The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-12-27
CHAPTER x.
Continued.

NANeAo&1N~0 kfOcOCC1C0 Lie 1S i It1EEU
the lamp shade and looked round the
room. The dark oak wainscot. the
sombre hangings, the painted ceiling
overhead, absorbed the light; there was
black void on the opposite side Of
the bed. where the lamp was intercept
ed BY curtains; could not see even
the outline of the great press.
! readjusted the shade, turned the
wick higher, and, half undressed,
threw myself upon the bed. / was not
afraid; in strength was match for
any natural foe, and / did not believe
In the existence of any other; yet
felt myself infected with Van Hoeck's
presentiment Of impending calamity.
Van Hoeck's theory Of Lola's COM
plicity in plot to steal the diamond
had been upset by the fact that was
watching her asleep at my door at the
very time Edith believed she saw the
girl looking through, her blinds; but
this had in no wise shaken his convic-
ton that the mysterious appearance
was connected with the scheme to rob
us.
Are mans convictions to be li1n-
tied by his senses?'' he asked. You
are convinced that cloud is rising in
the horizon because You see it, but am
I to deny its existence because / have
no sight? Are you justified, then, in
declaring that we are not menaced
by this disaster which is to oyerwheIm
US because you have not my faculty
Of precision? You who cannot deny
the precedence of bee, the PRESENT.
ment Of coming storm to cattle, tell
me that my conviction is nothing It
is only BY conviction that we live.
What saves us from destruction but
the conviction that by stepping into
an abyss, we must fall? tell you to
look about you; you are on the edge of
an abyss. There are signs to strike
the dullest intelligence. Your turn
will conner
I had hung my watch in the pocket
upon the hanging at the head Of the
bed; its lively ticking sounded strange
Iy out Of keeping with the gloom and
stiffness OF the surroundings. The
shaded light gave a funeral aspect to
the bed hanging: the baldaquin over
my head might have been cata-
falque for the dead. wondered how
many men had ended their days on
this bed since those hangings had been
put up. Would Van Hoeck's PRESENT.
ment be fulfilled? Should I be found
there in the morning dead?
1t was well suited for murder, that
bed, with its pall-like hangings to con-
zeal the lurking murderer
Tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac. tic
tao.
My ear had become SO familiar to
the brisk movement Of my watch that
the slightest sound was audible above
it. And a sound slight, indeed, heard.
To my mind, dwelling then upon as
sassins, it sounded like the drawing
of a dagger from its sheath.
Turning my head toward the side
from which the sound proceeded,
fancied 1 saw the heavy curtain move;
1t was between me and the lamp. The
movement was as slight as the sound.
If it was a fact that / heard one, it
was fact that saw the other.
al drew myself up gradually, and
Raining forward, / suddenly flung
back the curtain with my left hand
There was no resistance to my hand
nothing to be Seen beyond but the
lamp burning steadily on the table
the saddle-back chair and the dim out
line of the big chimney piece.
l got upon my knees and pushed the
curtain fiat against the wall, TO be-
sure that there could by no possibility
be any one concealed in the heavy
folds-to assure myself that my sus
picion was utterly without foundation
The end OF the room was compare
lively light, and the saddle back chail
was so placed as to preclude the pos
sibility Of any one hiding beyond it.
| If the curtain had indeed moved, !
must havesbeen by a hand from unde
the bed. 1t was easy to believe tina
had been mistaken in seeing thu
| slight movement than to suppose tina
| had overlooked concealed THE
| when looked under the bed to salts
/ fly Won Hoeck; so let the curtain fal
and lay down again.
MY thoughts still dwelt upon the ide'
Of assassination. Setting aside tn
idea of an intrigue in which Lola wa
concerned, there was yet nothing pre-
\ postcrous In Van Hoeck's present.
ment. There were eight or ten SCI
wants in the house. and undoubtedl,
every one Of them knew OF the MAI
velous treasure in my keeping The,
/ would tell their friends in the adjacen
village, the keepers, the tradespeople-
/ in few days the story would be car
ried out ana made known to hundreds
and was there none among ther
| whose cupIdity might take practice
forms It was quite possible that ~
der this very roof there was one wit
the ingenuity and daring TO plan m
execute the robbery. A servant int
mately acquainted with the Arrange
mont Of the rooms and the peculiaritis
Of the building would probably kno'
OF the external means Of commuuici
ton between lie bay and the orb
windows. Without this knowledge =
one, it seemed I'd me. would dare
attempt that hazardous passage 4
right and in The dark: but with ths
knowledge and possibly some prev
Gus practice. the feat was sufficient
practicable In That case, Edith miei