The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-11-04

what celebrity and adroltness these pre-.
cautions against my escape had been
made.
The man had not rushed after me;
there was no desperate pursuit Of that
kind; he knew j was trapped. Only
as i turned my eyes back TO the place
where he stood l perceived that the
light was dying out.
There was but a narrow rim Of blue
flame above the wick 1t faded away,
and all was dark.
There are degrees OF tarkness; this
seemed TO me the last degree. felt
as IL / was sunk In a lake OF pitch.
II i called for help ii was not GER
tain that the heavy sleeping Judge
would hear me. Possibly Sir Edmund
was yet awake, but ! thought OF Ed.
ith, and, besides, I knew that before
assistance could come, before the door
could be burst, all would be over.
Probably my foe was already ap.
preaching me; my cry would be the
No, my only chance Of escape was
in maintaining silence and keeping
him in ignorance OF my position. If
accident brought us into contact. I
trusted to my physical strength and
good luck 10 be a match for him and
his knife In the subsequent struggle.
The diamond buckled to my wrist
might serve me In The fight; / might
stun the fellow with IL If fortune only
favored my arm.
1t was a duel between us, and, any
way. l would sell my life dearly.
With this resolve, / drew away from
the door toward that part OF the room
where, as | fancied, the carved press
stood. kept my arms free, my body
crouched together and every muscle
tense and ready.
/ backed few feet from the door,
and then | stopped, as the reflection
crossed my mind that / might be back
ing toward my adversary. Then l re-
gretted that had left the door, where
at least ! might have stood safe from a
rear attack.
i could hear nothing but the throb-
bing OF the blood in my temples and
the tc.tac, tic-tac. uc-tac, tic-tac, tic
tao of my watch behind me, yet /
knew that the murderer must be NOV
ing.
He had his work to do, and must
have made mp his mind how 10 do il
before putting out the light. ] could
see nothing, and the silence and dark
ty Of his failing upon me from behind.
Yet, how was | to guard against that
attack, not knowing where he was?
Possibly his visual power was strong
cr than mine.
| knew by the ticking Of my watch
that the bed was somewhere behind
me, and that ! ought TO he facing the
oriel; and rs strained my eyes TO
catch any rays OF light that might eX-
ist | fancicd l detected dim gray
seam in the blackucss before mc-pOs-
sibly the curtains masking the oricl
were slightly parted.
As | continued 10 stare in that direc-
ton, | became convinced that this was
the fact, and, slight though the asSur-
ance was, il gave me some feeling OF
security: in that direction l might
know OF my foes approach. And,
sure enough. at that very moment the
gray seam was blocked out
lie was there, between me and the
oricl My first impulse was To end the
terrible suspense, and spring forward
upon him; but prudence checked me.
lie might be close 10 me. or lie might
be close to the orcl-it was impossible
for me 10 tell merely by the absence
Of a faint light IT. in springinG for
ward, he would have me at his mercy,
and short death was the only kind
OF mercy had 10 expect Again, what
feeble light there was must fall upon
ne, az l faced it-an advantage for
him, a terrible peril for me.
resolved to back toward the wall
Mt the upper end of the room, and
guided still 10y the ticking OF my watch,
| drew back with the stcaltby caution
OF cat.
Suddenly l saw the gray seam Of
light again. Had he gone 10 She right
or left? j knew not Quickly |
stretched my foot out behind me; l
felt something, and for the instant l
thought l had touched the fellow. but,
as turning about ! CROPPED my hand
forward. l encountered the cold wood
work of the bedstead. IL was one OF
carved pillars. drew myself mp and
got my back against il. Now. at least
that dreaded stab in the back was less
probable.
To be continued
sal>ry Not All