The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1902-03-22

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feard the opening of another door
below; then heard the final thud Of the
door which led into the other house.
After that a great and awful silence.
He thought Of a thousand different
ways Of escape-thought above all of
| shouting, in the faint hope that some
one outside might hear and come to
his rescue. But he knew, when he
came to think about it with what calm
ness was possible, HAT in the first place
the house lay too far back from the
streets for any sound to carry; n in
the second, that the heavily shattered
windows would efectually deaden tie
cries. And then, as happens to a mai
when his end is close upon him, he
thought of all the past-.of all his UNI
happy childhood, spent in that very
house and in that very hoom. The hor-
ror of the thought that he must perish
there drove him to a species Of frenzy.
He struggled fiercely and beat himself
against the heavy old bedstead to
which he was fastened until exhaus-
ton came upon him and he swooned
away
When he came to himself it seemed
as though he had awakened in another
world. Some strange feeling Of resig-
nation a come upon him; he could
hear the faint, sharp crackle of the
burning room below him, but any fear
the sound might have Weakened in him
was gone. He had a feeling almost
that this was a fitting ending to all his
! struggles and failures; If he thought
about any panys which might come
with death 1t was only with a dim Won
de: as to how swift it might be and
how soon before he lost consciousness.
Like a dream, too, for, certainly, 1t
was nothing earthly, came the sound of
a voice softly calling his name. That
the voice should be that of the girl he
loved and lost seemed quite appropri-
ate, too, at that moment. It came upon
swer the voice. He was very near
death, he told himself, and this might
be a voice from the other world.
But he woke from whatever dream
clouded his mind with a start when the
door was flung open n Olive Mallory
stood on the threshold. For he knew
that this painting, eager girl, with her
beautiful face turned towards him,
came out of no land of dreams, but out
of the actual, vivid, waking world, TO
which he thought he had hidden fare
we'll. Yet not quite out Of the waking
world, either, as he had yet to learn.
| She came forward slowly into the
room, with her hands stretched out be-
fore her and her eyes smiling at him.
and in her eyes was that strange light
he had never seen there before. Des-
perate though the need was, he knew
that he dare not startle her-dared not
do anything which should wake her
suddenly to the world Of danger in
which they both were, n drive her
a.o-. IS~o Tlo~ <h0,YOh hio hroin WAS
Keeling, and his bound arms ached, and
he trembled in every limb, he con-
| strained himself t o speak calmly and to
smile at her in return. Tie crackle OF
the fire beneath went on, and he could
feel a p~erceptible increa :e in the heat
of the room. God grant that he might
bring her to see her danger-might
persuade her to set him free!
he turned quickly n closed the door.
"Gilbert,'' she whispered, II have found
you at last. I sometimes think that /
brighten myself needlessly-that I fear
they are taking you from me, when you
are, really, close at hand. Why-how
still YOU are! Why do you look at me
like that? Why don't you come to me
and take me in our arms, as you have
done so often?"
The neat was growing greater; IN
one corner Of the room a little. faint
vapor Of smoke had begun to curl up
through a worn place in the carpet,
and to float towards him. With a
deadly sweat beginning to stand out on
his forehead, he yet contrived to speak
| calmly to the girl-managed ever to
smile at her.
ct stand still, Olive, because I want
you to come to me; I want to feel your
arms around my neck; I want to hear
YOU say tina you love me, and will do
as I bid you. Come!"
She went swiftly to him and put her
| arms about his neck, looked up into his
face with those poor, pathetic. mad
| eyes of hers. "See, I come tc, you; but
I will not go away, as you have asked
me to do before. We are in our World
of Dreams again-never to leave 1t. All
the world in which We once were ha
passed way from us; we do not need
to trouble aDout it<any more. We are
together, dear Gilbert, and alone; we
will not leave this place again."
The little wreath Of smoke changed
horribly to a. tongue Of haMe;. the heat
of the floor beneath his, feat was be-.
soming unbearable. He knew that he
must make al, effort to induce her to.
release him, so hat he might after
wards, even by force, carry her out Of;
| the burning house. He could not UNI
derstand how It was that she had es-5
capped from Leathwood; but h was
there, and she must be saved.
my sweetheart" he said. In 9 low.
steady voice. listen to what I say.
| We are in great danger. Our World
of Dreams will soon be no III be
swallowed up with us in II. see.I am
tied here-and helpless; / want you 70
ur fasten the ropes that bind me- 90
that we may go away together--do you
hear-together o. 4s Il "a
She looked at him in perplexity for5a
few moments, and then smiled and
shook her head. What a wilfulg fellow
you are.'''' she said; always wanting g,
60 away from me--never content with
the world I build about you. But now
she put her arms about his neck and
pressed her face to his--fnoW I have
you safe-nowsSyons cannot run from ms me
any more. And see.-she pointed to1
those horrible. sleaping flames. which
were licking along the floor& and leap
Ing up the hangings q the walls q
windows-"see the brave light that haaS
come to brighten Off World;--tno shine
upon our Lowell Nosmores3 a. wesscreep.
about IN the darkness To- meet Zach Oh
crying at sound. tartilnS q ss g