The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-10-05
CHAPTER vL.--(continued.)

liza IL 1lk
After | had sat thus meditating for
about ten minutes, | began my work. /
wrote very quickly. and in less than an
hour I had finished my task. ! opened
my door and as quietly as / could, with
out an appearance Of stealth, descended
the stairs, hoping to reach the kitchen
unobserved. But my master was watch
ing too yigilantly; he came out of the
parlor as / reached the landing place.
what do you want creeping about
the house Mt this time of night!' he
asked, sharply.
II was going down into the kitchen
L, get a glass Of water / answered.
IL have finished ny work"
''You can't go into the kitchen; Mar
tha has gone to bed. You can 20 into
my room and get water, and theu so TO
bed
Without answering him. ] rcmounted
the stairs and heard him following me. |
went into his room and drank n glass
of water, for / was really parched with
thirst. While / was there | heard him
ascend the second flight Of stairs and
go into my room. AS / reached the door
/ met him coming out, with the enyel-
opes in his hand. l wished him good
night, but he did not answer me. |
watched him over the bannisters, heard
him pass along the passage, lock the
street door, take out the key, and then
re ente the parlor.
az am a prisoner" / thought; land he
will take eood care that have no COM
munication with Martha
Suddenly | remembered the way /
got out OF the house on that memorable
October night. AS soon as all Were abed,
/ would creep up to the boys room
they might all be asleep, and not hear
me; and il they should, l did not be-
lieve that they would betray me; l had
always been as kind to them as / had
dared, shielded them from punishment
when I was able, and / believed that
they liked me.
felt renewed confidence after this
thought. II had better lock my door,"
i thought, Sin case he should come UP,
and find me not in bed"
The key was not in the lock! 1t must
have been taken out while / was getting
that glass of water. This last incident
shook my courage severely. Perhaps
they want to enter my room, and smoth-
err me in my sleep!" was my first thought.
IlntH Il TtuucllDtItu tndl A Hdu lCuLu lily
master say that he should not resolve
upon any course of action until he had
satisfied himself of what l knew.
While | was thus revolving in my
mind every imaginable horror, l heard
footsteps ascending the stairs. | put out
my light, and tore off my boots and coat,
and then jumped into bed, The foot
/ steps stopped outside my door. paused
-. h. II Il
handle cautiously turned, and a light
began to creep through the slowly open
ing door. The agony l endured at that
moment I shall never forget. | could
not move nor speak, but lay watching
the stream of light gradually broaden,
until it was darkened by the figure of
Mr.. Porter standing upon the threshold.
The rays Of the candle fell upon his face;
its blotches were infiamed with drink.
but otherwise it was very pale, and
there was a haggard look upon it. AS
he caught the expression of my face, he
started back. | am certain it must have
been Very CHASTITY. As he stood thas, |
fancied | saw a black shadow fit sud
denly behind him.
'Ain't you asleep?' he said, in a thick
voice.
mo, sir. Oh, how you frightened
me.' | cried. / could not help it.
'.That shows you have a sinful con-
science; the righteous are never fright
ened. / am never frightened. Pray
pray, and then go to Sleep"
He wal more intoxicated than | had
ever seen him before. He closed the
door; then / heard him put the key in
fha Lock. them rlickf The kew was
turnedi
My last hope was gone. / was power
less, helpless; a prisoner, utterly ut the
mercy of this man. I sprang out of
bed; / searched for a match-there was
not one in the room. / drew up my
blind, but the night was moonless and
cloudy. ] opened my window. and look
cd out. All was deathly still; not a
leaf rustled: not a ray of light any
where: naught but black shadows. l
was looking down upon a gulf to which
there seemed no bottom.
Once, In my desperation. l half resolv-
ed to cast myself out, but the depths
looked too awful. I closed the window
again, lest the temptation should be too
powerful to resist. Bathed In perspira-
ton, yet shivering with cold, utterly
Frustrated by the brooding horror that
was upon me. l threw myself upon tho
bed, and waited my fate.
CHAPTER VII.
How or when / fell asleep / could
never remember. But I did fall asleep.
Neither can l remember how long !
slept. From the time that l threw my