Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-01-18

/ the cufkilil uith WNN
was no one there. The bed was ~
disorder, the covering tossed aside
and the pillow pushed away, but II
was untenanted. The alcoye was
small. there was barely room in u
for the bed, small wnshstand and
n little night table, SO that ] saw The
whole extent OF il at a glance. For
the moment | did not expect that
ANYTHING was wrong, | thought
/ that Veronge. like the mere boy he
was. had hidden away somewhere "a
Give me fright and had then cried
out to awaken me.
"Yeronge, | called impatiently,
'come out here, Where are your
There was no reply;
depressing a growing feeling OF an
noyance, | set 10 work at once 20 m
vestigate every corner Of the room,
| NV task was short Que, Neronge
was no where to be discovered Yet
there Law his clothes How could he,
undrrsscd and lame, have quilted the
room2 A sudden thought struck me.
/ Poor fellowp' thought" he must
be walking in his sleep,
\ With that idea | advanced 70 the
door and endenvorcd TO openit To
my amazement found that the in
side bolt was shut. ID was evident
| that reronge had quilted the room
J Yet, where was lie? lie could not
have gotten out OF the lron-grated
window, and the room had but nsin,
gle door. All, the bed-under the
bed? had not looked there Doubt
less no was lying there and ehuckling
over my perpleAity.
"Ah, the rascal" | said 70 my
self. have him now"
I advanced to the bed, lifted the
valance OF green moreen, and found
/ that the hetlstead was sort ui solid
box that continued 10 the floor, 80
that there was, technically speaking
no under the bed az ALL
was now completely bewillerci.
Ofcourse any species Of foul play
seemed out OF the question The
bpltcd door and barred window
seemed TO settle that matter, 80 lnr
as the entrance Of any male actor
WINS concerned Yet, If NO one could
get In how could Nerouge have got
OUT And ii he had not quilted the
room. where was he7 Gould anyone
have gotten in by secret entrance
while we sleptt With that idea
started 10 investigate the walls.
Two sides OF the wall we're ofcuurse
accounted for, rs outside ~ one lay
the passageway, aud on this other the
open yard. | carefully examined tbs
wall opposite the door Alls0iid and
smooth there, no trace OF an ousuing
anywhere Then proceeded h. tho
alcoye. Here found rather more
difficulty MS the heavy bvdrurtains
were considerably IN ms way hut /
managed 10 satisfy myself tnnt the
wall ut each end 81 the hed wns All
right.
Next | turned my attention 10 tho
wall 40 the opposite side ~ the lied
TO investigate that | wns forced tn
lean across the bed, So knrIt upon
the edge ot the brl, and 20 STEADY
myself leaned ms wight on fhscen.
ter OF the bed. As leaned my weight
on the bed II gave way suddenly H..
meath my hands. 4 rush 81 cold.
noisome mir strrnmed upward To nv
nostriis, md Ind not clutrhct M
the bedpost with my other hand /
should have inevitably lost nv bal.
nnce and have plunged hcn,lforrmoat
into some horrible abyss Yes tn
bed opened downward IN the middle
! had solved the riddle OF INV poor
friends fate.
! staggered backward. heartairk
with ninHzemeut and tlismnv AZ Wua
some moments before recovered INV.
sell sufficiently To continue my *
animation Of the hideuns trap into
which had so nearly fallen n
needed some minutes reposc to
enable me 20 proceed In nv
Investigations. When did So / Vna
amazed at the horrible simplicity ~
the whole continuance. The bed n.
self. instead OF being q solid mattress
was merely two cushioned doors. ne.
ing close together in the center nt1
held up by some strong springs surb
~ serve to close the doors oi pnhIi,,
buildings orstorra. Acertain amount
oi pressure WINS necessary To- lorac /.
open these divisions. Each aide vna
covered smoothly with linen. nnd ~
closely did the two divisions M that
. glance would have revealed nntb. |
ing unusual about the appearance III
the bed. II merely looked like ono ~
thosemnttresses which arc mn,lo Mi, 4
q division IN the center.
carefully pressed the door Oman .
ana pcered down into the depth tbus I
revealed. The same cold. damn "ir
tllht had noticed before rushed mn
INTO my face, redolent Of tho rbiII |
y Of the cellar. | listened |
not q sound was heard from below
cared make no farther examine. /
tlon. Who could tell whnt uns"on
eyes might be watching my every
movement, what hidden enrs migbt
pc nlert to catch the slightest so,,nJ
that might suspicion or detoction5
AZ ilrst ! thought Of tying n cord a.
my candle and Of Iower;nor 70