The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-22
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mumbled Selkirk under his breath.
After dinner he and Evelyn went out.
The night was perfect one, the sky cloud
less. The August full moon foated majes-
tically in the heavens.
Il am so miserable" said Evelyn, that
l scarcely know what to do. l shall never,
never be happy again with my dear old
nurse locked up in prison"
Il do wish she would confess" said Sell
kirk. Her obstinate silence with regard
to the parcel she. gave her son tells so
much against her."
II vent on my knees to her. said Eve
Ign. She clasped my hands and kissed me
over and over, and kept on repeating: l
innocent my darling L know L shall
have TO go to prison, but 1 won't tell-no.
| won't You must trust me, Miss Evelyn.
never took the necklace, but l know
tell"
As Evelyn spoke she burst into tears.
Selkirk did his best to comfort her, but
he felt very gloomy and depressed HIM
self.
The two talked for little longer, and
then Selkirk went off to bed, confesSing
that he had a bad headache and could not
sit UP any longer. He was subject to these
attacks, which were generally of very
severe character.
Evelyn went up TO her own room, for she
did not care to meet any one else of the
party. There was a wide low balcony
outside her windows, and the night being
breathlessly hot, she went to sit there. The
moonlight fell all over her slender, white
rohed figure. and also on the gravel path
which wound away into the thick shrub
berry just beyond.
One by one the lights were put out down
stairs. and the rest of the family retired
to their respective rooms. Still Evelyn
sat with her hands clasped before her. her
eyes looking out into the distance. To go
to bed was impossible. She could but
main where she and think OF the
future. No longer was that future happy
one to the affectionate girl. She loved her
nurse almost much as though the poor
woman had been in very truth the mother
whose duties she had so nobly undertaken.
Evelyn thought of ner in all the long years
of the past-her tenderness, her deep af-
fectlon ner faithful love.
This will kill her." thought the girl. IF
she dies, and by this means, L shall never
wedding presents? How miserable l am.
OF course. my darling is innocent. But
there is a mystery which she cannot ex-
plain.
Just then Evelyn was conscious of a
slight stir in the house. 1t was the soft
tread of football. 1t passed her door,
going downstairs and then being lost TO
sound.
Eveiyn's first idea was to follow it. but
she did not do so. She stood up, however,
on the balcony, for the sound which was no
longer perceptibie within the house, was
now heard outside, and 10 her amazement,
her almost incredulous establishment, she
tain fashion up the winding path which led
to the shrubberies. He did not look be-
hind him. but walked forward something
dressing-gown with belt round his
waist, but hat ON his head.
Suddenly Evelyn clasped her hands to
her heart as she recalled that Lady Esther
had said that Christopher was addicted to
sleep walking as a child, and he, himself,
had confessed that he had not altogether
lost the habit. but that under pressure OF
excitement, or in deep and unusual anxiety,
ii was apt to return to him. Immediately
the girl resolved to follow him, to keep
him, she expressed it, from danger.
no cNxif of he h1
room and flew downstairs. She found
side entrance slightly ajar-no doubt Sell
kirk had let himself into the open air by
this means. In very short time she had
gained his side and now walked softly by
him, her white dress brushing his legs.
He did not take the slightest notice of her.
His eyes were wide open, and had the ex-
preston in them which any one who
watches a sleep-walker knows well.
By-and-bye he got in to the very heart
of the wood, which joined on to the shrub
berry. 1t was a pine wood, and along the
straight branches Of the trees the moonlight
shed a glittering and uncertain radiance.
and sometimes Selkirk and Evelyn We're in
shadow and sometimes in most brilliant
light.
saw that he had lowered his gaze and was
looking down on the ground The next
instant, to her amazement, he went on his
knees and began pushing away lot OF
fallen leaves and debris, smoothing the
ground as he exposed it with the palms of
his hands He then took a large clasp
knife from his pocket unfastened big
blade, and began to dig up the earth.
Evelyn watched him in breathless sus-
pense. He dug up the earth for space of
several inches, and then thrust down his
hand uttered a sudden exclamation, and
drew forth the glittering lost necklace. He
thrust it at once into his pocket. and turned
TO go back to the house as quickly as he
could.
Evelyn followed him. She was trembling
all over. She knew the danger of waking
him, and had no intention of doing so. She
saw him safely back to the house, and even
guided his footsteps he iottered upstairs.
She went with him as far as the door OF his
room saw him open ii and go in, and then
went TO her own.
The greater part of the remainder of that
night the poor girl spent on her knees ask
ing Providence what she was to do. and
tremblingly thanking heaven for her poor
Early in the morning she went out hav-
ing first dispatched a note to her lover
asking him to join her without a moments
delay. He came downstairs, looking pale
and anxious.
What is it, my darling?'' he said. What
is the matter? | have had a bad night,
and my head is still troubling me-"
81 must tell you something. Christopher"
said Evelyn then. And at once she
added "for Judge Greenfield must be in pos
session of my information before he goes
into court"
She then told Christopher exactly what
had happened. He looked at her with his
eyes 1uIl OF lncTeQulIN
THE necklace is at this moment in the
pocket of your dressing-gown," she said.
Come up with me. and we will find it
Seeing indeed believing, and the
happy man had TO confess that on the night
the necklace supposed to have been
stolen, he had been suffering from the same
sort of oppressive headache and had gone
to bed to dream very badly. Beyond doubt
he had taken the necklace and buried it in
the wood in his dream.
The rest of the story is soon told. OF
course, Rebecca was cleared, and when
Selkirk appeared in court and told his story,
way the excitement and interest and en-
thusasm rose almost TO furore. In fact,
the decorum of the court was very nearly
jeopardiZed. ReDeCca was at acQuit-
ted, and that night she slept in her old
nursery, Evelyn insisting on sharing her
couch.
1t was just before the young girl drop
ped asleep that she begged of Nurse Hick-
son to tell her what she had really given
to Jacob.
Amid tears which she could scarcely re-
herself. II was the watch and chain left TO
her by her late mistress, and which she
valued more than anything else in life.
IF you had ever known, Miss Evelyn,
that ! had given it To him | felt that I'd
die" was her remark land in truth il
seemed to worth going TO prison to keep
IL a secret. But tell YOU now, my darling,
for l seemed driven to it,
'.Ani / forgive you with all my heart"
said Evelyn. land you shall have another
watch and chain from me on my wedding
ing in low tones, that If my mother could
he owara IF In she wQuld no very angry