St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-01
to risk the loss of her comfortable stu


Gradually Mr.. Chadd's visits to Rivers
Lodge became more frequent, until
hardly week passed without his
spending one night in the softly-lighted,
richly upholstered apartment there.
Mrs. Searle continued true to her de-
termination to carefully refrain from
giving the slightest cause for complaint,
and, however lively her inquisitiveness
or excited her Imagination, made no
further attempts to pry into her
masters secrets. And when she had
ceased to scheme for their discovery,
and when she was least expecting to
learn them, the kernel of the whole
truth was forced upon her through no
intervention of ner own.
She had risen one morning at the
usual hour, and, as had become her
custom, after knocking at Mr.. Chadd'S
door, gently pushed it ajar. Why did
she start back, with loud, gasplng sob
which would have been an articulate
cry in one less miserably afflicted?
Why did she suffer the tray, with the
glass and water, to slip from her
clammy, shaking fingers, as, with reel
ing gait, she fled into the passage? Her
dress caught in the door handle, and
the door, with loud bang, echoing and
re-echoing along the corridor of the
dark old house, closed. Her lips were
white, her teeth chattering; and, help
less with fright, she fell PROSTATE upon
the floor.
How long she ha lain thus he could
not have tod, when she was aroused by
hearing Mr.. HhadG' voice gently speak
ing to her ON behind the still closed
door.
"Mrs; searle," he said, "are you
there?"
How humble the tones! Mrs. Searle
had never heard the like from him be-
| fore.
''Mrs. Searle," came the voice again,
the extraordinary gentleness giving
| place to a little sternness, eff you are
| there, as l imagine you are, kindly
knock upon my door and ct me know.
| Then l will exp ain something that may
| ave appeared strange to you. Do not
fear There's no one here, LOW, but
| myself"
| Mrs. Searle, rising with vague, fee
| BILE wonder why he didn't open the door
and see for h mSelf whether or no she
was there, obeyed. TIL n, in accents
half defiant, half awed, was related a
short story, and at its conclusion, with
| heavy eyes and still more timOrOuS cOun-
| nance, she re-entered the apartment.
Alter the revelation which had come
upon Mrs. Searle with such startling
suddenness, the one desire possessing
her was to escape from the situation
W ich before she had so highly priced.
She longed to flee from the gloomy
house, from the solitude which now so
oppressed her, and, beyond all, from her
| master himself, whose presence filled
her with dread and repulsion. Yet she
dared not demand her liberty from him,
and foun1 it impossible to obtain it
without his knowledge and consent. Of
late, no only had gates been locked an
the keys appropriated, but doors; not
| only was she a prisoner within the high
stone walls of the garden, but within
the house itself; and never once had
Mr.. Chadd forgotten % use these re-
cauti ms. He had become ava of her
fears and of her wish to leave him, and
had taken effecti means for the pre-
vention of her doing so, turning upon
her after each fresh invention for secur-
e her detention a snarl revealing his
teeth, like that of a famished bull dog,
to beg her to mark his caIefulness in
preserving her blissful treat from in
trusion, and his property from tn at
tack of thieves. Latterly he had rapidly
aged in appearance and declined in
health. His spirits had become low, his
temper irritable, and there was an in
defnable something about him which,
Independent of the knowledge she held
concerning him, was sufficient to inspire
a feeling of repugnance in the old wo-
mans breast.
She no longer took him his hot water
at certain fixed hour. Instead, she ap-
preached the passage into which his
door opened, and what she heard, stand
ing with bated breath at its head, de-
cided her how to proceed. If she was
warned to retreat. she returned at inter
walls until receiving decisive indications
she might enter his room.
The climax of her apprehensionS was
reached when he intimated his intention
of spending a fortnight at the Lodge
His looks were wild and haggard as he
made the announcement, and nervous
CHANGING backward across his shoulder
terrified her by the suggestion it pre-.
sented to her mind. For the last few
days she had been in condition ap-
preaching starvation, owing to his hav-
ing failed to provide her with a suffi-
cient supply of provisions, yet she had
not the hardihood to remind him of his
neglect; and, after ushering him into
his room, climbed the stairs to her bed
chamber, land endeavored to lose remem
brance of hunger in sleep.
But she could not sleep. Through the
long night watches she lay, tossing
|
gers into her ears and shuddering as
She fancied she caught the sound O
shrieks and grOans from belOw-only
fancied-the cries she had heard many
night, standing at the head of the pas
sage, echoing in her brain; for no noise
however loud, from Mr.. Chadd'S apart
ment could reach her own.
When morning dawned, she timidly
approached the passage, in which moth
ing but the fear she bore Mr.. Chadd
and his assurance o. her immunity from
harm if she but carried out his instruc
tiOns, would have induced her to Sc
ingS to retrace heG steps Several time.
that day, several times the night follow
ing, did she retire without drawi s
nearer to the mysterious chamber
though wild entreatieS rang out, wild
commands she should at once enter thu
apartment
The morning of the second day broke
Faint with hunger she descended to thu
passage. No sound came from h mas
ter's room-an intense stiffness per
V ded the house-and, with relieved
sigh, she shuffied up to the door ant
knocked.
But there was no response, and agail
she knocked. Still there was no re
Spouse.
Her head was swimming with weak
ness, yet for two whole hours she StOO(
outside the door, not daring to open il
At length, however, encouraged by tn
silence, and her sense of fear some
what dulled by her craving for food
she laid her hand upon the massiv
knob, turned it, and walked boldly int
| the room.
The sun was shining brightly il
through the windows, from which tn
, curtains had been drawn aside, palin
the pink rays of light emitted throug
, the crimson globes into nothingnesS
The heavy chairs and touches wer
piled in heap against one of the walls
, Signs of a struggle-desperate. de
| "Reminiscences nlainlv visible And 1