The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-06-24
iii Til MI
CHAPTER xI.-(continuedl

- o. NaA@N NA~J AANA - 80
fort to go to sleep instantly whether
bis brain willed II or no. Many minutes
passed and sleep came not because he
courted 1t so zealously. He heard the
muffed strokes OF the ancient clock
In the hallway below. He remembered
lhat 1t was out of repair-it had been
ever since he could recall-and was as
likely to strike 10 as 1t was one; II
never struck the correct number. The
hour was 3, he knew, but he found
himself wondering how far out of the
way the futile timepeace would prove
to be. He counted IL. Then the silence
was more deathlike than before. The
his mind that his uncle, being a me-
thodical person, was singularly remiss
In allowing the clock to go on such a
prolonged tantrum as this.
Suddenly he remembered that he
had no said his prayers. He never
had missed saying them before. Mr..
Presbrey had been particularly imper-
alive about the prayers. Formerly he
had knelt at the rail of the bed to say
them. but OF late he had been num-
bling them in bed, asserting an indie
pendence that rather pleased him, al
though he was careful not to apprise
Mr.. Presbrey OF the departure. m
PEELED by a strange power which would
not be resisted, he slipped out OF bed
and knelt once more in the old, ac-
copied way. Before he knew what had
happened, in the course Of the set
prayer which the minister had pre-
pared for him, he mumbled the SEN
tence, bless Uncle Horace and Aunt
Rena and Cousin Chetwynd and bless
my ear sister,
But there he stopped. Chetwynd!
The name seemed to strike back at his
tips. The prayer was ended. .
AS he started to rise, a long, Quaver-
Ing cry came from Mary's room. He
sprang to his feet, electrified, his
whole body rigid from the shock to his
overwrought nerves. With bated breath
and glaring eyes, he waited for a repe-
tition OF the sound. 1t came a mo-
ment later, this time louder and with
q note Of terror.
"Eric!"
It was Mary's voice after all. A wave
Of relief surged ove him. In two
bounds he was at her door.
What is It? What is the matter,
Mary?"
Come here, Eric" she cried plain
lively. "Oh, i've had such q terrible
dream. Please light the gas, just for
q minute. 1t was so real. ! wonder II
II could have been true. Did you hear
any one go out of my door?'
NO." he replied. stopping in the
middle Of the room. conscious Of a
lTduBC pICIlOlAllOAs " "OAS
ing. No n has been here"
Light the gas. I am so nervous. !
thought Chetwynd was In the room,
standing at the side of my bed, with
his hands reaching out to grab hold
of me. He had the most awfu look
In his face. He was saying something
to me. I couldn't catch all OF the words,
I was SO frightened, and his voice was
80 thick and hoarse. But l III under
stand part of II. 1t was bad, oh, so vile.
I don't know why I should dream such
things. Won't o light the gas
Eric, please?" .
But he stood there as II turned to
stone-the blood in his veins CONCEALED.
She heard strange, mumbled words on
his lips.
| Can he be here now, in this room?"
"No. no. you ninny," cried she, with
a shriil little laugh. "Of course, 1t wa
a dream. I'm wide awake now. I'm
sorry 1 disturbed you, Eric. But
please stay with me for a little while.
It was so real, and I'm such a cow
ard. You know how frightened I am
Of him, anyway. Sit down on the bed,
Eric"
IT shan't light the gas" he said res,
olutely. He would not let her see his
| face. That vas out Of the question.
He sat down on the edge Of the bed.
L I'M II0 udThncSS C So6CA AANNAS AAuAAA
sought his, and found 1t as cold as ice.
How cold your hand H." she cried.
us it?" HI asked mechanically.
Listen, Eric, and I'll tell you why
I had the dream. They a there Is no
explanation for one dreams, but !
| don't believe II. I think, II one can only
| go back into ones mind, in some little
forgotten corner OF 1t, he viii be sure
to find an impression. or a thought, or
q memory, that will furnish the cause
for every single dream. Sometimes we
may have to go back Of our present ex-
istence, into the one before this, or
maybe we project ourselves into a fu-
ture incarnation. but we"
Don't talk nonsense. Mary" he in
terrupted gruffly.
1T isn't nonsense" she cried. Joan
and l were talking about reincarnation
| today. She believes In 1t, just as I do.
\ She thinks when we die our souls pass
on to another body, and the good in us
grows while the bad decreases"
Tell me: what caused this dream of
yours?"
Her hand began to tremble. IT ought
not to tell you," she said n~eryously.
"You will quarrel with Chetwynd. You
-you-oh, Eric. you might do some
thing dreadful"
what, for instance?" he asked de-
uberately.
you must promise me first that you
won't-fight him. oh, I am so afraid,
Eric, that you will let your temper get
the better of you"
what has he said to you-what has
he done?' demanded her brother, his
hatred for his cousin lifting itself
above all other sensations. Oddly, he
felt a sudden, fierce desire to fall upon
and destroy 4 living Chetwynd."
Premise me-"
"All right. II shan't do anything
ne groaned. and she mistook the tone
for one Of bitter resignation.
well. he insulted me today. II
can't tell you what he said to me, Eric.
II was too vile. I could have killed
him myself. He"
what did he say?" demanded Eric.
She was struck by the sudden, exultant
note in his voice. 1t was as II he were
glad that she had been subjected
to the affront.
IT can't tell you. He is the vilesI
thing In all this world. Oh, 1 hope God
will punish him-I know he will. When
I cried and told him never to speak to
me again, he said-oh, Eric. dear,
can't tell you"
O on, go on"
He said / wasn't any better than
mother was. and for me to stop whin-
ing. He scared me by threatening to
tell people that II had already been
bad-like the girls at French Fannie
and 20 7 HflnA