The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-10-07
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and then entcrei. Ny tap h:, ev,!trs-
~ not been heard. for l lonNi .t:a
graceful form seated in & cnGir III an
attitude which bctOk3led dcaDai" H".
arms upon Tie table, h2r heaa leaning
forward and her beautiful t'isAaye.cd
hair falling III waves about licr.
Madam"
| had walked up 20 he aud placed my
hand upon her shoulder.
oh" And she turned towards Tie
her pale. fearful. horror-st:icken face,
then shrank away in lear, who are
| you? Pray do not hurt me. know
l am helpless"
| 1t was some time before ] could con-
| vince here that l WAS really friend,
for SO long had she been buried in these
rooms that her mind had become al
most unhinged and her sense Of per-
ception blunted. BY degrees. however,
made her understand who l was and
how | had come there: and then. in
answer to my questions, l CLEANED the
history of her captivity.
When Stephen married her she was Il
handsome young girl of eighteen and
he was verging on the period of middle
age. 70" three months after their
marriage he had been kindly and at
tentive-all. in fact. that a wife could
desire OF her husband. Just at the end
Of that time, however. he discovered
accidentally several letters which had
DeeH written Dy ner before ncT mar
riage to former lover. and for some
days afterward he was moody. jealous
and strange in his nduct.
One night he entered her room with
that fixed. frenzied. wicked look upon
his face which she had never seen
there before. but which had marred his
features in all her interviews with him
since, and directed her by signs to fol-
low him, mandate which In her ter
ror she readily obeyed.
II think those foolish letters Of NINE"
she said in conclusion. written before
l had learned to love my husband. have
turned his brain. | was warned before
| l married him that he was affected
with the malady of sleep walking and
that when under It's influence he not
only lost complete control over his
| reason, but also seemed to live a double
| life.
when awake he was generous. frank
and good: but when in somnumbuant
state, was told, he was morosr. jeal-
Gus, wicked-in word insane, and
that in his waking hours he had no
recollection OF what took place o. what
he did when in this latter state"
l took my protege to the rectory,
where the rector. who was an old col
lege friend of mine. was not a little
so early an hour.
Before returning to the Stanley
house / rode on the rectors cab to my
brothers doctor who live about three
miles away, and consulted him upon
Stephens sad coalition. He told me
that he was quite aware Of the facts
of the case, but that he had not for the
moment thought the malady could have
| been capable of wording 50 much mis-
| chief.
He then made the suggestion that ir
all probability crisis in the disease
would now be reached. brought about
by the mental shock which the discov-
cry of the escape would give when next
the somnambulist visited the west
wing. The result of this crisis would
| either leave him hopeless maniac
or completely cure him.
| AT the doctors request l arranged tC
meet him the same night at twelve
movements. / then rode back to the
rectory. and from there proceeded witt
all haste to Stanley house.
AT night he retired to rest at the
usual time, and | Went out into The
grounds to meet the doctor. about ar
hour and a half aftcrward. When
met him. we proceeded to the ives
wing together. to watch the effect O.
the shock of discovery upon the patient
/ AS soon as we reached the door,
saw that Stephen had been before us
| for the door was ajar With hear
] tiidl peat ldSl With my FEARS, l hurried
/ into the house. and was about to rur
upstairs. when / tumbled over som,
obstacle at the bottom. The doctor
4 who was following closely. carried
dark lantern, and its light soon re-
vealed to us the bleeding form of m.
unhappy chum.
| HE is dead" the doctor said, risint
from his knees, after making hast,
examination of the body. I'm his fren
~ he must have dashed himself dowl
the stairs. Poor fellow. we have beef
too late to save him."
Five years have fled since that time
Stanley house has been newly painte,
and renovated, and again holds happ,
bride and bridegroom. A fair fac
looks over my shoulder as write ant
drops tear upon the paper that con
tains a history of her SORROWS. But
smile fits about her lips as kiss her
and we look out together upon tn
beautiful scene. in the midst of which
stands our home, and forgets the dark
ness of the past in the brightness o
the future