Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-26

them, but there are some of Mrs. Hoskins'
things here that will do. She's so dread
fully big you know" and before / could pre-
vent her she had dived into closet close at
! hand, from which she emerged presently,
| triumphantly holding up to my view large
| gray and black plaid shawl and one of those
many -colored woolen bags known as "to-
| boggan caps" 1t was the last straw to my
| overburdened vanity! Wear them!
| could have snatched them from her, flung
| them on the floor at her feet and stamped
| upon them, but for the added absurdiiy.
And then, too, what awkward evidence in
the shape of card case, marked handkerchief
| or other fatal trifie might / not leave in
the pockets of my abandoned coat!
Insulted, perplexed and downright angry
l stood glaring about me, but before had
! voiced my annoyance a faint sound below
put flight to all thought of more trifling
discomforts Some one was moving cau-
tiously, whether toward us or from us. to
seek or to avoid. / could not tell but il de-
cided me to haggle no longer over my ap-
pearance, good or bad. Literally snatching
the horrible headgear from Miss Brandon,
who was TRANQUILITY kneading it into shape,
crammed it down about my care feeling
a certain savage delight in the self torture
inflicted
1T Will be warm, anyway" murmured my
companion. with glance of kindly amuse-
meut, which | haughtily ignored.
Come" ] said, briefly, snatching up the
blanket. I'VE have not second to lose"
and / rushed stealthily to the open window
and flung out in advance the shawl which
was to serve me as covering Miss Bran
don following me in state of what, / could
Dlainly DIpaSp1 aXnitament
The window was high up from the floor,
and as we stopped before it, she looked into
my swollen eye with face of innocent ex-
pectation. II can't get up there alone, you
know she whispered, and with an almost
audible groan | put my arm gingerly about
her r-clad waist, and the next instant she
was sitting with her feet outside holding
towards me her ungloved hands for the
blanket. The morbid fear which possessed
me that she was to make my fourth victim
was not lessened by that moment in which
! held her in my arms, and as she grasped
the quilt with two small white hands and
looked at me with friendly nod, to tell
me that she was ready for the drop, felt
every particle of strength leave my body.
Come back" / faltered. but she was
over the side, and with desperate hands |
clutched the blanket.
1t seemed SO short. Had / miscalculated
the height of the window? / dared not look
down as l leaned far out, giving the full
length OF my arms to the clumsy contriy-
ance Suddenly the weight left 1t. Had
she fallen? My eyes seemed glazed as /
turned them downwards. There was a black
heap under the snow beneath. Was she lly-
ing or dead?
But now again sounded that step below.
/! seemed nearer this time. It was coming
upstairs, coming softly, and pausing on each
step, as though some one had stopped to
listen. 1t had a horrid sound In that
gloomy house and | seemed to see dark
race gliding toward me- white hand up
lifted, to hush the very echoes that he
might hear. had meant TO do many things
the time for which was passed. The closet
door-I had meant to unlock II upon the
hapless iioskins, but now the feet had
reached the hall With a warning hiss for
my conspiratoH below. ! swung myself from
the window and dropped, speculating even
while | fell on the probable length of my
life should some part OF me double up and
strike wrong In my mad plunge
ITO be Continued)