Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-03-31

quainted with all the inns in the neighbor-
hood of the place named, and could take
him 30 a nice quiet one.
Leaving his baggage to be attended to
on the morrow, DR.. Weldon got into the
cab and WAS driven away.
He knew that London was an immense
city but it seemed to him that be had been
in that wretched cab for hours and hours,
when it suddenly brought up before a
building fsibtiy indicated in the darkness
by dim lamp in front.
The driver rang the bell, and a dark
visaged man, who was introduced as the
landlord, responded. The doctor had had
his supper on the way from Liverpool, 40
after paying for the cab he asked to be
shown to room.
IN response to the landlords summons
IN evil eyed woman, in a black gown and
her hair in papers, appeared with a lighted
candle and led the guest up stairs, and as
he was ascending be caught the words
coming up from rhe hall
Yes; he's an American and they're all
rs rich as the Jews"
Leaving the candle on table in a room
that appeared to be comfortably furnished
the woman said:
This is your apartment, sir Will you
nave breakfast with US i'll the morning,
and when do you wish to be calIedYr
Il will breakfast here, and call me about
O. Good night, - said the doctor: and the
woman echoed GOOD night" and went
out as silently rs the shadows that swal-
lowed her up
Doctor Weldon was neither nervous nor
a coward, but there was that in his sur
roundings that stirred his suspicion and
added twenty degrees to the chiIliness Of
Lhe room.
He WAS ahout to pull Off his boots, but
he changed his mind and began to look
more carefully into the situation. Besides
letters Of credit, he had on his person a gold
watch, a diamond ring and $50 in ready
money. Here he was, in gloomy house,
In city he knew nothing about and his
whereabouts unknown to his friends. The
landlord and the woman had look that
disturbed him, so instead of pulling off
his boots and going to bed, he began to
think. and the more he thought the worse
the situation looked.
lie was unarmed, and although reason
ably strong and active, he knew that if he
were attacked it would be with sufficient
force to overcome speedily any resistance
he might make. He opened the window
md looked ont, and as he did so he heard
the growing of a dog underneath. 1t was
in sight he reasoned that he was outside
the city limits.
He had read Of trapdoors and sliding
walls, so he at once began an examination.
lie bolted the one door inside, and there
vas nothing in the walls to excite his sus-
picion. The carpcted 1oor seemed to be
all right, and be was beginning to feel
easier when ne bethought him to look IN
der the bed. There was no carpet there,
bat what seemed like and look ed TO Ike a
trap that opened from below. He laid
his ear against it and he distinctly heard
voices and caught the words;
"ie's tired and will soon be asleep"
There was no gas in the room, and with
in ten minutes the bit of a candle would
be eXtinguished 10 the socket.
He was now certain of his danger He
had been trapped into a den of murderers
md thieves, and his only hope of safety
lay in immediate action
With his pocketknifc he quickly cut the
sheets and cOunterpane into wide strips
twisted and knotted the lengths, and made
one end fast to q stout lambrequin above
the window.
His room was next the corner, and by
means Of the Pickering candle he saw that
he could swing himself 10 the waterspout
and climb to The roof above, for the huge
dog visible below convinced him that it
would be death to drop to the ground.
He had just made these observations
when the light went out, and he heard the
trap being lifted under the bed lie
coughed and called out, who's there?"
but got no reply.
He pulled of his boots, fastened them
about his neck, seized the eKtemporized
rope and swung into the storm and dark
ness. by pressing his feet against the
wall he increased the oscillating,motion
till al length the pipe came within his
reach, when he seized it and let the rope 90.
1t sustained his strength, and then he re
called the method he had seen iremen
practice in his own Land, and by the
strength of his toes and fingers he sue
cestied Ia gaining the roof, which he found
TO be slated and comparatively fat.
IF he could remain here till daylight he
might beabie'tO summon honest people To