Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-06-30

other step means death. Pause before
you take III"
Grabbing the paper, quickly re-
sumed an upright position, and, hold.
ing the candle above me, gazcd intent.
IL in the direction of the voice. There
was nothing but the walls around me.
With cautious tread l took the forbid
den step.
Back, for your life! Back. for your
life" The words were hurled at me
in fiercer tones than before.
| advanced another step. and still
lived. Waiting a few moments, with at
tcntion strained TO fix the spot whence
the voice sounded. and being given no
further warning, began 10y the light
Of the candle Ia search the place CLOSE
ly with my eyes. Where could the voice
have come from? No possible hiding
place appeared; morning hut the bare
walls.
Moving the candle about, il struck me
that there was n space i'm the wall OPP
postc which did not reflect back the
light. which did not have over il the
dank green ooze. When | approached
nearer. two cracks running parallel
perprndicularly, and about two feet
apart, became apparent. Iran my hand
over the intervening space, and found
il smooth. \ close examination re
yealed To me what seemed 10 he some
kind of wooden door. rudely painted
TO represent the surrounding stone
walls. But there was no sign Of bolt,
latch or hinge II this was n door it
must close with n spring lock which
was on the other side. But then how
was il opened? Tapping upon the wood
produced n hollow sound. Cndouhted-
" there was some kind of apartment
behind it,
What was il used for, and where did
IL lead to? Was there a passage way
behind the door leading To the walled
up cellar under my bedroom? This
was probable. rs the door was in the
wall nearest the main building.
Some ono had gone through the door
on the night of my arrival, and, startled
10y the pistol shot at my reflection, had
allowed il TO slam.
Standing before the place and reason
ing thus 10 myself. ! noticed small
hole between two stones nj about the
height of my chest Resting one hand
on the edge of the door frame, ! stopped
down 10 examine il more closely.
Immediately there was binding
fash right in my eyes. a hot flame al
most burning my cheek. a loud report,
then total darkness. ThS candle was
shattered in my hand. Pre- was the
smell of burnt powder. and my lungs
told me OF the smoke which filled the
cellar. Half stunned. | CROPPED about
for the stairway. but il was some time
before located il and assembled.
The soft. pure air outside partly re-
vived me. and ! managed 10 drag myself
across the yard to the main buildingand
so to my room. On the first occasion,
terror had lent heetness to my feet; now
they seemed weighted with lead. \
numbed indifference to my surround
ings was over me. i was heavy-head-
ed and drowsy, SO much so that fell
asleep.
i awoke suddenly, with start that
brought me TO a standing position. A
glance at my watch told me it was
past nine o'clock, and that | had slept
two hours. When l put back my coat
for the purpose of replacing the watch
in my vest pocket, rustling OF paper
attracted my attention.
This brought TO my mind the piece ]
had picked up in the cook-house cell
lar and hastily thrust into my coat
pocket. l took il out and examined it.
Among the securities lost by the bank
in the robbery was a batch of Morgan
county refunding bonds. There had
been 100 of them issued, each of $1,000
denomination, and the bank had pur-
chased the entire issue.
The paper picked up in the cook.
house cellar, and which now held In
my hand, was one of those 81 900 bonds.