The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1905-05-04
CHAPTER XIV.

the sofa TO take her nights repose.
CHAPTER XIV.
Hour after hour | lay tossing about
in sleepless. mental agony. Clara was
undoubtedly in the same house with me
exposed TO heaven knows what suferings
and prosecutions; and yet. for any hope
Of seeing or succoring her. | might a:
well have been hundreds OF miles away
At last. unable to lie there any longer
rose and dressed myself. IRE was
still smoldering in the huge CRATE. and q
night light was burning upon the table
The nurse, by her hard, regular breath
ing. seemed to be in deep sleep. and
moved about cautiously. Her face was
turned TO the open side OF the sofa l
crept behind il and inserted my trem-
bling hand beneath the pillow. feeling
further and further until my fingers
touched a hard substsnce-it was the
ward key. Little by little | drew 1t
away-she still sleeping profoundly
fitted it noiselessly in the lock. turned IL.
and the next moment found myself In
large. dark hall. at the foot Of an i'm
mensely wide staircase
l closed the door softly behind me.
A long window. that stretched upwards
from the first landing. admitted SUM-
cient light to guide me, and. with
noiseless step. l crept up the stairs At
the top of the first fight was long
corridor, on each side of which. as far
as l could see. for the further end was
lost in obscurity. was a line OF doors
Now came my difficulty; the slightest
object, but consign me to stricter sur
VIGILANCE than ever. and perhaps bring
about Clara's removal to some spot TO
which l could obtain no clue Suppose.
by chance. that / should go TO Judirh's
chamber door? / shuddered at the
thought
/ stood for some moments at the head
II the corridor, irresolute what to do,
eagerly for the slightest sound
that might guide me- But the silence
was deathlike. Down the corridor j
moved noiselessly. Through the crew
ces of the third door came faint streaks
II light and faint muffied sounds. either
noans or a low. monotonous singing
he walls and doors were so thick. that
t was difficult to distinguish which.
led l could distinguish Clara's voice
paused for a moment. and then. with
ny heart beating in my throat. tapped
emily. Breathlessly | waited for sew
raj seconds. No answer. Then | tap |
'ed second time little louder. A
ound Of moving, and then a soft. trem- |
lous voice, that thrilled my very soul.
sked family, who is thereT
/ could doubt no longer. The key |
ras in the lock outside. / tried it-turn-
it-opened the door-met her whom
sought-heard a low cry OF astonish-
lent, and my darling was in my arms
At that moment fancied that heard
sound like the click Of lock in the
,rridor. / suddenly turned. disengaged
iyseH from her arms, and looked out
II seemed precisely as | had left it
D light. no object. no sound; II must
ave been fancy. / gently drew the
sy from the outside, and. reversing ii,
cked the door from within. We were
one-no one could surprise US now.
To her eager questions. how had / dis
,vered her. | scarcely knew what to
-swer: for, the first excitement Of our
Getting over. | repented that had ever
I
II enemies then, and then only, would
have been justifable? As it was, /
as feeding my own hopeless passion.
ID engaging more and more closely the
fections of a simple-hearted girl. be-
ath the very roof that sheltered the
placable woman who claimed as her
sband. Oh. all this was weak. Grim
ally weak; and I felt it so. and yet |
d not the courage to end II honestly.
After while / asked her what hap {
ned upon the fatal night that we lost
how she came to be separated from a
She told me that a rush Of people had :
IdenIy impelled her forward, and that ,
the time she could turn her head to
L round. she found that she had been
ried out Of sight Of Mrs. Wilson.
At that moment young man, evident '
the same who had delivered Montgom-
3 message to me. touched her upon d
shoulder. and said that ! was wait Il
for her in cab a little way down r
street.
He was hurrying me along all the
e he was speaking" she went on:
ID / was too bewildered by my situa- y
! to offer the slightest resistance. u
ere was a long line Of cabs aud car
yes; the one he pointed out as ours j.
) the last Of all, and stood up an I'M II
luented side street He opened the Il
r and pushed me in; at the same Fl
nent a strange man jumped in past :,
the door was slammed. the windows :.
ed, and the horses were off mt full W
pd before | cOffld recover my breath !" ff
rom her description. / discovered
t this man who accompanied her
J Montgomery. u