The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-09-13
The Woman Who
Walked at Night
e. GHOST Story
By M. e. NJ. DAVIS
Copyright. by Joseph b. BowIesJ
e. GHOST SToR,

S4aiF drew near Mrs. Law
soh mouse, he slackened his some
"nat nervous pace. and halted with an
az oi ihdeclsion. But Mrs. Lawson
n"u caught sight of him from the
~ III Ih where she sat, with huge hand
49, o' her Knee, waiting for her
ooarders TO come home for supper.
mere was shade OF embarrass-
ment on his handsome face.
Mrs. lawson" said Sinclair. with
visible effort, Il came by to see if you
would take Katharine and myself to
| board"
III the name of the blessed Lamb!"
EVACUATED AIRS. Lawson, staring at
MN over the gate pickets, whatever
nis happened? What do you want to
20 anywhere and board for? Amt the
| Catalpas-"
II Is a wrench to me to leave the
old place." Sinclair interrupted, "and
my father will be very lonely now that
my mother is dead. But Katharine
mas set her heart on 1t, and If you will
take us"
haven't sign of a room left,
Ahck, Mrs. Lawson broke in, except
.he room on the roof" she added
/ obviously
Wen, what is the matter with tho
room on the roof" demanded Sinclair.
whimsically.
lie threw back his head as he spoke
ana screwed his eyes up at the box
IKE structure planted on the roof of
the low cottage
Nothing" returned Mrs. Lawson,
nasuly, nothing at all, except that 1t
Is SO small. Besides, the stair is like
ladder. Katharine would never"
All right t,ly
price, Mrs. lawson"
She was very beautiful, the golden
haired girl whom Alick Sinclair had
brought, bride, to his fathers house
less than two years before. The mys-
FERROUS malady which developed short
~ after her marriage, and which con-
tlnued TO battle her physician, had
robbed her cheeks of their color and
bloom. But 1t added an indescribab BILE
charm to her delicate face and fragile
inquire. An unearthly expression
dawned into her large blue ,eyes-a
president gaze, as If ner vision, like
her sense of hearing, had become alb
normally acute. Something almost
akin to awe filled those around this
exquisite young creature at sight of
her strange and ineXplicable suffer
1ngs. She had, apparently, no bodily
allment. But the slightest irregular
| sound thrilled her with nervous alarm;
her attenuated frame shook with con-
Vulsions at any unexpected appear
ance; she paled at a Whit of unaccus-
I toned perfume. She ate but little.
and seemed to have lost the faculty of
sleep. Latterly, morbid distaste for
the old Sinclair homestead had Dos
sesscd her. She breathed with diff
Guilty within its lofty walls; she was
oppressed by the atmosphere of It's
shadowy garden.
The same night saw them installed
In Mrs. Lawson's room on the roof.
The room was small. A four-posted
mahogany bedstead, with balduchin
and side steps, occupied at least one
quarter of the floor space
sinclair, seated on the side of the
ped, smiled as he compared this
cramped rookery with his wife's ample
dress1ng-roOm at the Catalpas. But
ne 1elt an unwonted lightpess of spir-
It. He could see the reflection of
katharine's face in the mirror oppo-
Site She stood with her back to him
brushing out her long hair. There
was look of content on her white
. prov; he even fancied a touch of color
In her lips; her golden hair seemed to
nave reSalned somewhat of it's lost
/ luster.
She was right" he thought: "the
Change has already helped her.
/ He watched with delight the rhyth-
mic motion of her slender arms
: Meanwhile ne chatted gayly of his
/ boYhood days, and the recollections
aroused by Mrs. Lawson's motherly
gossip. Katharine listened, turning
from time to time with a nod or n
smile.
He stopped abruptly, staring con-
fu:;edly into space. He passed Ia
hand across his forehead and contin-
ued his story. But the words were Mt
tered mechanically Was there-he
( was asking himself-was there some
thing moving between Katharine and
himself? Something faint and shad
/ owy?-cloudlike? misty? Yes, No
/ He shut his eyelids tightly and opened
/ them again. Yes! He could see II
/ plainly now, the gray-clad figure of a
/ woman with head dropped to her
breast and arms hanging at her side.
My Cod" he groaned, inwardIy
"now Katharine will turn around,
/ She will see it! The shock will kill
her! She will die! She will drop
/ dead before my eyes."
katharine!' the words burst inyol-
/ unfairly from his lips. He sprang for
ward with outstretched arms
Did you speak, Alick?" asked his
wife, looking over her shoulder.