Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-12-27

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window. and the room had but a sin
gle door. All, the bed-under the
bed? | had not looked there. Doubt
less he was lying there and chuckling
over my perplexity.
"Ah, the rascal" / said to my
self. / have him nowp
j advanced to the bed, lifted the
valance of green moreen, and found
that the bedstead was q sort of solid
box that continued to the floor, so
that there was, technically speaking
no "under the bed" at all.
was now completely bewildered.
Of course any species of foul play
seemed out of the question. The
bolted door and barred window
seemed to settle that matter, so far
as the entrance of any male actor
was concerned Yet, no one could
get in how could Veronge have got
out? And ii he had not quilted the
room, where was he? Could anyone
have gotten in by secret entrance
while we slept? With that idea l
started to investigate the walls.
Two sides of the wall were of course
accounted for, as outside of one lay
the passageway, and on the other the
open yard. / carefully examined the
wall opposite the door. Allsolid and
smooth there: no trace of an opening
anywhere Then proceeded to the
alcove. Here l found rather more
difficulty, as the heavy bed-curtains
were considerably in my way. But |
managed to satisfy myself. that the
wall at each end of the bed was all
right.
Next | turned my attention to the
wall at the opposite side of the bed.
To investigate that l was forced to
lean across the bed; so l knelt upon
the edge of the bed, and to steady
myself | leaned my weight on the CEN
ter OF the bed. AS leaned my weight
on the bed it gave way suddenly be-
meath my hands. A rush of cold,
noisome air streamed upward to my
nostrils, and had | not c,utched at
the bedpost with my other hand |
should have inevitably lost my bal
ance and have plunged headforemost
into some horrible abyss. Yes, the
bed opened downward in the middle.
| had solved the riddle of my poor
friends fate.
| staggered backward, heartsick
with amazement and dismav. 1t was
some moments before recovered my
self sufficiently to continue my ex-
animation of the hideous trap into
which | had SO nearly fallen. 1t
needed some minutes repose to
enable me to proceed in my
Investigations. When did SO | was
amazed at the horrible simplicity of
the whole continuance. The bed it.
self, instead OF being a solid mattress,
was merely two cushioned doors, fit
ting close together in the center ard
held up by some strong springs, such
as serve to close the doors of public
buildings or stores. A certain amount
of pressure was necessary to force
open these divisions. Each side was
covered smoothly with linen, and so
closely did the two divisions fit that
glance would have revealed moth
ing unusual about the appearance of
the bed. 1t merely looked like one of
those mattresses which are made with
q division in the center.
carefully pressed the door open
and peered down into the depth thus
revealed. The same cold, damp air
that | had noticed before rushed up
into my face, redolent of the chill
mouldness OF the cellar. | listened
Not a sound was heard from below.
dared make no farther examina-
ton. Who could tell what unseen
eyes might be watching my every
movement, what hidden ears might
be alert to catch the slightest sound
that might suspicion or detection?
At first thought of tying a cord to
my candle and of lowering it down
into the abyss, but abandoned the
project almost as soon as | conceiv-
ed it.
Poor Veronge was deadl OF that
who planned that murder trap were
not likely to leave their work half
finished. All that was left to me now
was to avenge his fate; that is, if
did not share it.
sat down to mediate over my
course of action, and collect my scat
tered thoughts. My first impulse was
to escape from the house at once. But
how was such feat possible? The
window of the room was securely
closed with Iron bars. Moreover, if
did succeed in forcing out the graf
ing, | should find myself in a narrow
yard, enclosed on all sides by high
wall. Any attempt to leave the
house by the door would of course
arouse the suspicious of the inmates,
who were doubtless on the alert.
But one course remained to me, and
that was to return as stealthily as
possible to the room assigned to me,
there to await the arrival of the hour
at which | could quit the premises
without exciting suspicion.
came to this resolve after much
elaboration. / extinguished my
candle, crept softly and stealthy
along the passage and up the stairs,
which seemed to my excited fancy to
shake, culver and creak at every step
that | took. But | gained my room
unmolested, bolted myselfin securely,
and throwing myself on the bed with
out undressing | awaited the APP
proach of morning.
Oh, the long, long hoursl How in
terminable they were, and how SLOW