The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-12-13

ping, You should not raise your nanu
| against her; If you caught him, you
would blow his brains out. For her
you would find excuse; for him none.'
| In this there was truth also.
Talking of that" he continued,
what arms do you keep about you for
i defense?"
| None" replied.
II thought SO. Take this he said.
drawing a long clasp knife from his
breast pocket.
He showed the spring with which
the narrow blade opened and the
catch which locked 1t at the back of
the horn handle, and made me prom
Use to use it for my defense. no mat
ter who attacked me. also prom
Used to close my window, which hab-
itually kept open at night, and to Sc
cure the fastening Of that ais well as
the door before going to bed. Finally,
he exacted that / should once more
inclose the Hesper in the leather case
and strap it to my wrist the last thing
at night.
The Judge did not return until dusk.
He was fatigued, and his general APP
pearance indicated pursuit through
rough and thorny ways.
II hev seen the Kid" he said; "but
she would not listen to reason; and
not being Altered Of spiling her clothes
she naturally got the best Of the argu-
ment and played it low down on her
/ father
He advocated starving her into bet
ter behavior, and would have had the
1 door closed to cut off her communica-
/ ton with the dairy, but Miss Lascelles
would not listen to this; she would not
yield to fear, and declined to change
her room or alter her ordinary hab-
itudes.
We separated little before II. The
night was close and stuffy. had no
inclination to go to bed, especially as
! had given Van Hoeck my word to
1 close the window beforehand.
/ There was reading lamp in my
room. lit it, put out the candle and
seated myself in comfortable chair
! with book. Not sound was to be
heard after the clock struck IL. read
on without moving from my chair UNI
til -. From time to time / had taken
my eyes from the book and listened
ihtently- in anticipation Of hearing
the mysterious tapping at my own win
dow, but in apprehension Of its be-
ing repeated upon Edith's-and as the
last stroke Of midnight reverberated
| through the still night closed my
| book and listened again. The silence
without was SO complete that the burn
| ing Of the oil in the lamp at my side
was distinctly audible.
| At that moment heard a board
creak. 1t was so slight sound that,
had my attention been fixed upon the
book, / should not have noticed it.
could not tell where it came from; /
| was not sure that it was not from the
| floor under my foot as changed my
| position. Instinctively ! looked to-
ward the window. could see nothing
beyond the circle of light reflected ~
the lamp shade. It was also too alb
surd to take the lamp to the window
there was no board there to creak. I
waited some minutes, and there being
no repetition Of the sound, reopened
my book, but I paused with my finger
on the page to listen once more. A
shuddering sigh, like that of child
who is crying itself to Sleep reached
my ear.
went to the window, drew up the
| blind softly, and looked out; for the
| sound had seemed to come from dis
lance and / thought it might be the
flutter Of leaves in breeze. But the
! night was unchanged heavy and still,
| the moon obscured, and thin gray
veil of mist hanging over the lawn, as
! Edith had seen it the night before.
| opened the door noiselessly All was
dark. / could see only the mullion Of
the bay standing out vaguely against
| the grayness. / listened. All night
heavy curtains were drawn across the
head OF the corridor, shutting it off
| from the passage upon which it abut-
ted at right angles; nevertheless, I
1 could hear the stentorous breathing OF
| the. Judge or Van Hoeck from the
rooms beyond. am sure that the
sound had heard was not imaginary,
and determined, if possible. 80 discov-
| er the cause. went back to the ia
BILE and fetched the lamp.
| I had turned to where stood by the
door, when my eyes fell upon some
thing lying at the threshold. Another
step, and should have put my foot
| upon it.
In steadying the shade, my left hand
screened the light; as ] withdrew it
saw that the object at my feet was
Lola!
She had curled herself upon the mat
within the embrasure Of the door. Her
face was toward me, and pillowed up-
on her folded hands. She was asleep,
i yet her long black lashes were wet,
and chung to her cheek with an undried
Il tear.
Even Van Hoeck, If he could see
you now, poor child said to myself,
could not think i'll Of you"
1 would not awake her; I withdrew
the light until she was in shadow.
placed it on the table, fetched my
book, and seated myself where could
read and yet watch the sleeper. AS I
did this, the clock in the belfry chimed
the half hour. looked at my watch
ana saw that it was 1890.
\ -.