Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-02-14


them again in fright, and nearly
swooned.
When next she opened them she was
alone.
Unable to collect her thoughts, she
lay still few moments. BY and by the
experiences of the morning rushed over
her.
"For heavens sake, where am II" she
cried. Then she sprang from her couch,
forgetful of her sufferings.
She was dazed. The room she found
herself in was evidently an attic room.
The roof sloped down low and close to
the floor on one side. There was neither
ceiling nor walls; the rafters and stud
ding were bare of plaster. The floor
was uncarpeted. A dormer window
broke through the roof and gave light
to the room. She flew to 1t, but could
not reach it; strong iron grating set in
the timbers and floor barred her way.
She shook it in the desperation of de-
spair AS well might she have tried to
move one Of the Brooklyn bridge towers
She few to the door at the foot of the
bed: it was locked and bolted from the
outside.
There was strong board partition
running up to the roof, and in it was a
door; she flew to that. 1t opened, and
she entered similar room. Another
dormer window, and another iron graf
ing, and another door leading to the
stairs; that also was locked and bOlted
on the outside.
She was like frightened bird, with
throbbing breast, beating the bars of a
cage.
Then for the first time she realized
that her dress appeared strange.
! She examined it. 1t was a coarse cal
leo garment of vulgar figure.
She was bewildered. Then she found
it had been slipped over the other dress.
How? She could not comprehend.
Her head began to whirl, and before
she could reach the other room darkness
overcame her.
When she awoke to consciousness
again she was lying upon the floor. She
staggered to her feet.
How long she had lain there she could
not tell. 1t was still bright day, but
whether 1t had been tive minutes or nve
!
Her eyes fell again upon the calico dress
which covered her. She stripped it off
with hurried action.
She stood moment, her senses numbed
utterly confused.
By and by the events of the day began
to pass before her wildly. She traced
them one by one, to the final scene in the
coach
1T was chloroform." she said aloud.
Then she thought of her mother, OF her
alarm because Annie had not returned
and of the mothers distress over the new
calamity, falling so closely on the muir.
der of her brother.
This thought touched a tender chord
and she wept violently.
The storm of tears acted like a storm
on sultry day; it cleared the atmos
phere.
When she recovered herself she begar
to think.
She made a close examination of the
ROOM it was similar in size and appear
ance to the one she had first found her
self in.
A mattress lay in the corner with
pillow and horse blanket tumbled OF
it, as if some one had slept there. Two
chairs stood near the dormer window
On one was newspaper. She picked i
up. 1t was of the date of the 14th o
September. That was the day Size wa
last at home. 1t must still be that day
The newspaper was new and fresh; i
had not been opened.
in he
ter of the room, a plain, wooden tol
; table, not particularly clean. a plate,
, cup, both dirty, and some crumbs
showed that not long before some on
had eaten there.
A stump of lead pencil lay on tn
, table,
, She went into the other room.
1t was bare Of everything save a chat
and the bed on which she had lain.
Z Apparently there was no hope of es
l cape. She listened. She could hear NJ
, sounds in the house. Only the noise
from the street.-the cries of hawkers
the shouts of children at play, the roll o
/, vehicles-all these came to her deadenet
o by the distance.
: What was the meaning of her seizur
a and confinement, she asked herself
Who was the enemy of her family VIII
first killed her brother and then abducte
her? Why were these calamities so sud
6 denly precipitated upon them, who ha
r always lived such quiet and uneventfu
= lives?
I 1t was a problem too deep for her
solve she was not even aware of a
enemy.
o Her thoughts instinctively turned t
= Holbrook He would assist her if h
. knew of her distress, and he would know
because of her failure to meet him as re
s quested.
All, thought! She had been trappe
Il by forged notes from him. She grew tn
more frightened by the thought.
Oh, if she could but communicat
, with Holbrookl She prayed heaven
n open way.
70 "Hi, missy, hi!'
- A voice startled her. She looked i
v every direction but the right one.
! ISIIi n,iScv look IN -