The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-21
CHAPTER III.


ated as | was felt that my only chance
of life was to lie stu and convince, If
could. the persons in that room or the
truth of nv assertion. Nothing could
be gained but everything would be lost
by resistance. | was strong, but, even
if all the senses had been mine. l doubt
ed if | could compete successfully with
the man who held me down. | could
feel the nervous power of his hands and
arms. Certainly. TOW that was blind
and helpless. the struggle would be a
short one Besides he rad companions,
how many | knew not. ready to help
him. The first movement made would
be the end of everything so far as [ was
concerned.
| made no further attempt to rise,
but Law as still and unresisting as the
PROSTATE form across which L had fall
en-. Every moment seemed an hourl
Think Of my situation. 4 blind man
in a strange room III strange louise
held down on the body of man whose
last groan he had Just heard-held down
and at the mercy of those who 1t was
certain had just taken part IN black
and coWardly crimei Unable to look
into the faces of the muTderers around
him and learn whether their looks
meant life or death to him, Expecting
every moment to feel the sharp stab of
a knife or the fiery sting of a Bullet
Seeing nothing and feeling nothing save
the hands upon his throat and the dead
| body beneath hint Even hearing moth
ing save that stifled moaning in the dis
lance! Can the widest flights of fiction
show parallel TO my case?
Since that night l have quite disbe-
lieyed in the possibility of peoples hair
turning suddenly gray. If such thing
Z 10 r Iaft hot
| the locks of an old man.
| can only say that even now as, after
/ the lapse of years, | write this; even as
/ / see everything around me safe, still
/ and at peace: even though [ know the
/ ones | love are close at hand. my pen
/ tTembles, my blood feels chilled and a
/ faintness steals over me as the recOllec-
/ ton of the most terrible moments in
my life comes to me with viYidness /
| cannot describe.
1t was well for me that | could keep
still and cry again and gain L am blind
! look and seeln Nv quiescence. the
/ tone of my voice, may have turned the
/ balance on which my life Imaginary
/ have carried conviction to my hearers.
/ Presently the strong light of lamp
was perceptible to my obscured vision;
a lamp placed so close to me that | could
! feel its hot glow upon my face; and l
/ was aware that some one was STOPPING
| or kneeling down and peering into my
/ eyes. His breath struck against my
cheek; short quick excited breath
| how could it be otherwise after the deed
| in which he had just taken part?
At last he rose; a moment afterward
/ the restraining hands moved from me,
and then, for the first time, began to
| hope that my life might be spared.
AS vet none of those around me had
/ spoken. Now heard voices; but whis-
| pering so softly that even my sharpen
| ed ears could not catch the purport of a
single word. although | could gather
| that three persons at least were engaged
/ in that huShed consultation.
All the while, like a dreaTy and fitting
accompaniment, | could hear that stiff
! led moaning-a woman's moaning. |
| would have given all | possessed-all
save life-in exchange for minute s
/ sight, that | might have been able to
! comprehend what had passed and what
/ was passing around me.
/ Still the whispers continued. They
I came thick and fast. running into and
/ interruptlng each other. as from men
| in hot but guarded discussion 1t need
| ed little intelligence to guess the sub
away altogether, and, for time, the
/ only sound | heard was that terrible.
! muf11ed moan-that continued with a
dreary mOnotony.
A foot touched me.
You may stand up" | heard some
enc say.
! When / burst so recklessly into the
room | fancied the exclamation with
which | was greeted came from foreign
| lips, but the man who now addressed
! me spoke i'll pure English. BY this time
| was beginning to recover self-posses-
/ sion. and was able to make mental
note of these facts.
Thankful at being allowed to quit my
! CHASTITY couch. | rose. As could think
of nothing better to do, | stood notion
| less.
Walk this way-straight on-four
PAGES" said the voice. | obeyed The
| third step brought me in collision with
! the wall. No doubt this was an extra
test as to the truth of my statement.
/ A hand was placed upon my shoulder.
/ and | was guided to a chair
| Now, sir" said the speaker who had
/ before addressed me. tell us, in as few
| words as possible, who YOU are-how
| and why you came here. Be quick, we
/ have no time to spare"
| | we'll knew they had no time to spare.
! They had much to do-much to hide.
/ Oh, for the gift of sight for one mo-
I liitilb! L Mpultl IL. even IL lil6
| price were years of darknessl
| Shortly and simply as / could. | told
them what had brought me into such
straits. The only thing | concealed
was my true name. Why should these
assassins know it? If | revealed it they
might set a watch upon me, and at any
moment their safety demanded it
might share the fate of him who lay
within a few feet of my chair. So ]
gave fictitious name, but everything
else told them was true.
/ All the while / was speaking I heard
/ that distressing sound at the other enc
/ OF the room. 1t drove me nearly mad
/ | believe, could | have made sure. o.
! reaching through my darkness anC
catching one of those men by the throat
with the certainty of crushing life out o.
/ him, | should have done so. even haC
/ such an act sealed my own fate
When my explanation was over an
/ other whispered consultation took place
Then the spokesman demanded the key
which had so nearly cost me my life.
suppose they tried it and found it acted
as said. 1t was not returned to me
| but heard the voice once more.
Fortunately for you we have decided
| to believe your tale. Stand up" l did
/ so and was led to another part of the
| room, and again placed in a chair AS
after the manner of the blind, | stretch
| ed out my hands, l found | was in a
/ corner of the room. my face turned to
| the angle of the walls.
| IF you move or look round" said the
voice, "our belief in your blindness will
vanish"
1t was impossible to misunderstood
! the grim threat conveyed by the last
words. could only sit quiet and listen
with all nv aars
Yes, they had much to do. They
moved about busily and rapidly.
heard cupboards and drawers opened. /
detected the sound of papers being torn
and the smell of papers burning. Iheard
them raise some dead weight from the
foor-heard a sound as of rent cloth
and linen-heard the jingle of money,
even the tick of watch as it was drawn
forth from somewhere and laid on the
table near me. Then / felt breath of
air and knew that the door had been
opened. l heard heavy footsteps on the
stalrs-the steps of men bearing a
weighty burden. and l shuddered as I
thought what that burden must be.
Before the last task was completed
the woman's moan had ceased For
some time 1t had been growing fainter
and only sounding at recurring inter-
walls. Now | heard it no longer. This
cessation was great relief to my over
wrought nerves, but my heart grew sick
as thought it may be there were two
victims instead of one.
Although at least two men must have
borne that weight away, l knew was
not left alone. l heard some one throw
himself into chair with a half weary
sigh and guessed he had been left to
guard me. was longing to make my
eScape-lOnging to wake and find 7 had
been dreaming. The suspense or the
nightmare was growing unbearable. I
sad; without turning my head.
How long am to be kept amid these
1 heard the man move in his chair.
out ne made no answer. MAY / not
go." pleaded. Il have seen nothing.