The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-03

impression that ] had, and / moved
quickly forward to get a nearer view
of the person who was watching me. |
But as I did so the face suddenly dis
appeared, so suddenly that it seemed
to have been plucked away into the
minutes thinking the business over and
trying to analyze my impressions.
could not tell if the face were that of
q man or a woman. It had been too
far from me for that. But it's color was
what had impressed me most. Itwas Of
livid chalky white and with something
set and rigid about it which was shock.
ingly unnatural. So disturbed was L
that I determined to see little more
approached and knocked at the door,
which was instantly opened by tall,
gaunt woman with harsh, forbidding
face
What may you be wantin - she
| asked. IN northern accent.
| am your neighbour over yonder,'
said l, nodding towards my house. Il
SO [ thought that if could be Of any
help to you in any
'Ay, We'll just ask we when we
want ye, said she, and shut the door in
my face. Annoyed at the churlish re-
buff, | turned my, back and walked
home. All evening, tho ! tried to think
of other things, my mind would still
and the rudeness of the woman. I de-
termined to say nothing about the for
mer to my wife, for she is a nervous,
highlystrung woman and I had no wish
that she should share the unpleasant i'm
preston which had been produced upon
myself. [ remarked to her, however,
before 1 fell asleep, that the cottage
was now occupied, to which she returned
no reply. @ H..
~ am usually an extremely sound
sleeper. It has been standing Jest
in the family that nothing could ever
wake me during the night. And yet
somehow on that particular night,
whether it may have been the slight
excitement produced by my little adven-
ture or not, know not, but | slept much
more lightly than usual. Half in my
!; something was going on in the room
} and gradually became aware that my
!, wife had dressed herself and was slip
ping on her mantle and her bonnet. My
lips were parted to murmur out some
} sleepy words of surprise or remonstrance
J at this untimely preparation when sud
} denly my half-opened eyes fell upon he1
, face, illuminated by the candle-light
| and establishment held me dumb. She
| WOlC oil CSo1OA SuCH oo AeeN NV VI
| seen before, such as I should have
5 thought her incapable Of assum
| ing. She was deadly pale ant
breathing fast, glancing furtivelJ
towards the bed as she fastened he;
!. mantle, to see if she had disturbed me
: Then, thinking. that I was still asleep
she slipped noiselessly from the room
t and an instant later / heard sharl
4 creaking which could only come from
= the, hinges of the front door. ] sat VI
/. in bed and raped my knuckles agains
S the rail to make certain that Il wa
: truly awake. Then I took my watcl
l., from under the pillow. It was in tn
}. morning. What on this earth could m
Y wife be doing out on the country roa'
q at in the mornings sg %
l E'I had sat for about twenty minute
S turning the thing over in my mind an
e trying to find some possible explanation
t The more I thought, the more extraol
t binary and inexplicable did it appear
y I was still puzzling overs@1t, when
t heard the door gently close again an
3, her footsteps coming up the stairs;
n "'Where in the world have you beer
r Effie9' I asked as she entered.
It "She gave violent start and a kin
e of gasping cry when I spoke, and tina
W cry and start troubled me more than a
i the rest, for there was something II
IS describably guilty about them. MY vii
It has always been a woman OF franl
t. open nature, and it gave me chill
/ see her Sinking into her own room an
lie crying out and wincing when her ow
g husband spoke to her.
n ."sYou awake, Jack!' she cried, wit
S, nervous laugh. why, ! thought tia
le nothing could awake you. =.
ot Where have you been?' [ aske'
u more sternly. -
il "'I don't wonder that you a!
a. surprised said she, and cou]
o, see that her fingers were trembling {
De why: I. never remember having dor
as such thing in my life before The fa
I'd is that felt as tho T were choking, al
had a perfect longing for a breath {
Ill fresh air. I really think that [ shou
r. have tainted if had not gone out.
D. stood at the door for few minut
or and now I am quite myself again.
~ eAll the time that she was telling n
'r, this story she never once looked in n
.e. direction and her voice was quite until
to her usual tones. 1t was evident to =
= that she was saying. what-.was falls
~ I said nothing in reply, but turned II
ed face to the wall, sick at heart, with N
mind filled with a thousand venomo
ur doubts and suspicious. What was
that my wife was concealing from m
ed Where had she been during that stran
L
or peace until [ knew, and yet shral
Nv from asking her again after once s
at had told me what was false. ALI t
rest of the night I tossed and tumble
framing theory after theory, each mo
W, unlikely than the last.
,er ~ should have gone to the city tn
GU day, but [ was too disturbed in r
mind to be able to pay attention
Sc business matters. Ny wife seemed
be as upset as myself, and could $
from the little questioning chances viii
GU she kept shooting at me that she und
stood that I disbelieved her: stateme
at and that she was at her wits end WI
s to do. We hardly exchanged VIC
at, during breakfast and Immediately aft
ad wards / went out for walk, that
I might think the matter out IN
hit fresh morning air.
we CT went as far as the Crystal Pala
err spent an hour in the grounds, and v
to back in Norbury by 1 O. clock. It h;
i pened that my way took me. past
ere cottage and / stopped for an instant
Sc. look at the windows, and to see It
to could catch glimpse Of the strar
,ad face which had looked out at me
be- the day before. AS stood the
,ch imagine my surprise, Mr.. Holmes, WI
Of the door suddenly opened and my W
al walked out.
he CT was struck, dumb with astoni
his ment at the sight Of her; but my eI
it tions were nothing to those VIII
it'll showed themselves upon her face WI
ey- our eyes met. She seemed for an
I a slant to wish to shrink back inside
tile house again; and then, seeing how U
less all concealment must, be, she ca
vas forward. with very white race 9