The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-31
CHAPTER xvIiI.-contlnued.
Tension.

IcnSIOns IL
And all his preparations were as naught,
because Of this midnight spectre moving
upon him! She changed her direction and,
with her former stealth, came ghost-like
to the edge of the couch.
His doublet was open at the throat; that
was so much to the good. Like a snow
flake in it's GOODNESS and it's lightness, her
hand stole down underneath his vest, fut-
tered by the slow, steady subdued beating
of his heart, running no such wild race
as her own at that moment 1t seemed
incredible that at last her fingers closed
on the parchment, but there 1t lay, and
gently she drew 1t forth. Was the robbery
to be so easily accomplished after all?"
All! she had congratulated herself too
soon. It had stuck fast; either the silken
cord that bound it was caught, or the
document was secured to the vest, a con-
tingency she had never thought of, and
yet what more natural? Twice she tugged
it gently, then a. third time more strenu-
Ously, when it came unexpectedly away
and her knuckles struck the sleeper under
the chin. Instantly, like the snap Of g.
steel trap, his fingers closed upon her
wrist, and his voice rang out wideawake
and clear as ever he had spoken to her:
"F'rances:"
Now the racing heart stopped dead
Lucky for her that at this supreme mo-
ment all action was impossible, and that
she was stricken into frozen marble. She
thought he was awake and knew her, and
then the cold horror Of her situation
nunbed thought at it's source. Frances"
The voice came more s1eepily this time,
and he repeated thrice very rapidly,
Frances! Frances! Frances Feebly her
heart had taken UP its work again. She
was not to die as she had thought. Sodden
with drowsiness his voice rambled on, and
came to an indefinite conclusion.
my darling, you are in danger. We must
get out of Oxford. Everything, every
your safety, my dear. The king
Then the words became indistinct and died
away, but alas! the grip Of iron remained
on her wrist. For long time she stood
there motionless, and tried to disengage
his fingers gently, but at the first move
nent the grasp tightened again One
o'clock struck. He slept so silently that II
began to appear to her agitated brain that
she was prisoner Of the dead. She came
near to sinking from very WEAKNESS Two
o'clock tolled from the tower. Sometimes
| she fancied she slept standing there, but
her Ave jailers did not sleep. She kept
wondering in which direction lay the oper
door, for at times the room seemed tt
swim around her. thus disturbing all sense
of locality. She almost laughed aloud
when she thought of herself free, but crop
ing helplessly for the open door, failing tt
/ find It, and she shuddered that even THE
remembrance of laughter should come tt
her at such time; surely a sign of ap
preaching frenzy. Then it seemed the
fingers loosened, but hand and wrist hat
lost all feeling and she could not be sure
She tottered and nearly fell. When sht
stood upright again she was free, he NUT
ltering to himself and his hand slashing un
directed on the mattress, as If it missed
something 1t sought drunkenly to recover
The girl could scarce repress a cry Of 10!
at her release. She moved eagerly in thu
Ipath that should lead her to the door but
hurrying to much, came upon his jack
boots on the floor and fell helplessly, 81
overwrougft that even when her fee
i touched them she could not draw back
1 who's there? Who's in this room? z
cried Armstrong. She was standing again
| fully expecting to hear his feet on the
i floor, but the bell struck 8 and he counted
/ drea1n11y, and all stnl again wher
she reached her room she closed an6
barred the, door as silently as she had
i opened it. The tension relaxed, she felt
i she was going to swoon. Blindly she
4 sxroped for her shoes, murnuring. ooh
4 God not yet; not yet. Give me a moment
more. Z sf
j Finding her footgear at last, she dared
not wait TO put them on but stole softly