are ike cats
and can walk safely on the edge of a pre-
eipice. succeeded in raising the door
in the roof and in total darkness felt my
way down the stairs. guided doubtless by
the little maids cries fSr help and mer-
I cy.s Dashing into the roogp in which the
torture was being inflicted. l sprang upon
the cruel woman and tore at her ard beat
her SO that she In her turn, probably
mS-e frightened than hurt, screamed
! loudlr fer assistance. BY this time my
own people were aroused and. obtaining
( entrztnce into the adjoining house, bore
I me away 70 my room.
When l awoke in the morning had no
I knowledge or recollectioR OF wat had
/ occurred. and / gathered the particulars
1 from those who were interested n them.
/ Ny bedroom door was found open and |
not In bed: the two trap doors tn the
roof were open. proclaiming me means
| by which left one house end obtained
entrance to the other; Elsie drew vivid
| pictures Of my actions when l rushed IN
10 her bedroom and sprang upon her step
mother; and my ovp people supplied the