Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-07-22

ed, at the front OF the house. remem-
bered that all these windows had been
shattered, 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 fastenings should
prove to be such as l could tamper with
from within. If it were so, it would
scarcely have been worth the doctors
while to bolt the blue door upon me,
knowing well enough that l 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, fer 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,
a dressing table with a tilted mirror, and
large frame set high upon the Ii
(which, apparently. surrounded a paint
ing Cl canvass, | ascertained during my
peregrinations that there were two more
windows, both suffered and barred, ana
low doo- which led into a cupboard.
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 l had hopefully shot. |
should be open to invasion from the en-
envy. But, so far as | could tell il 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 knee my environment as VI Il
as | could before morning should SCI
few penetrating shafts of light through
the chinks of the wooden shutters, and
certain hopelessness settled down up
on me as | thought of the long, weary
interval.
A heavy stupor was upon me. | must
sleep, felt. Once more ascertaining that
the bolt was fully shot. found my way
to the bed and flung myself down. When
1 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
ming it. The huge ark evidently belong
ed to some period of furniture manu-
facture with which l was unfamiliar.
There was no valance shroudiug legs
and space underneath, but the bed itself
was made in the form of a huge box.
Head and footboard were extensions of
a solid, carved block of black oak. -Four
tall posts supported a 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 | had left it in the night,
and a roll of something white, fallen from
a 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 a species of dressing
gown of cheap lawn. which looked as
though it might have been purchased
ready-made from some country shop. But
it could never have been intended for
Mrs. Heckleberry or her clever daugh-
ter, Naomi" There seemed TO be a
certain grace and distinction about the
simply fashioned garment as it hung over
my arm.
My very fingers tingled as 1 asked my
self if these folds had ever draped the
form of Consuelo Hope. / knew that the
Heckleberrys held some secret of hers.
suspected that the beautiful woman
who had been brought under some
strange circumstances, still a mystery to
me, into this hateful household was Con-
suelo herself. And if so, | might easily
believe that in this room she had spent
the period of her residence. l could but
pray that it had been brief.
Reverently now | replaced the white
robe on the hook at the back of the cup
board Beside it was suspended a dark
travelling cloak, with deep, gathered
hood. Gently l lifted one of its folds.
To my surprise, it was crusted with
patches of long-dried mud of a rather
peculiar color--deep yellow, with a vein
Of red. So heavily was the back of the
cloak coated with it that one might have
faneied that the wearer. wrapped in it.,
had lain on ground which was sodden
with standing pools of rain.
The shelves which lined the upper half
of one side Of the cupboard were empty,
save for bundle and a bottle or two,
one of which held few dregs Of bright
rose-colored liquid. Mechanically, | took
it up and looked ar the label; "A tea
spoonful TO be taken on every return of
the fainting symptoms" Another. much
smaller and half full. was ominously
marked "Laudanum. poison" and behind
ii lay a roll of some rough material
Long, stout pins neid it in place. Strong
ly inapelled, yet not knowing why trou-
bled myself with such trivia thing at
such a time. slowly | took them out
Then l unrolled the thing itself. 1t fell
down before my eyes as held 1t up, in
awkward, creased folds. which for long
had not been freed from their restric-
tons
Great heaven ! calculated. And
my voice echoed dismally through the
big. desolate room behind me. / was
looking at a dress such as is worn by
women in English prisons,
sag %tACN E1NN~ =AtAE wave OF Ell
ightenment shooting as an arrow through
my brain, l was cut in the main room
before | knew it. a thousand vague
fancies and suggestions flashed into pic
tire forms, hideous and tragic, and all
bore some pattern or texture OF that
ominouS prison dress.
suddenly I heard a movement Its
echo. jarring and dull. seemed TO perme-
ste the wall nearest TO me. ran my
eye up to where single piece of drapsry
hung. and moved a chair towards it. |
mounted it. and mechanically, expecting
nothing. yet finding all.
For the drapery had concealed a win
dow. very small. bur looking into an ad-
joining room. and foInd myself peering
into space which was family lighted
from some larger space beyond.
In its center was a couch. and upon il,
slumhering restlessly, though heavily.
was woman. fair. though disheveled.
graceful. though her attitude was one OF
discomfort and pain.
recognized this pe-son. this prisoner.
I had discovered the latest secret OF the
obnoxious Spinner Farm