Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-07-05
CHAPTER XXl1,

Skirting along the bed. | easily reached
the wall, and so went shuiiiing on. until
my fingers came In contact with a win
dow frame. This room was. l cOnjectur-
ed. at the front of the house. l remcin-
bered that all these windows had been
suffered. and that. unlike the majority
of houses. the shutters. of solid wood.
were on the outside.
1t would be. thought. almost too good
to be true that the fustenings should
prove to be such as ] could tampcr with
from within. II II were SO. II would
scarcely have been worth the doctors
while to bolt the blue door upon me,
knowing well enough that ! was not the
sort of man to mind risking a jump for
dear life from first or second story win
dow.
was not surprised. therefore, when
my hands told me that iron bars had
been placed closely together inside the
window, which must have been suffered
before their insertion. and would thus
be now impossible to open.
Bars, for some reason. had been re-
quired. Had they been made visible
from outside. questions might have been
raised In the minds Of chance visitors.
Consequently. the heavy shutters had
been drawn together to hide the prison
like effect Of the cage within.
Knocking against an occasional chair.
q dressing table with a tilted mirror. and
q large frame set high upon the wall
(which. apparently, surrounded n paint.
ing on canvass, l ascertained during my
percgrinations that there were two more
windows, both suffered and barred. and
tx,l, l..t t.,s.
The door ! opened. and the perfume Of
cedar rushed out.
felt gropingly about the interior, half
execting to find that door led through
into some other room, and thus, despite
the bolt that ! had hopefully shot, I
should be open to invasion from the en-.
envy. But, SO far as ] could tell In the
dark, there was nothing Of the sort.
| Across the back there were hooks, ana
on two OF these hung some garments.
long. and soft to the touch.
now knew my environment as well
as I could before morning should send
a few penetrating shafts Of light through
the chinks Of the wooden shutters, and
certain hOpelessness settled down up.
on me rs ! thought Of the long. weary
interval.
1 i
sleep, ! felt. Once more ascertaining that
the bolt was fully shot, ] found my way
, to the bed and flung myself down. When
opened my eyes again gray dusk had
replaced the darkness. A few cracks
In the shutters admitted enough light to
show me my surroundings.
! rose from the bed and began exam.
lining 1t. The huge ark evidently belong.
Lad ,t.,I -
facture with which was unfamiliar.
| There was no valance shrOuding legs
| and space underneath, but the bed itself
was made In the form OF huge box.
Head and footboard were extensions OF
a solid, carved block Of black oak. -Four
Z tall posts supported u carved canopy of
oak, and cheap. faded curtains OF some
dark green WOODEN stuff depended from
them. The door Of the cedar cupboard
was ajar. as l had left 1t In the night,
and roll Of something white. fallen from,
Il hook to the floor. had been dragged
partly out into the room. Half mechan.
ically ! started to walk across and ex.
anime It.
The white object which had fallen to
the ground was species OF dressing
gown of cheap lawn. which looked as
though It might have been purchased
ready-made from some country shop. But
1t could never have been intended for
Mrs. Heckleberry or her "clever daugh.
ter, Naomi" There seemed to be u
certain grace and distinction about the
simply fashioned garment as it hung over
my arm.
My very fingers tingled as asked my.
self IL these folds had ever draped the
form Of Consuelo Hope. knew that the
Heckleberrys held some secret of hers.
l suspected that the beautiful woman
who had been brought under some
strange circumstances, still mystery "a
ne. Into this hateful household was Con.
suelO herself. And II SO. l might easily
believe that In this room she had spent
the period of her residence. I could but
pray that It had been brief.
Reverently now replaced the white
robe on the hook ut the back OF the cup
board. Beside 1t was suspended dark
travelling cloak, with deep. gathered
hood. Gently lifted one of its folds
To my surprise, II was crusted with
patches Of long.dried mud Of a rather
peculiar color-deep yellow, with yelI
Of red. So heavily was the back of the
cloak coated with 1t that one might have
fancied that the wearer. wrapped In It
had lain on ground which was sodder
with standing pools Of rain.
The shelves which lined the upper hall
of one side OF the cupboard were empty
save for u bundle and u bottle or two
one of which held few dregs OF bright
rose-colored liquid. Mechanically, ! tool
1t up and looked at the label; "A ten
| spOOnful To be taken on every return Of
the fainting symptoms" Another, mucl
smaller and half full, was Ominously
marked "Laudanum. poison" and behind
1t lay roll of some rough material
Long. stout pins held It in place. Strong
~ impelled, yet not knowing why trou
bled myself with such trivial thing al
such a time. slowly ! took them out
Then ! unrolled the thing itself. 1t fell
down before my eyes as l held 1t up. IN
awkward, creased folds. which for Ions
had not been freed from their restric
tons.
Great heaven" ! calculated. AM
my voice echoed dismally through the
big, desolate room behind me. | was
looking at dress such as Is worn by
women In English prisons!
! staggered back, great wave of en-
lightennent shooting as an arrow through
my brain. ! was out In the main room
before ] knew It. A thousand vague
fancies and suggestions flashed into pic,
ture forms, hideOus aud tragic, and al
bore some pattern or texture Of that
ominous prison dress!
!, y