rt for me to think straight. Jus

st carried me upstairs and laid me on the bed, a

t and all he had, and that I must take c

it, that I must use my will and self-control

nd happy, and does not have to occupy t

fortunate escape! Why, I wouldn't have a child of mine, an

ky that John kept me here after all, I can

them any more—I am too wise,—but

t paper that nobody kno

attern the dim shapes

same shape, onl

behind that pattern. I don't like it a bit. I wonder—I

about my case, because he is so

ied it l

oon shines in all aroun

creeps so slowly, and always co

I kept still and watched the moonlight on t

ed to shake the pattern, jus

and see if the paper DID move, an

said. "Don't go walking abou

told him that I really was not gaining her

se will be up in three weeks, an

anger, I could and would, but you really are better, dear, whether you can see it or not. I am a doctor, dea

my appetite may be better in the evening when you are

be as sick as she pleases! But now let's improve the shinin

go away?" I a

n we will take a nice little trip of a few days while Jenn

for he sat up straight and looked at me with such a st

ill never for one instant let that idea enter your mind! There is nothing so dangerous, so fascinating, to a te

ught I was asleep first, but I wasn't, and lay there for hours trying to decide whe

is a lack of sequence, a defiance of law, t

reliable enough, and infuriating en

llowing, it turns a back-somersault and there you are. It slaps you in

u can imagine a toadstool in joints, an interminable string of toadstools,

s, som

r, a thing nobody seems to notice but myself, a

lways watch for that first long, straight ray—it c

y I watch

ll night when there is a moon—I w

ight, and worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars! The outsi

ing was that showed behind, that dim sub-pat

is the pattern that keeps her so still. It i

. John says it is good for

t by making me lie down fo

t I am convinced, for

eceit, for I don't te

getting a littl

times, and even Jennie h

st as a scientific hypothesis,

m suddenly on the most innocent excuses, and I've caught him several times LO

the most restrained manner possible, what she was doing with the paper—she turned around as i

hed, that she had found yellow smooches on all my cloth

was studying that pattern, and I am determin

see I have something more to expect, to look forward to, to

hed a little the other day, and said I seemed

telling him it was BECAUSE of the wall-paper—he woul

ave found it out. There is a week m

ch at night, for it is so interesting to watch de

it is tiresome

ew shades of yellow all over it. I cannot keep c

e think of all the yellow things I ever saw—not beautif

came into the room, but with so much air and sun it was not bad. Now we have had

all over

skulking in the parlor, hiding in the h

into m

turn my head suddenly and sur

spent hours in trying to analyze

y gentle, but quite the subtles

wful, I wake up in the night

. I thought seriously of burni

ng I can think of that it is like is

k that runs round the room. It goes behind every piece of furniture, except t

what they did it for. Round and round and rou

discovered som

t night, when it changes s

move—and no wonder! The

behind, and sometimes only one, and she crawls

ill, and in the very shady spots she just

ut nobody could climb through that pattern—it stra

n strangles them off and turns them u

ered or taken off it wo

oman gets out

ou why—privatel

ut of every one

r she is always creeping, and mo

es, creeping along, and when a carriage c

ust be very humiliating to be

aylight. I can't do it at night, for I k

him. I wish he would take another room! Besides, I don't

ould see her out of a

can, I can only see o

er, she MAY be able to cr

f in the open country, creeping as f

gotten off from the under one! I

, but I shan't tell it this time! It

per off, and I believe John is beginning to

f professional questions about me.

pt a good deal

ep very well at night,

estions, too, and pretended

ldn't see t

acts so, sleeping under t

feel sure John and Jennie

enough. John is to stay in town over nig

thing! but I told her I should undoub

on as it was moonlight and that poor thing began to cra

she pulled, and before morning we

gh as my head and h

awful pattern began to laugh at me,

moving all my furniture down again

, but I told her merrily that I did it

uldn't mind doing it hersel

rayed herse

person touches this

quiet and empty and clean now that I believed I would lie down again and sle

ngs are gone, and there is nothing left but that great bed

rs to-night, and take t

he room, now it

ldren did tea

ead is fai

ust get

and thrown the key do

I don't want to have anybo

to asto

did not find. If that woman does get ou

not reach far without

d will

e, and then I got so angry I bit off a litt

sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it! All those strangled head

te. To jump out of the window would be admirable

I know well enough that a step like tha

ws even—there are so many of those cr

l come out of that

by my well-hidden rope—you don'

back behind the pattern when i

ut in this great room and

tside. I won't, even

on the ground, and everythin

and my shoulder just fits in that long smo

n at the door!<