The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-15
THE SCRANTON TRIBUNF.sATURDAY MORNINGS JUNE 15 1895

haps she saw my failure in my face
perhaps she felt herself thes dreariness
Of the gray discolored walls, which the
fire that had been lit on the hearth did
not serve to tighten, for she pointed to
bell-rope near the head of the bed and
kindly remarked:
IF anything disturbe you, pull that.
1t communicates with my room, and l
will come at once and speak to you."
/ glanced up at the rope, ran my eye
along the wire communicating with 1t
and saw that 1t was broken sheer off
before 1t even entered the wall.
II am afraid you will not hear me"
I answered, pointing to the break
She flushed deep scarlet, and for
moment looked as embarrassed as ever
her sister had done.
II did not know" she murmured.
"The house Is so old, everything is
more or less out of repair" And she
made haste to quit the room.
I ran after her in alarm.
But there is no key to the door,"
objected.
She came back with a look almost
like anger on her stern face.
What do you fear?" she cried. "Is
this a public house where you would
be liable to intrusion. You are in a
private dwelling. my dear, and-good
God" she murmured, beneath her
breath, but not so low but that my ex-
cited senses caught the words she ut
tered. Can she have heard anything?
Has the reputation of this place gone
abroad? Miss Grant" she repeated
more loudly, you are as safe here as a
babe on it's mothers knee. Nothing
threatens you, nor need you have the
least fear whether the night passes in
quiet or whether it is broken by unac-
customed sounds. They will have no
reference to you"
Her look, her manner were encourage
ing and for moment felt ashamed of
my foolish tremors. What If l were
banished to remote corner in dis
NAL and strangely ordered house! Was
l not under the protection of two ami
able girls, daughters of my fathers old
est friend? Certainly my conduct was
ridiculous and could but add to Miss
Knollys' trouble.
Taking her by the hand, craved her
anu DcSBlHS ici " HdNc iio
more concern about me, returned to
my room and carefully closed the door.
But no sooner did l find myself thus
shut in than all my vague doubts re-
turned and I would have given any
thing for the meanest and smallest
apartment in a crowded country tavern
with normal commonplace people.
But my fate was to be shut in, in this
den of darkness and discomfort, and
1 forced myself to make the best of it.
The candle which she had brought
with her and set down on a small table
by the hearth was too short to last
long-another circumstance which did
not add to my happiness; while the fire
was one Of those light and flashy ones
meant only to burn till bed is reached,
and there was no wood to add to 1t. So
that had before me the prospect of a
dark and cold room, If my foolish fears
triumphed over my fatigue and kept
me awake. So 1t evidently became my
duty to sleep, and recognizing this fact,
l looked to see how a sense Of security
and could be pulled in front Of the
door; the windows-but there was but
one and that was heavily draped with
thick dark stuff. Going to 1t, dragged
the heavy folds aside and looked out.
A multitude Of wintry boughs over
shadowing a stretch of unbroken snow
met my eyes, repelling me by its lone
someness. / let the curtain fall again,
and allowing my good sense to reassert
itself, prepared myself for the night,
merely yielding enough to my fears to
pull the bed in front of the door; then
lay down, and with the light still
burning, fell fast asleep.
1t must have been after midnight
that l awoke in a violent tremble, and
with the perspiration streaming from
every pore. Some one or something was
at my door. I heard the stealthy step,
the swishing dress, which proved the
intruder to be woman, and then the
quiet, almost noiseless, insertion of a
key into the lock, followed by the quick
turn which made me prisoner. Bound
ing to the floor gasped out Miss Knoll
lys' name, but no answer came in re-
ply to my smothered appeal, and next
moment l heard the step gliding softly
away, filling me with so much alarm
that 1 should certainly have shrieked
aloudif at that moment there had not
risen from somewhere in the house a
cry SO much more wild and unearthly
than any could have uttered that my
own tongue became paralyzed and I
sank to the ground in terror.
A murmur Of voices quickly sup
pressed followed, but no second cry,
and presently all was as still as If no
sound had arisen to disturb the mid
night. I covered, however, for many
minutes longer against the floor and
then, stiff with the cold and blinded by
the darkness, for my candle had long
ago burned out, 1 groped my way to
the chair where had laid my clothes
and began with trembling fingers to
dress myself.
AS l did so I paused every now and
then to listen, but beyond the faint fall
of a distant footstep, or the smothered
sound of whispering voices, l heard
nothing, though every fibre in my body
told me that some dreadful thing had
happened, and that that event, what
ever 1t was, had been a premeditated
one, or why had my door been locked
Alive to my helplessness, and recall