Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-10-05
sBURa, w. VA, SATURDAY. OCTOBER s. 1895.

were they !? The front door-was
the night latch above the knobs
Was it below? Would it stick ?
All this time she would be scream
ing, and the house was full Of men.
He would be caught. He was in for
something. But be was hurting her?
He began to talk.
"Oh, please, ifyou scream it'll only
make things awfully awkward. |
got in here by mistake. l can ex-
PLAIN. I'm not going to hurt you.
Oh, please keep quiet"
She tried again to wrench away
fir m his grasp, and Buckley drew
h~r back with ease, feeling half sor-
~ for her poor little strength.
Promise me you'll not cry out and
I'll let GO"
Eyes, yes, I promise said the
scared voice. Anything. Only let
me co.
Buckley released his grasp. She
fed across the room. He thought
she was making for the door, and he
sprang toward it to keep her from
running downstairs and arousing the
house. But she only snatched up an
afghan or something from the sofa,
and, holding it about her, retreated
to the dark part of the room.
Buckley couldn't see her now, but
heard her moan "Oh, dear, oh
dear T. in a muff1ed tone, and he felt
that she must be covering in the
corner farthest away from him, and
| it made him have all sorts of con-
tempt for himself. Then he talked
again, standing with his back against
the door looking toward the dark.
II don't know who you are" he be-
gan in loud, nervous whisper, shut
whoever you are, l wish you would
MT cry. Please be calm. / want to
talk to YOU
81 don't want to hear you'll don't
want to hear you."
"Not so loud, or we'll be heard
ooh, oh, how can you trade upon
my necessity? Haven't you a grain
of manhood, spark of kindness in
you"
eyes, yes, lots" said Buckley.
"Listen to me. Please listen. It's
all a big mistake. I thought was
coming to my own room
@Your own room -
81 mean my classmates room-I
mean l thought freshman roomed
here. l wouldn't have made the
mistake for anything in the world.
You aren't half as sorry ! got in
your room as l am-Ob, yes, you
arel-I mean I'm awfully sorry and
wish to apologize and / hope you'll
forgive me. I didn't mean any
thing
"Mean anything p
"Really I didn't. If you'll only
let me go down and promise not to
wake hehouse before l get out why,
no one will ever know anything
about it, and I'll promise not to do
it again. I'm awfully sorry it hap
pened." Buckley started for the
door.
"Mrs. Brown-Mr. Brown. Help,
murder -
ooh, for heaven sake don't |" cried
Buckley.
81 will.- Just as soon as can get
breath and strength enough mean
to wake the house, the neighbors-
the whole town if / can"
''No you WON'T Buckley start
ed across the room.
"Stop 70 she cried.
He stopped. The voice was CON-
handing. 1t seemed already quite
strong enough to scream. He said
"You promised not to scream"
"But you forced me to promise"
"Are you going to scream"
81 am. She was getting her
breath.
"Oh, don't; please don't. If /
wanted to / could hurt you. / don't
want to hurt you. All, have pity on
me-"
The bold, bad sophomore was
down on his knees, with his hands
clasped toward the dark, where the
voice came from. He was very sor-
ry for himself.
"You stay right there in the moon
light"
"Right here p
"Right there; and if you dare TO
move I'll scream with all my might
Buckley first shivered, and then
froze stiff as if a hair-trigger rife
was pointed at him.
How long must stay here?" he
asked, without moving his head.
"Until my hus-until daylight"
returned the voice.
"Until daylight" repeated Buck
ley. There was something impress
sive in the deep, rich voice of this
tall young woman, and, whoever she
was, Buckley could tell from the re-
fined tones, that she was a young
lady. He could just make out the
CLEAN OF her face and of one arm 10
the dark corner.
| Hp1anca oh x,fonco rLo.ro~ ..1.,