The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1898-04-19


SSsSP5 5EsNSNSs evening, aud as
SSSX---i5S~l--cS3S she seemed dis
ETA,~sI3f[--\2l incliued to VEN
Fv{lSSySSseI ~ ture out, / Of
". 3$<:seN~ fered to go for
them. We were
all alone in the house, for father and
mother had gone to the country for n
few days, and Tom, of course, was
away at the Office.
When L opened the door to go out I
found All Sin, our Chinese washermnn,
Standing on the door mat. He could
peak no English, so | did not waste
any words on him, but just motioned
% him TO go upstairs; he would find
Nellie, | thought, and she could give
aim the clothes. / dill not want the
bother of going back. I did not call
cut to tell Nellie ho was going up; l
cid not think it necessary.
L must have been gone about three
quarters of an hour, for the little
dairy where we got the fresh eggs was
for long blocks away, and stayed
awhile talking to the young girl who
waited on me. 1t was getting dusk
wlen | reached our door, and / re-
mamber being surprised when / looked
NJ at the transom to see that the hall
lamp was unlighted-Nelli had such
horror of darkness. L was even
more surprised when | opened the
door to see All Sin disappear down the
passage and enter the kitchen-the
Kitchen, dining-room and Toms room
are the only rooms on the first floor.
Did j only imagine it, or was there
something furtive in the Monaghan g
movements?
Bah, how fanciful am getting" I
thought. Nellie has told him to 90 in
there to get the soiled kitchen towels. F."
lighted the hall lamp, left the
eggs on the table and ran up the stairs
When L reached the landing [ saw
something which made me so faint that
L had to lean against the banister for
support.
so that you will quite understand
the position in which L found myself
will describe our upper hall and the
situation of the'rooms. Directly oppo-
site the landing was window over
looking the back yard; the bedroom
Nellie and / occupied together was on
the left side, the door opening. near
the head of the stairs. The hall was
hoored with white marble-a curious
fancy of my fathers. In front of each
door was thick woolly red mat. Now.
all the rooms were closed, and trickling
from under the doors of our room was
n thin red stream, which formed n
great pool, aud which, though it had
seemed so dark downstairs, was here
quite discernible in the half light
which came from the hall window
In flash ] saw it all. Tue China
man had killed my sister; it was her
life blood which trickled from the
door and lay in that CHASTITY pool on
the white marble. I gathered my
skirts to step over it and enter our
room and verify my awful fears, when
heard stealthy, mufiled football on
the stairs. In the horror of my dis
covery | had forgotten that the China
man was still in the house. In q
moment he would be upon me. and I
would share the terrible fate of my
sister, who must be dead. for who
could lose all that blood and live?
Being sure, then, that she was beyond
my aid, | felt that 7 must try. if pos
sible 10 save my own life. But how?
Outside of the hall window was a wide
stone shelf on which we kept pot
plants; near it was a stationary ladder
which the workmen used to ascend
when the roof needed repairing.
I sprane lightly over the horrible
pool, ran noiselessly across the hall
and was on the window sill getting out
when the MonPolian's head appeared
above the stairs. He saw me. uttered
an inariiculate, cultural sound. md
swiftly followed me. made n spring
reached the ladder and climbed 10 the
roof. I would not descend 10 the ward
tho chances Of escape were less that
way, for the wooden fence round the
yard was very high, and as the houses
ON either side were unoccupie1 IL
would be quite possible for mo 10 he
murdered without any neighbors hear
ing my cries. If once 7 could roach
the fat roof Of our house thought J
would be safe, for the roofs Of tho
houses in orr block we're as well
known TO me as the street. I was
something of n tomboy, and on even
irgs when Che cats made tho night air
hideous with their concerts. Tom
aud Iuscd often 60 go ON the roofs and
hunt them, sometimes chasing them
the whole block, Inc clad in bis pGin
mas and In my cycling suit.
u was, therefore, an easy matter for
me 10 climb the ladder, but lust Ms I
nad crossed the roof aud was about 10
drop myself onto tho next. which WINS
Tower than ours, the dreaded Celestial
head again appeared, this timo inst
above the last ruug Of the ladder. Oh.
if only i had the power to hurl him