Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-02-07

she would not listen to reason; and not
bein' Altered of spiling her clothes, she
naturally got the best of the argument,
and played it low down on her ia
Their"
He advocated starving her into
better behavior, and would have had
the door closed to cut off her COM
munication 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 ordl-
nary habits.
We separated little before eleven.
The night was close and stutfy. l had
no Inclination to go to bed, especially
as / mad given Van Hoeck my word to
close the window beforehand.
There was a readlng-lamp in my
room. / lit it, put out the candle, and
seated myself In a comfortable chair
with a book. Not a sound was to be
heard after the clock struck eleven. l
read on without moving from my chair
until past twelve. From time to time
| had taken my eyes from the book
and listened intently--not in anticipa-
ton OF hearing the mysterious tapping
at my own window, but in apprehen-
ion OF its being repeated upon Edith's
and as the last stroke of midnight
reverDerated through the still night l
closed my book and listened again.
The silence without was so complete
that the burning of the oil in the lamp
at my side was distinctly audible.
At that moment ] heard a board
creak. 1t was so slight a sound that,
had my attention been fixed upon the
book, / should not have noticed 1t,
| 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
toward the window. | could see moth
ing beyond the circle of light reflected
by the lamp-shade. 1t was too alb
surd to take the lamp to the window
there was no board there to creak. l
waited some minutes and there being
no repetition of the sound, / re-opened
my book, but paused with my finger
on the page to listen once more. A
shuddering sign like that of a 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 j thought it might be the
fiutter of leaves in a 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 mulllon
of the bay standing out vaguely
against the grayness. ! listened. Al
night heavy curtains were drawn
II e 4 1. - oh r.
ting it off from the passage upon
which it abutted at right angles; new
ertheless, | could hear the stertOrous
breathing of the Judge or Van Hoeck
from the rooms beyond. ] was sure
that the sound | had heard was not
imaginary, and determined If possible,
to discover the cause. | went back to
the table and fetched the lamp.
had returned to where | stood by
the door, when my eyes fell upon
something lying at the threshold. An
other step, and | should have put my
foot upon it.
In steadying the shade, my left /
hand screened the light; as ! with !
drew 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 upon her folded hands. She |
was asleep, yet her long black lashes |
were wet, and chung TO her cheek .
with an undried tear.
Gwen Van Hoeck, if he could see
YOU now, poor child" | said to my
self. could not think i'll of you"
I would not awake her; / with
drew the light until she was in shad-
ow. placed it on the table, fetched
my book, and seated myself where
I could read and yet watch the sleep
er. As | did this, the clock in the
belfry chimed the half-hour; ! looked
at my watch, and saw that it was
half-past twelve.
| could not fix my attention upon
the book for some time, my mind be
ing occupied with cOnjectures to ac--
count for Lola's presence. 1t fitted
in with Van Hoeck's theory and warn
ing in some respects, yet-pOssibly
because my judgment was biased by
sentiment could not believe she had
come there with any sinister intention.
J was rather disposed TO think that she
had found this resting-place to be
near the only friend she knew.
As 7 pondered, my eyes grew &C
customer W liit EiOOiis oiib NbNAN
see dimlv the girls face, her arms
scarcely distinguishable against her
dusky can1isole, and the darker mass
Of her red petticoat. She did not
move. If she had evaded her father,
it is possible that she had fatigued
herself as well as him. My heart
was stirred with pity, and / resolved
that when she awoke ] would try "
she would listen to me. TO reason her
out of her savage isolation, and induce
her to accept the kindness that Edith
ionged to bestow upon her. / would
not purposelv awake her. for in sleep
there was the relative happiness of
forgetfulness.
It was past one when ] again be-
gan to read. From time to time ]
looked awav from the page and as
sured myself that she was still sleep
ing. And so sat watching and read
ing until past four o'clock, when the
light began to fail, my eyes grew
heavy, and unconsciously / fell
asleep. was awoke by my book