The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-05-02
window, her hands clasped5he in.the


panes with fearless, despairing eyes.
In q little while, Laura and Min
came back; and Min, no longer ter
ritied, now looked through the win
dow at me, and smiled and kissed her
hand. Then came another message,
worked out by Laura's nimble fin
gers: eve have thought of plan,
which, with Heavens help, wc hope
Will succeed. Lic perfectly still, and
do not be surprised Mt ANYTHING Won
may sec or hear. God bless you!"
A minute or two later, my cars
prcternat,rally alert during those ter
rlble momcnts-detecteda faint rasp-
ing sound, which I had heard MANY q
time before, only this time it was
fainter and more cautious than usual.
1t was the noise made by Min when
she opened the easement from tho
outside 10y means of her picco of
crooked wire. Faint as the noise was.
the tiger pricked up his ears, and
gave utterancc to another low, deep
throatcd warming. The noise ceased
for little while, to commence again
about minute later; and this time
the beast did not deign to notice such
petty interruption of the pre- ,aiIing
quletudc. In 4 little while, the noise
ceased, but whether the easement was
now open or shut, l had no means of
Judging, hidden from view as that
part of the window was behind tho
chcval glass. But even if they had
succeeded liz opening the easement.
III what way conll that fact conduce
to my dclivcrancc? Had even pos
sesscd the tigers full permission to
use such i mode Of exit, the easement
was far too small to admit of NV
passing through it. Laura COMING
back To the window, tclcgraphed to
me FOR The third time with her fingers:
"All ispreparcd. Wait and bc silent.
Our hearts are with YOU" Dear
ones. that their hearts were with me.
never for one moment doubted: nor
that whatever wonanlv Wit sharp
cncu by the most devoted love, could
do for my dcliver;,nce, would be ac
comnlishcd by those two. NV wife.
laura, and Min were now ali gone.
and | WAS left alone with the SLEEPING
tiger. a short space of the most
Intense silence followed. and then my
ear, hunScring anyiously for some
sound, detected 4 faint rustlins in the
direction of the window, but so faint
that III any ordinary mood it would
not have reached my senses at all.
Although his eyes were still closed
and he was to tll appearance asleep.
| saw, by y slight pricking Of the
tigers ears. that the noise had not
been unnoticed by him. 1t was with
fcc!lnS OF sickcning anxiety, which
l should rainly try to describe, that I
awaited whatever might happen next.
Suddenly, my heart gave q Great
bound, and | felt that there was some
one In the room besides mysclf
There had been 40 noise, no move
mcnt, further than the one of Which
| have just spoken, and Vet all at
once L knew that was not alone
knew 1t hy some delicate, intuitive
sense, which IS rs much 4 mystery to
me now Us it was then. The tiger.
too, seemed to have had his suspi
cions aroused. First, his whiskcrs
twltched ncrvously; then he half
opened his heavy lids, and glared ut
INC with his yellow green eyes, in
which there Was 4 smoulderins fcro-
city that might leap into blaze amy
moment; whilo his tail began to curve
uncasily, and from his cavcrnous
throat there issued mullcu growl OF
menace, long drawn ont. Oh, the
s"ul-wcaring anxiety of those few
moments! Even now I shuddcr when
l recall them.
With half-sllut eyes, l watched and
waited. The intense silence of the
room was mbrokcn. At once, with
out any warming sound Oh iinttiH1a.:cn
OF what was coming, I saw n wee
white hand and slender arm protrud-
cd from behind the cheval glass.
"Grcat Heaven" / cried to myself. |
that is the hand and arm Of nv
darling Mimi and my eyes blurred
over with tears, and all my heart
went forth in Il great silent cry to
Heaven to protect and save my child.
When l could bear to look again, the
hand and arm We're gone, but the OBJ
Ject Tor which SO much had been ven
tured was safely accomplished Eas-
tened t" the curtain of green baizc
which covered the chcval glass were
two brass rings, and to one Of these
rings MINIS little hand had now sue
cccdcd III hooking Il thin cora-so
much l at once discovered, although |
tor what purpose the cord had been !