The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-04-18

nrlsk movement oil my watch that the slight
sound, slight indeed. heard. =. = :
To my mind. dwelling then Upon assas-.
sins. It sounded like the drawing OF sdagger
from its sheath.
Turning my head toward the side from
which tho sound seemed to proceed. fam
cied saw the hoavy curtain move; il was
between me and the lamp. Tho movement
that heard one. il was a fact that saw tho
other.
l drew myself up gradually, and, leaning
forward, | suddenly flung back the curtain
ance to my hand: nothing 10 be seen be-
yond but the lamp burning steadily on the
table, the saddle back chair. and the aim
outline of the big chimney piece.
got upon my knees and pushed the cur
tain fiat against the wall to be sure that
there could by no possibility be any one
concealed in the heavy folds-to assure my
sell that my suspicion was utterly without
aa!s saa Il tas 4SRg %ss ss%Rasstys,y ely
placed Las; IS to preclude the possio1ity or any
II the curtain had indeed moved IL must
have been by hand from under the bed.
1t WIS easier to believe that had been mis-
| taken in seeing the slight movement than
to suppose / had overlooked u concealed
| thief when looked under the bed to satisfy
| Van Hoeck; SO let the curtain fall and lay
down again,
My thoughts still dwclt upon tho idea of
| assassination. Setting aside the idea of an
! intrigue in which Lola was concerned, there
was yet nothing prepostcrous In Van
Hoeck's prescntimcnt. There were eight
or ten servants in the house. and undou6t.
edly every one OF thcm knew OF tho mar
velous treasure in my keeping. They would
| tell their friends in the adjacent village the
keepers, the tradcspcople-in a few days
the story would be- carried about and made
known 10 hundreds; and WAS there none
| among thcm whose curidity might take
| practical formS
| 1t was quite possible that under this very
| roof there was one with tho ingenuity and
daring to plan and execute the robbery. A
| servant intimately acquainted with the
arrangement of the rooms and the pc
cultarities of the building would prob
ably know OF the external means Of
communication betwecn the bay and the
| oriel, windows. without this knowledge,
fAeNe seeped 7 me, world dare
and in the dark: hr 18th that knowledge.
| and possibly som. previous practice. the
| feat was sufficiently practicable. In that
case, Edith might actuSlly have heard and
seen what she had Since attributed 10
| imagination.
But what end could be served by these
| repeated attacks upon her scnsiblity?
| cause is sometimes discovered by en-
amining the effect. Now, what effect had
| been produced by these attacks? The first
| had frightened Edith excessively; the Sec
ond had made slightcr impression. Thus
|
tho third--for only to a third fright could
attribute her scream OF terror-hnd brought
| her father and myself from our rooms. In
stantly. something like the truth flashed
| upon my mind:
| To bling me from my room was tho very
object with which the attack uron Edith
| had been made.
Unriddling the mystery with this key.
assumed that the thief had watched me
close the door upon Van HOcck and return
| to my room; that, after allowing me suf-
| liclent time to get into bed. hut not TO fall
! into sound sleep, he had made tho attack
| upon Edith. open ing her door beforehand
| to provide u speedy means OF escape and to
| allow her cry TO be more distinctly heard ;
| that. having succeeded In terri lying her,
| he had sped down the stairs IN The loft
block. passed through the library and din
| ing room, and assembled by the stairs in the
| right block about the same time that |
| night toe supposed TO have reached Edith $
| room, and that, reckoning upon my keeping
| the Great Hesper under my pillow. and
| leaving il 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 Hocck s
| prudent insistancc upon my strapping the
| diamond TO my wrist.
As l thus explained what had happened.
| u more startling reflection occurred to my
mind. The thief had becn disappointed in
not finding the diamond beneath my pillow.
| but he yet might not have rclinquished 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 tho room,
than t9r onseal- --himsolf in il? The c.rtpi,a
| That masked tho oriel. the great chest. tho
| settle. the press. were all suggestive of that
course. The fellow might be- under the very
| bed was lying upon!
! The movement hal seen in the curtain
| the sound similar to the drawing of blade
| FRI itl oh Txvh tab ,i,rht
| been caused by the movement Of the heavy
valance Of the bcd). strengthened the sus-
| picion. Was he lying there waiting for the
sound Of my heavy breathing to assure him
There was scarcely the necessity TO wal.
| for that. for what resistance could |. lying
| upon my back there. make against IL foe
springing out of the dark upon mo?
| l thought of the clasp-knifc Van Hocck
| had given me, and, stretching out my hand
| felt for il where l had stuck it--bctwcen
| the mattress and the hedstcad. / could not
| find il.
Pushing back the curtains so that the
! light from the lamp fell upon the edge o
the bcdstead assured myself that il was
not where had lett il. II must have slipped
| through, or been drawn out.
| The latter supposition explained the
| sound and movement | had heard and seen
Yet il might have made that sound in slip
ping through--ts fall upon the floor dead
ened by the carpet. CO.. its point sticking il
| was too wide to allow of its slipping
| through.
TO satisfy myself at once upon this point
| / lcaped out of b~d. resolved to strike !
match ana look under the valance. stoo,
| for u moment stupcficd. The box of vcsta.
| was gone from the table. where | was cor.
| tain had laid them.
They must have been taken while / la,
| screened by the bed curtains.
glanced over my shoulder.
4
| were not the Same AZ when | pushed tho N
| back to tho wall: one fold stood ont at ar
| angle; and AS. slowly turning round,
| looked more closely. saw against the dark
| oak panel of tho wall. about the mid height
| Of n man. and protruding but an inch or 81
| from the edge of the curtain. the bright
point of u 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 the curtain at a certain ad-
| vantage.
Should / spring upon him and stranglc
| him against the wall i'm the folds of tho eur
tain?
partial one might m th 10 end he f,taI ,. .i.,o :
.nick stun would prevent my gcttino u Grm
grip OF him. and his right hand, thc nnn
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