Year: 1875

1 NOE We SAeAhES0 WI
wet, cold and shivering condition
to one of comparative comfort-not
even when we gathered around the
table to partake of the food which
our kind hostess prepared for US did
Susan shake off the silence and
strangeness of conduct which was
so foreign to her nature. She ate
but very little, her attention being
seemingly distracted by the move
ments of our hostess, who stepped
nimbly about. Several times 1 OBJ
served Susan start and look nervous
ly toward the door when it opened,
1 was perfectly mystiied, for my
sister was one of the gayest, light
est-hearted people imaginable. Such
an adventure as we had met with
would not be likely to depress her
spirits in this unaccountable way;
SO that 1 could only conclude that
the weather, and the fatigue and
anxiety we had undergone had seri-
ously affected her health.


Susan was sitting in corner of
the fireplace, l opposite..her. Sud
denly, when the attention of the
rest of the party seemed taken off
by something that had been said,
she leaned over and spoke to me.


Look, Ann, at the old man and
old woman of the house! What an
evil looking couple? Pm sure they
mean some mischief.


/ had not thought to look at them
before, now 1 examined them atten-
lively. The host was a burly, ath-
letic man, with shaggy black bair,
and a keen, dark eye. He was talk
ing with my father, but in the midst
of conversation he often turned to
look at his wife, who was moving
busily about the room. As for our
hostess, she was tall, thin, silent
woman, with a somewhat awkward
and constrained air about her, which
contrasted strangely with her hus-
bands face and easy manner. He
had talked constantly since we had
entered the house-she had spoken
scarcely dozen words to anyone.


All this much I don't think 1
should have noticed If Susan had
not called my attention to it. But
now that my attention had been call
ed to it, 1 found myself constantly
watching the couple; occasionally
falling into a state of drowsiness,
and as suddenly waking up to re-
sumo my watch. Susan, also, as
often as she could do so without be-
ing observed, turned her gaze upon
one or the other of our entertainers
-oftenest watching our hostess,
whose movements seemed to have
for her sort of facination.


There was no knowing who these
people were, living as they did in
this lonely, out-of-the-way place
They might be what they seemed
kind-hearted, simple people; and
they might, on the contrary, be the
suspicious characters that Susan had
supposed. As for me, since Susan
had spoke to me, had become sus-
picious of every moment on the part
of our host and hostess; a thing
which / should not have dreamed
of, otherwise.


Again 1 sank into a state of
drowsiness, in which l did not Who'll
ly loose my perception of what was
going on. l was wakened by a
touch, and Susan pointed silently to
our host, who was making some
signs to his wife. Presently she
lighted candle and left the room,
and then we heard her ascending
the stairs. 1t must have been a
quarter of an hour afterward when
our hostess re-entered the apart
ment and informed us that our
rooms were ready, and adding that
we had had such tiresome journey,
perhaps we would like to retire ear
ly.


My father was the first to take the
hint, and, rising from his chair, said
that we had better retire early, so as
to gain as much rest as we could, as
we should pursue our journey as
soon as possible in the morning. Su-
san and hesitated a moment, look
ing at each other and then rising,
followed my father. We found two
unfinished rooms at the top of the
house, small in size, but as neat
as it was possible for the rooms
to be. The one was destined for
my father, the other for Susan and
me.


Pooh, poohl what a couple of silly
girls, more likely! was my fathers
incredulous and laughing excIama-
tion, as we told him of our suspi-
cions. Go right to sleep and don't
make yourselves ridiculous! was his
remark, as he closed his room door.


Then we heard him laughing to
himself, and repeating for his own
amusement the story we had told
him.


But we were not reassured even
by my fathers laughing obs,rv
tions, nor by his sarcastic treatment
of our suspicious. We fastened our
door as well as we could by piling
up all the furniture in the room
against it, and then threw ourselves
upon the bed with the intention Of
LAYING awake and listening atten.
lively for any suspicious movement.
But l was so constantly falling into
drowsy state that Susan proposed
that we should take turns in watch
ing-I, to go to sleep first, and to bt
wakened by her when a sufficient
time had elapsed; then 1 was to take
her place.


Scarcely was the last word regard
ing our compact spoken, when I,


thoroughly exhausted by the days
journey, was sound asleep. 1 dream
ed that a robber had effected an en-
trance into our room, and that he
was endeavoring to obtain my watch
which / had placed beneath my pill
low. / was awakened from this
dream by a violent. shaking, by
which means Susan was endeavor
ing to arouse me. Susan's whisper
awakened me much more effectually
than the shaking-it brought me to
nv senses at once.


WHAT can be the matter?