The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-05-11

along, | saw slight movement in
front of me, and there, but few feet
away, stood gray, silent human fig
ure.
Felix, is that you?" 1 said. And
won't be positive that there was not
the suspicion of quiver in my voice.
There came no answer to the qnes-
tion, and the figure commenced TO
glide away down the passage.
Without waiting TO get thoroughly
frightened I followed it, quiekening
my pace a little. The mysterious
form did the same.
Along and along we went, twisting
and turning among the labyrinth OF
passages, and then at last, coming
round a half-open door-the door of
the library, where my husband was.
| darted forward, feeling quite
brave, now that l was in the vicinity
of Felix. But I was too late. The
form glided into the room. silently
closing the door, and l heard the key
turning in the lock.
! stood there for moment or two
puzzled, doubtful. alarmed. All at
once there rushed upon me horrible
presentiment of impending doom. and
with it a wild, irresistible desire to
learn what was going on in that room.
l tried the door. Ii was securely
locked. A few yards down the pas
sage, high up in the wall, was small
window looking into the library. d.
rectly underneath it was heavy oak
table. Onto that table / scrambled
and glued my eyes to the dust-dimmed
pane.
Shall / ever forget what l saw? l
have dreamed of it thousand times,
and awakened shuddering in an agony
of terror.
Felix! Felix, turn roundl Looki"
Those were the words / shrieiSed as
| dashed my bare hand through the
window and withdrew it, bleeding.
| And my warning was not moment
| too soon. AS my husband knelt in a
corner over pile of books, the tall,
white-haired figure was already close
on him, an upraised, weighted stick in
his hand, the raging fire of insanity
cleaning in his eyes.
But / was just in time. On hearing
my voice my husband sprang round,
caught the descending stick on his
arm, and closed with his adversary in
a fearful life and death struggle.
| Thank heaven, | was not entirely
impotent. With a cry of encourage
ment to my husband / sprang down,
pushed up my skirts, and raced back
along the passage. / ran as / never
had run before. / knocked against
furniture in the darkness, ] stumbled
and fell; but still, impelled as by q
supernatural force, | rushed on.
Through the picture gallery went
down the second corridor, across the
hall, into the drawing-room.
| must have looked a remarkable
figure as rushed in among my guests.
My hand was bleeding and the blood
had stained my white evening gown
| My hair was half down, my dress was
torn. But what did appearances mat
ter to me?
"The madmani" I gasped, painting
| for breath. "The escaped madman
He has got into the east wing, and
| Felix-my husband--we must burst
| the door open. Come! Comet"
| All eyes were turned upon me, but
not soul offered to move.
Don't you understand me ?" cried
wringing my hands in my impatience.
There is not moment to lose. My
| husband is fighting for his life Why
don't you come? Mr.. Fleetwood, you
hear me? Have pity-have pityi
| "You will be too late!" I screamed,
in a perfect frenzy. Felix will be
dead-strangled by that madman's
fingers-strangied, strangled!"
l repeated that awful word, scarce
knowing what l said. The blood was
rushing wildly in my head. began to
feel, clutching desperately at the air.
| And then, of sudden, a strange, half
remembered sound rippled through
at first, yet giving me in the end an
inkling of the truth.
It was the sound of hands clappinp
in applause. They thought l was act
ingi
| / stormed and ravcd and shrieked as
surely no actress could or would.
entreated and implored, and struggled
| the while with the feeling of faintness
| and numbness that was stealing over
| me.
And then, at length, seeing that my
efforts to make them understand were
utterly useless, / suddenly stopped
and summoned up smile as listened
to their applause and congratulations.
Somehow or other 1 induced them
| TO follow me from the room, telling
them that / had something to show
them in the east wing-a further en-
tertainment, which my husband and
had prepared. Their curiosity was
| whetted, and they consented TO
dawdle along behind me, laughing and
| chattering the while.
Only when they heard that last
despairing cry of Felix did Fleetwood
and one or two of the other men begin
to gain glimmer of the truth. II was
with ever-increasing alarm that they
hurried forward, and tried 20 force
| the library door, and, finally using the
| oak table as ram, burst it open
All of which recollect as something
that happened when was in semi.
trance. | have a vague memory oi
| looking into the room and seeing sew,
| era1 persons there, and struggle go.
/ inp on. / can recall the sight of Felix