The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-05-11
intrigue in which Lola WIS conc, med. there

tell their friends in the adjacent village. to
keepers, the tradespeople-in a few dAy3
the story would be carried about and made
known to hundreds; and was there none
among them whose cupidity might take
practical form?
1t was quite possible that under this very
roof there was one with the ingenuity and
daring to plan and execute the robbery. A
servant intimately acquainted with the
arrangement of the rooms and the Pc
cularities of the building would prob
ably know Of the external means OF
communication between the bay and the
oriel windows. Without this knowledge.
no one, it seemed to me, would dare
TO attempt that hazardous passage at night
and in the dark; but with that knowledge,
and possibly some previous practice. the
feat was sufficiently practicable. In that
case, Edith might actually have heard and
seen what she had since attributed to
Imagination.
But what end could be served by these
repeated attacks upon her sensibility?
cause is sometimes discovered by ex-
amining the effect. Now, what effect had
been produced by these attacks2 The first
had frightened Edith excessively; the sec
ond had made slighter impression. Thus
far the effect had been confined 70 her; but
the third-for only to "a third fright could
attribute her scream of terror-had brought
her father and myself from our rooms. In
stant,y, something like the truth flashed
upon my mind:
To bring me from my room was tho very
object with which the attack upon Edith
had been made,
Unriddling the mystery With this key
assumed that the thief had watched me
close the door upon Van Hoeck and return
to my room; that, after allowing me suf
iicient time to get into bed, but not to fall
into sound sleep, he had made the attack
upon Edith. opening her door beforehand
to provide speedy means of escape and to
allow her cry to be more distinctly heard !;
that, having succeeded in terrifying her,
he had sped down the stairs in the lett
block, passed through the library and din
ing room and assembled by the stairs in the
right block about the same time that |
m ight 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 $
account, he had expected to have possessed
himself of our treasure. If what thus as
sumed was the fact, then indeed this plan
might have succeeded but for Van Hoeck's
prudent insiStance upon my Strapping the
diamond to my wrist
As | thus explained what had happened.
a more startling reflection occurred TO my
mind, The thief had been disappointed in
not finding the diamond beneath my pillow,
but he yet might not have relnquiShed the
hope of getting ii.
He might not have left the room. He
might be hidden there at that very mo-
menti
What was more easy, being in the room,
than to conceal himself in itY The curtain
that masked the oriel the great chest, the
settle, the press, were all suggestive of that
course. The fellow might be under the very
bed was lying uponi
The movement | had seen in the curtain.
the sound similar to the drawing of a blade
from its sheath (Which might well have
been caused by the movement of the heavy
valance of the bed) strengthened the suS-
picion. Was h lying there waiting for the
sound of my heavy breathing to assure him
that | slept?
There was scarcely the necessity to wait
fer that, for what resistance could |, lying
upon my back there. make against foe
springing out of the dark upon me?
| thought of the clasp-knfe Van Hoeck
had given me, and, stretching out my hand,
l felt for it where l 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 il WIS
not where | had lett it. 1t must have slipped
through, or been drawn out.
The latter suppositjOn explained the
sound and movement had heard and seen,
Yet it might have made that sound in slip
ping through-its fall upon the floor dead
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.
| leaped out of bed. resolved to strike
match ana look under the valance. | stood
for moment stupe1ied. The box of vestas
was gone from the table, where | was GER
tain | had laid them.
They must have been taken while lay
screened by the bed curtains.
l 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 curtain, the bright
point of a knife 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 I to do? had him standing
there behind tho curtain at a certain ad-
vantage.
Should 1 spring upon hin and strangle
him against the wall in the folds of the cur
tain
1t was not a sure victory for me. ana a
partial one might in the end be fatal. The
grip of him, and his right hand. the one
that held the knife, was free. My chance
was too small, the danger too great to
justify that attack, though the muscles of
my arms and fingers were strung up to
make the tempting effort.
Keeping my eye upon the curtain, | drew
back 10 the foot of the bed. To get to the
door | must cross the room, and inevitably
be seen b ! the murderous rascal as he stood
there on the inner side Of the bed-curtaln;
and arrived at the door | must turn the key
twice, and the handle as we'll before he
overlook me. On the other hand, he had
to disengage himself from the folds of the
curtain and recover the start / had OF him.
The chances were pretty equal, and dee
termined to save myself by flight rather
than risk the fatal result Of the unequal en-
counter.
! made my way noiselessly in a straight
line down the room until got opposite the
door, then l 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. | was lost.
1t astOnisheS me now to think with what
celebrity and adroitness these precautions
against my escape had been made.
The man had not rushed after me; there
knew was trapped. Only as / turned my
eyes back to the place where he stood, |
perceived that the light was dying out.
There was but a narrow row of blue flame
above thu wick; it faded away and all was
dark.
There are degrees of darkness; this
seemed to me the last degree. | felt as if [
was sunk in a lake of pitch.
II 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 besides | knew that
before assistance could come. before the
door could be burst. all would be over.
Probably my foe was already approaching
me; my cry would be the signal for him to
spring upOn me.
No, my only chance of escape was in
maintaining silence, and keeping him in
ignorance of my position. If accident
brought us into contact, | trusted to nv
physical strength and good luck to be a
match for him and his knife in the subse-
qucnt struggle. The diamond buckled to
my wris. might serve me in the fight; |
might stun the fellow with it if fortune only
favored my arm.
1t was duel between us, and any way
would sell my life dearly.
With this resolve 7 Irpy away from tho