The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-12-06
CHAPTER v

When met S1E EdmunQ IN the
morning / told him that my partners
had agreed with me to alter the clause
ia the agreement, though we had not
yet decided in what manner
Il am glad to hear it, " he said; ANY
thing viii be better than that agree
ment as it stands
Edith came down late to breakfast.
She looked pale, and said she had
oversight herself.
For the first time in your life, be-
lieve,s said Sir Edmund. You did
not fall asleep quite SO readily as usual
-heyg' he asked, smiling.
r could not sleep" she answered
but SO grayely that saw it was not
from the cause the baronet implied
the love that had kept me awake; and
then she added: I have been terribly
frightened
We looked at her in establishment
and anxiety.
Il will tell you ali about it.' she con-
tinued. because you may be able to
explain what perplexes me, and that
WILL pc great relleI.
She paused as if to collect her
thoughts. and then said:
II was nearly asleep when noticed
q sound coming from the window. 1t
was as If come one were rapping upon
the glass-not loudly or quickly, but
softly, as though with the tip Of the
finger, and at intervals. I might have
counted twenty or +lirty between one
tap and the next. / took little notice
Of it at first, thinking ss had left
the window partly open, it might be
the wind moving the Venetian blind;
but, after while, the persistent tap
tap-tap irritated me. rose and lit
a candle, then / went to tn window.
The lattice was just as / had left it.
The blind hung perfectly motionless
| drew it up and looked out. There
was a gray mist everywhere. Not a
breath Of air stirred; the fame ct the
candle burned as steadily as though
the window had been clo.'sd let
down the blind and listened; there was
not the Sigh. ,st sound"
"a moth on the ceiling" said Sir Ed
mund; they have worried me in the
same manner Then you get a. light
and the thing stops
Hold on, we ain's heered the last
on it, kin see" said the Judge. look
Ing at Miss Lascelles intently, his
shaggy brows bent over his quick
eyes.
i explained 1t as you do. papa. /
put out the light and tried to sleep. l
heard no sound for quite ten minutes,
think, and then again that soft. slow
tap--tap tap came from the window
the same sound, with the same long
interval between them.
1T was not like the beat Of a moths
wing. 1t was like nothing but the
touch of a human finger. But tried
to think it was an insect in the wall
the insect that is called the death
watch. And did my best to take no
notice of 1t, but could not help hear
ing it; and after time grew fright
ened, and the sound grew dreadful to
my ears. 1t became unedurable;
could not lie there listening pensively.
got up again and struck match.
The wick of the candle was slow to
light, and during those moments mo-
ticed the sound had ceased. AS / say,
was frightened--yery frightened.
And the unbroken silence seemed
more terrible than the sound. There
was something ghostly and supernat-
ural about it that brought the old ter
ror used to feel as child in passing
the room that is said to BIZ haunted at
night. And just then the clock in the
belfry struck. / dared not so to the
window. My hand trembled SO that
/ could not take up the candle, but l
looked toward the window. The first
thing that struck me was that the
iaths of the blind, instead of lying fat.
as they generally do, when down. and
as I had left them, were opened and
turned edgeway-do you know how /
mean?'
She held her hands, that trembled
with the recollection Of her terror, one
above the other horizontally.
But the next thing she continued,
and then stopped with a little shud.
der, while we who listened held our
breath--"the next thing saw was
two great black eyes that caught the
light from my candle as they glared
in between the lower laths Of the
blind"
II think fainted--T must have done
SO, for was conscious of nothing az
ter that. until found myself upon the
floor. The light was still burning upon
the table. AS recollection returned to
ne. looked toward the window. The
laths were DO longer open. but turned
| fiat. Then it occurred to me that all
had seen was merely imaginative
! that it was merely realistic dream
that had gone through these expert
| HncesA in my sleep. My great terror
was gone. ] went without fear ito the
wiadow to ascertain il the night was
ash had seen it. There was the gray
mist; the flame Of the candle did moi
flicker. Nevertheless. when looked
down and saw how impossible il was
for any one to have stood outside the
| window, / felt convinced that at least
| the vision Of the two eyes was imag-
mary an outcome Of the fear fell
when looked toward the window.
lay down. again. and though could
not sleep for some TING, heard nc
further sound whatever save the chin
ing of the clock