The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1901-02-13

| stood gray, silent human figure.
Felix, is that you?" l said And /
won't be positive that there was not q
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
frightened, | followed it, quickening my
pace n 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 sharp corner. there was q shaft
Of light through half-open door-the
door of the library, where my husband
| was.
l darted forward, feeling quite brave,
| now that | was in the vicinity of Felix,
But | was too late The form glided into
heard the key turning in the lock.
| stood there for Il moment or two
puzzled, doubtful, alarmed. All at once
| there rushed upon me q 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 a small win
dow looking into the library. Directly
underneath it was a heavy oak table.
Onto to that table | scrambled, and
SitlCl ulF eyes TO the uuSl-ulIilIlcu pane.
Shall | ever forget what | saw? |
| have dreamed of it thousand times.
and awaked shuddering in an agony of
| terror.
Felix, Felix turn round. Look
Those were the words [ shrieked as [
dashed my bare hand through the win
| dow, and withdrew it. bleeding.
And my warning was not q moment too
soon. AS my husband knelt in corner
over a pile of books, the tall, white
haired figure was already close on him,
an appraised, weighted stick in his hand,
the raging fire of insanity cleaning N
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 Il fear
| full life and death struggle
w hlch was worse, l WOnder-to graD-
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-tghting for very life-and yet to
stand there utterly impotent?
But no. Thank heaven, I was not
entirely impotent With Il cry of en-
enlargement to my husband, sDrang
down, punched up my skirts, and raced
back along the passage. l ran as had
never run before. | knocked against fur,
niture in the darkness, | stumbled and
fell: but still, impelled as by supernat-
ural force, | rushed on.
Through the picture gallery I went,
down the second corridor, across the hall,
into the drawing room.
I must have looked remarkable fig
ure as l 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 matter to me?
1.-The madman"' | gasped, painting for
breath. THE escaped madman He
has got into the east wing. and Felix
NV husband - We must burst the
door open. Come! Gomez
"All eyes We're turned on me, but not
a soul offered to move.
Don't you understand me- I cried,
wringng my hands in impatience
band is fighting for his life. Why don't
you come? Mr.. Fleetwood, you hear
me? Have pity-have PITY
| sprang on Charlie Fleetwood like
tigress and stroye to drag him from the
room by main force. What diabolical
spell possessed them all that they were
so Indifferent to my appeal? 1t all
seemed like horrible dream--unreal,
grotesque.
"You will be too late!' / screamed in
perfect frenzy. Felix will be dead
stranged by that madman's fingers
straneled strangled.'
I repeated that awful word, scarce
knowing what I said. The blood was
rushing wildly in my head. | began to
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 inkling
OF the truth.
1t was the sound Of hands clapping in
applause. They thought 1 was acting.
| stormed and raved and shrieked rs
surely no actress could or would. I 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 my eff
forts to make them understand were ut
terly useless l suddenly stopped and
summoned up smile as | listened to
their applause and congratulations.
Somehow or other [ 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 l 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 a glimmer of the truth. 1t was with
ever-increasing alarm that they hurried
forward and tried to force the library
door; and, finally, using the oak table
as a ram, burst it open.
All of which I recollect as something
that happened when I was in semi
trance. | have vague memory of look
ing into the room and seeing several per-
sons there, and a struggle going on. /
can recall the sight of Felix running out
pale and imping, but smiling, and of his
holding out his arms to me. | went to
meet him, and then-I swooned.-An-