Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-04-13
The Great Hesper.
CHAPTER vIII-CoNr1NUEp.
by FRANK BARRETT


CURED to my mind. The thief had
been disappointed in not finding the
diamond beneath my pillow, but he
yet might not have relinquished tho
hope of getting it.
He might not have left the room.
He might be hidden there at that
very moment!
What was more easy, being in the
room than to conceal himself in it?
The curtain that masked the oriel.
the great chest, the settle. the press,
were all suggestive of that course.
The fellow might be under the very
bed l was lying upon!
The movement | had seen In the
curtain, tho sound similar to the
drawing Of blade from its sheath
(Which might we'll have been caused
by the movement of the heavy valance
of the bed), strengthened the sus-
picion. Was he lying there waiting
for the sound OF my heavy breathing
to assure him that l slepte
There was scarcely the necessity
to wait for that, for what resistance
could !, lying upon my back there.
make against foe springing out OF
the dark upon me?
l thought of the clasp-knife Van
Hoeck had given me. and, stretching
out my hand, felt for it where | had
stuck lt-between tho mattress and
the bedstead. / could not find it.
Pushing back the curtains so that
the light from the lamp fell upon the
edge of the bedstcad. l assured my
self that it was not where had left
it, 1t must have slipped through
or been drawn out.
The latter supposition explained
the sound and movement | had heard
and seen. Yet it might have made
that sound in slipping through-its
fall upon the floor deadened by the
carpet. or its point sticking in the
boards; but fancied the horn-handle
was too wide to allow of its slipping
through.
To satisfy myself at once upon this
point, / leaped out of bed, resolved
to strike a match and look under the
valance. stood for a moment stu
pefied: the box of vestas was gono
from the table where was certain l
had laid them.
They must have been taken while
/ lay screened by the bed curtains.
glanced over my shoulder.
The folds of the curtain against
the bed were not the same as when
l pushed them back to the wall;
one fold stood out at an
angle; and as. slowly turn
ing around. 1 looked moro closely, l
saw against the dark oak panel Of
the wall, about the mid-height OF a
man, and protruding but an inch or
so from the edge of the curtain, the
bright point Of 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 tho
bed he might have knitted me.
What was / to do? l had him
standing there behind the curtain at
a certain advantage.
Should l spring upon him and
strangle him against the wall in the
folds of the curtain?
a
and partial one might in the end be
fatal. The thick stuff would pre-
vent my getting 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 mus
cles OF my arms and fingers were
strung up to make the tempting
effort.
Keeping my eye upon the curtain
/ drew back TO the foot of the bed.
To get to the door l must cross the
room, and inevitably be seen by the
murdorous rascal as he stood there
on the inner side of the bed-curtain;
and arrived at the door / must turn
the key twice, and the handle as we'll,
before he overlook me. On the
other hand he had to disengage him
self from the folds OF the curtain
and recover the start had of him.
Tho chances were pretty equal,
and | determined to save myself by
flight rather than risk the fatal re-
suit OF the unequal encounter.
l made my way noiselessly in O
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 CROPPED about for the key--it
was gone!
l grasped the handle, in the hope
that might be able to tear the lock
off; the screw had been taken out,
and the knob slid off the spindle in
my hand. j 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 oil
that kind; he knew was trapped.
Only as / turned nay eyes back to the
place where he stood, l perceived
that the light was dying out.
There was but a narrow row OF
blue flame above the wick; IL faded
away, and all was dark.
Thara ara da-~caa of darlroaaa.