The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1894-02-17


to the window A man whom she rec
cgnized as one of the ranch laborers was
standing a hundred feet away in the gar
den looking curiously at tho house. He
saw her face rs she tried to raise the
sash, uttered an exclamation 40 ran
forward.
But before she could understand what
ho said the sash began to rattle in her
hand, the Earring recommended, the floor
shook beneath her feet, n hideous sound
Of grinding seemed to come from the
walls, thin seam of dust like smoke
broke from the ceiling, and with the noise
of falling plaster dozen books followed
each other from the shelves in what in
the frantic hurry of that moment seemed
grimly deliberate succession; II picture
hanging against the wall to her dazei
wonder swung forward and appeared to
stand at right angles from it; she felt
herself reeiing against the furniture. a
deathly nausea overlook her, and as she
glanced despairlngly toward the window
the outlying fields beyond the garden
seemed 10 be undulatins like II SEA.
For the first time she raised her voice,
not in fear, but i'll Il pathetic little cry OF
apology for her awkwardness in tum-
bling about and not beiu, able to crap
pie this new experience. and then she
found herself near the door, which had
once more swung free. She graSped it
eagerly AMI dartcd out of the study into
the deserted passage. Here some in
stinCt made her follow the line of the
wall rather than the shaking balusters
of the corridor and staircase; but before
she reached the bottom she heard shout,
and the tIrrn labOrer she had seen com
ing toward her seized her by the arm,
dragged her to the open doorway OF the
drawing roon and halted beneath its
arch III the wall. Another thrill-but
lighter tA-ln before-passed through the
building, then all was still again.
ITS over, reckon; that's all just
now, said tho man coolly. Its quite
safe to cut and run for the garden now
through this window" He half led,
half lttel her through the French win
dow TO the veranda and the ground,
and locking her arm in his ran quickly
forward u hundred feet from the house,
stopping at last beneath large post
oak where there was rustic seat, into
which she sank You're safe now. |
reckon" he said grimly.
She looked toward the house. The
sun was shining brightly. \ cool breeze
seemed TO have sprung up Us they ran
She eoull SEE aquantity OF rubbish lying
on the roof from which dozen yards
Of zinc gutter were perilously hanging,
the broken shafts Of the farther cluster
Of chimneys, Il pile OF bricks scattered
upon the ground and among the battered
down beams Of the end of the veranda: but
that was all. She lifted her now whiteued
face to the man, and with the apologize
smile ati,l lingering On her lips asked:
w hat does 1t all mean? What has
hapgeneI'
The man stared at her Dye mean
to say yc don't know"
How could /: They must have Ill
left the house us soon a. it began. was
talking toto NJ. 'Hommalieu, and he
suddenly left"
The man brought his face ansrily
down wtAin IN inch 4 her own. Dye
mean to -ly that them / ii French half.
breeds stampsied and LIFT yer there
alJnc."
She was stll too much stupcfird by
the reaction To fully comprehend his
meaning, and repeated teebly. with her
smile still funt.y lingering, But you
dontt Il la what i. wA,:"
An earthquake sad the man rough
ly; "aai ii 1t had lasted ten seconds
longer it wyalI have shook down the
whole s!Aaty au.I left you under it. Yer
kun tell Jaut g. ta-m Il they don't know
II, bat from tha way they made tracks
70 the tr,E- ! reckon they did They're
coming now"
Without another wor'l he turned away
haitsurhiy. ha.f d.Glu.ly, passing scarce |
htJF ytr.ia away Mrs. Randolph and her
daH-u---. who were fastening toward |
their guest
"D4, hnr' yp1 are sail Mrs Ran
rho nearest approach b. etFu.
alDa ta., kl.r had yet seen In hsr nan.
n"r. We were wondering where you
hlI rua 20 aai w"re getting quite con
r"ra'L t.n,Ie was I1okln; for You
syery@hera"
The recollection ot his blank and alb
Jet f-r", hi4 vague outcry and blind
aI-"t, came back to Rose with u shock
tina -n1t flush Of sympathetic shame
- Gsr fGce. The ingenious Adele
noticed It and dutiIuIly pinched her
mothers arm.
Emil" "caped Rose family. look
NJ FIR me-
Mother and daughter exchanged
,,aHne-
r., said Mrs. Randolph cheerfully,
n" ..y- he started TO run with you. but
,'H ct ahead and slipped out Of the
arden '"or--or something Of that kind"
~" aided. with the air Of making light |
Z Rose Sirilsh fears. You know one
r'rr7iy knows what one does at such |
IA IS, and It must have been all fright |
ally strange to yOu-and he's been quite |
lelraet"i-lcst yOu should have wan |
erred away. Adele. run and tell him |
il-s Mallory has been here under the |
af all the time"
Rose started. and then fell shopelessly |
% = IN her seat. Perhaps it was true!
rg.iapS he had not rusred off with that |
Hini face and without n word. Per |
lP7 she herself had been half frightened
1T Of her reason. In the simple weak
lndness Of her nature it seemed less
readful to believe that the fault was
artly her own.
And You went back into the house to
,o's for us when all was over" said
lrs. Randolph, fixing her black, beady,
Magnetic eyes on Rose. land that stupid
okel 'Leke brought you out again. He
eedn't have clutched your arm so close
Z, Iny dear must speak to the major