The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-02-15

| OF me: and there, hut few feet away,
stood gray, silent human figure.
won't be positive that there was not a
suspicion of culver in my voice.
There came no answer to the question,
and the figure commenced to glide away
down the passage.
Without waiting to get thoroughly
pace little. The mysterious form did
the same. Along and along we went,
twisting and turning among the labyrinth
OF passages, and then ut last, coming
round sharp corner, there was shaft
of light through a half-open door-the
door of the library, where my husband
was.
now that l was in the vicinity of Felix,
But was too late. The form glided into
the room, silently closing the door, and |
heard the key turning in the lock-
1 stood there for moment or two
puzzled, dou btful, alarmed. All at once
there rushed upon me a horrible pre-
sentiment of impending doom, and with
it wild, irresistible desire to learn what
was going on in that ROOM
/ tried the door. 1t was securely
locked. A few yards down the passage.
high up in the wall, was small win
dow looking into the library. Directly
underneath it was a heavy oak table
Onto, to that table l scrambled, and
glued my eyes to the dust -dimmed pane.
Shall l ever forget what | saw?
have dreamed Of it thousand times
and awaked shuddering in an agony Of
terror.
Felix! FeliXy, turn round! Look"'
Those were the words l shrieked as
dashed my bare hand through the WIN
dow, and withdrew it. bleeding.
ana my warning was not a moment too
soon. AS my husband knelt in corner
over pile of books, the tall, white
halred figure was already close on him,
the raging fire of insanity cleaning m
his eyes.
But | was just in time. On hearing
my voice. my husband sprang round,
caught the descending stick on his arm,
ana closed with his adversary in fear
full life and death struggle.
Which was worse, I Wonderful gram
pie with that mailman, to have his eyes
staring into yours. to feel his hot breath
on your face. and to know that gradu-
ally he was overpowering you; or to be
the one who looked on, to see the being
you loved best on earth fighting desper-
| ately-fghting for very life-and vet to
stand there utterly impotent?
But no. Thank heaven, l was not
entirely impotent. With cry of en-
enlargement to my husband, I sprang
down, punched up my skirts, and raced
back along the passage | ran as had
never run before. I knocked against fur.
niture in the darkness, l stumbled and
fell: but still, impelled as by supernat-
ural force, I rushed on.
Through the picture gallery I went,
down the second corridor, across the hall,
into the drawing room.
l must have looked remarkable fig
ure 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.
1.-The madman!'' gasped, painting for
breath. The escaped mailman! He
has got into the east. wing, and Felix
door is open. Come! Come" '''S' '"e
'4All eyes were turned on me, but no:
soul offered to move.
Don't you understand me?' I cried,
There is not a moment to lose. NV hus-
band is fighting for his life! Why don't
you come? Mr.. Fleetwood, you hear
me? Have pity-have PITY"
l sprang on Charlie Fleetwood like a
tigress, and strove to drag him from the
room by main force. What diabolical
spell possessed them all that they were
seemed like a horrible dream-unreal,
grotesque
"You will be too late"' I screamed in
a perfect frenzy. Felix will be dead
strangled by that madman's fingers
strangled, strangled!''
I repeated that awful word, scarce
knowing what I said. The blood was
rushing wildly in my head. l began to
reel, clutching desperately at the air.
And then. of a sudden. a strange. half
remembered sound rippled through the
| room-a sound terrible to listen to at
! first. yet giving me in the end an mixing
| of the truth.
1t was the sound of hands clapping in
applause. They thought I was acting!
| I stormed and raved and shrieked as
surely no actress could or would / en-
treated and implored, and struggled the
while with the feeling OF faintness and
| numbness that was stealing over me.
And then. at length. seeing that nv eff
forts to make them understand were ut
terly useless. suddenly stopped, and
summoned up a smile as l listened to
their applause and congratulations.
Somehow or other I induced them to
follow me from the room, telling them
that had something to show them in the
east wing-a further entertainment,
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 de-
spairing cry of Felix did Fleetwood and
! one or two of the other men begin to
gain glimmer Of the truth. It was with
tever-increasing alarm that they hurried
forward and tried to force the library
door; and, finally, using the oak table.
as ram, hurst it open. #
III Of which / fec0l1ect rs something
that happened when was q 4 semi semi