San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-02-08

Edith had been made.
Unriddling the mystery with this KEY,
l assumed that the thief had watched me
close the door upon Van Hoeck and re-
turn TO my room; that, after allowing me
sufficient time To get to bed, but not To
fall into sound sleep, he had made the
attack upon Edith, opening her door be-
forehand TO provide speedy means of
escape and to allow her cry to he more
distinctly heard; that, having succeeded
in terrifying her, he had sped down the
stairs in the left block, passed through
the library and dining-room, and ascend
ed by the stairs i'm the right block about
the same time that might be supposed
to have reached Edith's room. and that,
reckoning upon my keeping the Great
Hesper under my pillow, and leaving it
there in my alarm upon Edith's account,
he had expected to have possessed him.
self of our treasure. If what thus as
sumed was fact, then, indeed. this plan
might have succeeded but for Van
Hoeck's prudent insistence upon my
strapping the diamond to my wrist.
As thus explained what had happen
ed, more startling reflection occurred
to my mind. The thief had been disap-
pointed in not finding the diamond be-
meath my pillow, but he yet might not
have relinquished the hope Of getting it.
He might not have left the room. He
might be hidden there at that very mo-
ment!
What was more easy, being in the
room, than to conceal himself in il? The
curtain that masked the oriel, the great
chest, the settle, the press, were all sug-
gestive of that course. The fellow might
be under the very bed was lying upon!
The movement had seen in the cur
tain, the sound similar to the drawing of
blade from its sheath (which might
well have been caused by the movement
of the heavy valance of the bed, strength
ened the suspicion. Was he lying
there, waiting for the sound of my heavy
breathing to assure him that | sleptl
There was scarcely the necessity to
wait for that, for what resistance could
/, lying upon my back there, make
against a foe springing out of the dark
upon me?
l thought of the clasp-knife Van Hoeck
had given me, and, stretching out my
hand, felt for it where | had stuck it
between the mattress and the bedstead.
could not find it.
Pushing back the curtains so that the
light from the lamp fell upon the edge
of the bedstead, | assured myself that it
was not where | had left it. 1t must
have slipped through-Or been drawn
out.
The latter supposition explained the
sound and movement | had heard and
seen. Yet it might have made that
sound in slipping through-its fall upon
the floor deadened by the carpet, on its
point sticking i'm the boards; but l fancied
the horn handle was too wide to allow of
its slipping through.
To satisfy myself at once upon this
point, l leaped out of bed, resolved to
strike match and look under the val
ance. / stood for a moment stupetied;
the box of vestas was gone from the ia
BILE where / was certain had laid them.
They must have been taken while l lay
screened by the bed-curtains.
glanced over my shoulder.
The folds of the curtain against the
bed were not the same as when pushed
them back to the wall; one fold stood out
at an angle: and as, slowly turning round,
| looked more closely, | saw against the
dark oak panel of the wall, about the
mid-height of a man, and protruding but
an inch or so from the edge of the cur
tain, the bright point of a fe-blade.
Now, indeed, there was no longer any
doubt. The man who had come to rob
was there to murder me. Had stopped
but another moment ON the bed he might
have knitted me.
What was to do? | had him stand
ing there behind the curtain at certain
advantage.
Should spring upon him and strange
him against the wall in the folds Of the
curtain.
1t was not sure victory for me, and
partial one might in the eni be fatal.
The thick stuff would prevent my get
ting a firm grip Of him, and his right
hand, the one that held the knife, was
free. My chance was too small. the dan
ger too great to Justify that attack,
though the muscles of my arms and fin
gers were strung up to make the tempt
ing effort.
Keeping my eye upon the curtain, ]
drew back to the foot of the bel. Toget
to the door must cross the room, and
inevitably be seen by The murlerous ras-
cal as he stood there on the inner side of
the bed-curtain; and, arrived at the door,
must turn the key twice. and the han
die as well, before he overlook me. On
the other hand he had to disengage him
self from the folds of the curtain and re-
cover the start | had of him.
The chances were pretty equal, and |
determined to save myself by flight rath
er than risk the fatal result of the I'M
equal encounter.
made my way noiSelessly in straight
line down the room until got opposite
the door, then made a rush for it across
the open space. got to the door, and
with furious haste CROPPED about for the
key-it was gone!
grasped the handle, in the hope that
might be able to tear the lock off; the
screw had been taken out. and the knob
slid off the spindle in my hand. l was
lost.
1t astonishes me now to think with
what CELEBRITY and adroitness these pre-
cautions against my escape had been
made.
there was no desperate pursuit of that
kind; he knew | was trapped. Only as 1
turned my eyes back to the place where
he stood, perceived that the light was
dying out.
There was but narrow row of blue
flame above the wick; it faded away, and
all was dark.
There are degrees of darkness; this
seemed to me the last degree. l felt as
if was sunk in lake of pitch.
If l called for help, it was not certain
that the heavy sleeping Judge would
hear me. Possibly Sir Edmund was yet
awake, but thought of Edith, and be-
sides knew that before assistance could
come, before the door could be burst, all
would be over.
Probably my foe was already approach
ing me; my cry would be the signal for