Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-09-12

| row streets, and l had as much as
could do TO keep my guide in sight.
i can walk slower if monsieur
wishes, said my companion, SIS he
came nigh getting away from me in
a crowd.
"'No,' / returned. i can keep
up. But how much farther have we
to go?'
"'Only a little way
"How far we had come, or what
direction we were taking, was more
than | could tell. All | knew was
that l was hurrying through a will
derness of houses, and that thous-
ands of Others were doing the same.
Finally we entered a narrow, dark
street, through which few people
were moving, and when my guide
stopped it was before an old build
ing, the door Of which was level with
the street, and in one corner of the
structure.
"'Theyll expect me, SO I won't
ring he said, as he pushed the door
open.
"We entered a long, vaulted hall,
the only light to which came from a
small lamp which stood within a
niche by the stairs. This lamp the
boy took, and then said, IF l would
follow him be would lead me at once
to MIR. Bunnell's ROOM We ascend
ed the stairs, and thence passed
through narrow way which seemed
to run half around the building in q
circular course. was beginning to
get tired OF this long travel, when
the boy turned into a new channel,
and commenced the descent of a
fight of stairs.
Hold on!' l cried. How is
this p
son. the fellow replied, with per-
feet composure, I'VE had to come
through the upper part, because
there's other families living in the
lower part of the front. It's only a
step now
81 confess / began to have some
misgivings, but | would not turn
back now, so down the stairs I went,
and at the foot | found low pas
sage, which we followed for some
dozen yards, when my guide stop
ped before door, which be opened.
passed in after him, and saw him
place his lamp upon table.
" Mr.. Bunnell is in there he
said, pointing to door at the other
end of the apartment. You can go
and see him while / go and call
master
Without waiting for a reply, he
slipped out and closed the door af-
ter him. My first impulse was to
follow him and call him back but
upon second thought 1 concluded to
go in and see Mr.. Bunnell. So /
took up the lamp, and went to the
door which had been pointed out.
It opened easily, and / passed
through, but saw no one. There
was little cot bed in one corner,
but no one was upon it. The room
was of medium size, with two doors,
but not a window of any kind. The
floor was Of brick tiles, and the walls
seemed to be of stone, or some hard
cement. Where was Mr.. Bunnell ?
"Ah-perhaps he was in the Eext
room so l went to the other door,
and as L approached 1t / saw that
the key was in its place. I tried the
latch, and the door was opened with
out the use of the key; but I had
taken only one step beyond when |
started back in horror. The place
was not over eight feet square, and
upon the floor lay female form,
with the face, pale and CHASTITY,
turned towards me- The rays of
my lamp fell strongly upon the mar
ble.like reflective features, and | saw
that the eyes had started from their
sockets and that the tongue protrud-
ed from between the white lips
'sFor some moments | was so hor-
ror-stricken that my senses seemed
almost to forsake me; but when /
did think, my first movement was to
see if the girl was really dead. I
stopped over the form and touched
the body and found it stiff and cold.
She could not have been over seven
teen, and had face and form of con.
siderable beauty. Her dress was
rather poor, and her left forefnger
bore the marks of the needle. Around
her neck was a dark, livid circle,
where she had been strangled
There was nothing else in the room
that I could see then.-no door, save
the one by which / had entered, and
no window.
ssOf course my next object was tc
make my escape from this place,
Whether ! tad been brought here &c
be robbed and murdered, or whethel
there was plan on foot to faster
the murder Of the girl upon me,