The Dickinson press., 1892-05-28

l, lying upon my back there, make
against Il Joe sprnsins ont oi the dark
upon me?
thought OF the cla>p-kniie Var
Hoeck had given me. and. Stretchin!
out my hand, felt for it where had
stuck it,-between the mattress anG
the bedstead. could not find it.
Pushing the curtain so that the light
from the lampfe,l upon 1heedse OF tht
bedstead, assured myself that it was
not where | had lett it 1t must have
slipped throush-or been drawn out
The latter s%pposition explained
the sound and movement, | had heart
and seen. Vet ii might have made
that sound in slipping through, h,-it>
fall upon the floor deadcned by the
carpet, or its point sticking in the
boards; but iancied the horn han'll,
was too wide to allow OF its slipping
through.
10 satisfy myself at once upon this
point, lcaped out OF led, resolved to
strike Il mattel: and look under the
valance. stood for Il moment stu.
pelicl; the box ofvcstas was goneirom
the table, where | WAS cert ain had
laid them.
They must have been taken whilst
lay screened by the bed curtains.
glanced over my shoulder.
The folds OF the curtain against the
bed We're not the same us when push
ed them back to the wall: one fold
stood out ut an angle: and us, slowly
turning around, looked more closely
saw against the dark oak panel OF
the wall about lhe md-height OF a
man, and protrudins but an inch or
80 from the edge OF the curtain, the
bright point OF Il kniie, blade.
Now, lnaced, 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 ! to do2 | had him,
standing there behind the curtain, at
Il certain advantage.
Should spring upon him and
strange him against the wall in the
folds OF the curtain?
1t was not IL sure victory for me,
and II partial one might, in the end,
be fatal. The thick stuff would pre-
vent my getting Il firm grip OF him,
and his right hand, the one that held
the knife, WAS free. My chance was
too small, the danger too great, to
Justify that attack, though the
muscles OF my arms and fingers were
strung up to make tletemptingetfo
Keeping my eye upon the curtain, |
drew back to lie foot OF the bed. 10
get to i h' >", must cross the
room, ami incN bly, be seen by the
mnrlerous rascal he stood there on
the inner side OF the bed curtain; and,
arrived at thedoor, lmust turn the key
twice, and the handle as we'll, before
lie overlook me. On the other hand,
to disengage himself from the folds OF
the curtain, and recover the start |
had OF him.
The chances were pretty equal, and
| determined to save myself by flight
rather than risk the fatal result OF
the unequal encounter.
| made my way noiselessly, in a
straight line down the room, until
got opposite the door; then | made a
rush for it, across the open space. ]
got to the door, and, with furious
haste, groped about for the key. 1t
was gone.
grasped tlehandle, in thehopethat
/ might be able TO tear the lock Off
the screw had been taken out, and
the knob slid off the spindle in my
hand. was lost.
1t astonishes me, now, to think
with what celebrity and adroitness
these precautions against my escape
had been made.
The man had not rushed after me
there was no desperate pursuit o
that kind; he knew l vas trapped
Only, as ! turned my eyes back to the
place where he stood, | perceived that
the light was dying out.
There was but a narrow rim OF blue
fame above the wick; it faded away,
and all was dark.
There are degrees OF darkness; this
seemed 20 me the last degree. felt
as if l was sunk in a lake OF pitch.
If called for help. it was not Ger.
tain that the heavy sleeping Judge
would hear me. Possibly Sir Edmund
was yet. awake, but thought OF Edith
and besides, I knew That before as
sistancc could come, before the door
could be burst, all would be over.
Probably my foe was already ap
preaching me; my cry would be the
signal for him to spring upon me.
No; my only chance OF escape was
in maintaining silence, and keeping
him in ignorance OF my position. i
accident brought us into contact,
trusted to my physical strength and
and his knife in the subsequent
struggle. The diamond, buckled to
my wrist, might serve me in the fight
l might stun the fellow with it, if for
tune only favored my arm.
1t was a duel between us. and, any
way, would sell my life dearly.
With this resolve, | drew away from
the door toward that part OF the room
where, as | fancied, the carved pres.
stood. l kept my free, my bod,
crouched together, and every muscl,
tense and ready.
backed few feet from the doo
and then stopped, as the reflection
crossed my mind that might bebacL
ing toward my adversary. Then re
gretted that l had left the door
where at least might nave stooe
safe from rear attack,
I could hear nothing but the throb
bing of the blood in my temples an,
the quick tic-tac, tic tao, tic-tnc, tic
tao, tic-tac OF my watch behind me
yet knew that the murderer must b.
moving.
He had his work to DO, and mus
have made up his mind how to do i
before putting out the light. coul,
see nothing, and the silence and dark
ness We're horrible, with the possibil
ity of falling upon me from behind
Yet, how was ] to guard against tha
attack, not knowing where he was
Possibly his visual power was strong
er than mine.