The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-05-05
meeting broke up and Peel and | start
ed out on our weary way to Wands-
worth.

II.
For the next three days we saw moth
ing of Kovno or the others, as we were
both hard at work at the art school.
On Saturday, however, my weekly al
lowance having arrived, made up my
mind to go down to the country Tor
few days and make some studies.
Peel couldn't come, as Dora was sit
ting to him on Monday. So, while he
started, off to the art school as usual
in the morning, sauntered out to in
vest in a sketchbook. On my way back
I met Kovno. I had clean forgotten
all about the wager, and, having an
hour CT so to spare, walked back with
him 10 his studio. He was in a con-
versational mood, and kept chatter
ing on about some wonderful master
piece he was starting on.
When we got to the studio-a great
big barrack of place, which had once
been used by a'sculptor, and stood in
little isolated plot of ground back
from the road-he produced some
whisky and glasses, babe me help my
self, rolled a cigarette, and started
work. It was very hot day, and l
had been working late at black-and-
white work the night before. LEANED
back drowsily in a rickety old chair
and watched him rapidly sketching in
his picture on large canvas. l lit my
pipe, and took a long pull at my
whisky and water. After that sup
pose went to sleep Qfound out after
ward that the whisky had been doc
tored). Anyhow, the next thing re-
member is waking up with horrible
shooting pain running through all my
limbs. 1t was pitch dark. I tried to
move and stretch myself. I couldn't
bulge an inch in any direction. I was
securely bound hand and foot. In an
instant the truth flashed upon me.
Kovno had heard of my intended jaunt
to the csA,ntry, had lain in wait for
me, and deliberately lured me to the
studio. What he had done then beyond
drugging me, or where I was, had not
the faintest idea. was at the same
time immensely relieved and distinct
ly annoyed-relieved to remember that
it was only joke, annoyed to think
Of the simple way in which had been
taken in.
Hours passed, and the pain of ropes
cutting into me was intolerable.
began to get furiously angry-Kovno
was carrying the thing too far. /
shouted and yelled till 1 was hoarse,
and stamped my bound feet against
the wall, to which 1 had rolled in my
struggles. The air was close and
sitting, and there was foetid, earthly
smell about it. began to lose my
nerve. I tried to count, to reckon the
time-a1ything to distract my atten-
ton; but to no purpose. At last, utter
ly worn out and exhausted, 1 lost con-
sciousness again.
The next thing Remembered was a
faint glimmer of light and Kovno
bending over me. He was laughing 81
lently, and his eyes glittered weirdly in
the uncertain light. cursed him furi-
ously in no measured terms, but as he
only continued to chuckle to himself in
that hateful, silent manner, I got
more and more alarmed. implored
him to undo the ropes, I promised to
sign any paper he liked, and to confess
that he had won his bet, but not
word would he answer. He merely
bent down, and, holding the leht
nearer to. me, gloated over my helpless
condition.
His face was all distorted by the
dancing shadows, and his eyes cleaned
in a perfectly detestable manner.
Suddenly the awful, horrible truth
dawned upon me. He had gone mad!
His mind, always of morbid turn, had
been unable to withstand the fasc. na-
lions of putting his theories into prac-
tice. The lust of secret crime had got
hold of him, and the man was to al IL
tents and purposes raving lunatic.
AS soon as I recognized this my last
vestige of self-control left me, I bab-
blcd at him inccherently, / begged, I
prayed. I laughed at him, but All iii
vain. After standing locking ut ne in
silence for Il short time, AID eyincinc
a keen delight in my mental agony. he
turned and left me without a word.
Hunger and thirst soon aGGc.! to NV
fortunes. Then the earthly smell CT
the place, and the absolute b:ac, acss
and silence, must have made me Gclir-
ious. / remember nothing r ore els
tinctly-save one thing, too hcr:i5lc
almost to mention. In one OF ry more
lucid intervals | became aware Of
hovno skiing a. little skctching
easel, l;s,!.,s beside him, calmly and
rapidly making sketches of my dis
torted features, muttering and laugh
ing to himself the while.
1t was only after weeks of delirium
that | came to myself and found Dora
sitting beside me in my own attic in
Wandsworth, and it was from her that
learned the manner of my escape
Ny absence, it appears, was not no.
tlced Fer the first three days, and was
supposed to be in the country.
Then Peel got alarmed. and he and
the others held a consul. alton. Two
more days passed, and at last Dora's
suspicious were aroused by strange
ness in Kovno's thing
furtiye, but at the same time triumph
ant. A chance overseeing of a port
folio confirmed their suspicious, as
among the sketches were those of me
as lay bound in the darkness.
A search was organized, and at last
/ was found behind whole pile of
lumber and studio refuse in an old cell
lar under the building in which the