The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-04-22
CHAPTFR NV.

the sofa to take her nights repose.
CHAPTER XIV.
Hour after hour | lay tossing about
in a sleepless, mental agony. Clara was
undoubtedly in the same house with me,
exposed 10 heaven knows what suffeFings
and prosecutions; and yet for any hope
OF seeing or suecoring her. | might as
well have been hundreds OF miles away
At last, unable to lie there any longer,
rose and dressed myself A fire was
still smOldering In the huge CRATE. and
night light was burning upon the table.
The nurse, by her hard. regular breath
Ing. seemed to be In a deep sleep, and
moved about cautiously. Her face was
turned to the open side Of the sofa
crept behind IL and inserted my trem-
bling hand beneath the pillow. feeling
further and further until my fingers
touched a hard substance was the
ward key. Little by little I drew il
away-she still sleeping profoundly
fitted IL noiselessly in the lock, turned Il,
and the next moment found myself in a
large. dark hall. az, the foot OF an i'm
mensely wide staircase.
closed the door softly behind me
A long window, that stretched upwards
from the 6rst landing. admitted sun
cient light to guide me. and. with
noiseless step. crept up the stairs. At
the top Of the srst flight was a long
corridor, on each side Of which, as far
as could see. for the further end was
lost in obscurity was a line OF doors,
Now came my difnculty: the slightest
error would not only defeat my present
object, but consign me to a strictsr sur
veillance than ever. and perhaps bring
about Clara's removal TO some spot to
which I could obtain 10 clue. Suppose
chamber door7 ahuddered at the
thought
| stood for some moments at the head
OF the corridor, irresolute what 10 do.
listening eagerly for the slightest sound
that might guide me. But the silence
was deathlike. Down the corridor
moved noiselessly. Through the crew
ices Of the third door came faint streaks
OF light and faint mnffled sounds, either
means or a low. monotonous singing
the walls and doors were 50 thick. thar
1t was difhcult to distinguish which.
| listened more eagerly. until fan
cied | could distinguish Clara's voice.
| paused for 4 moment. and then. with
my heart beating in my throat. tapped
gently. Breathlessly ! waited for sew
eral ssconds.s No answer. Then I tap
ped a second time little louder A
sound OF moving. and then a soft. trem-
ulous voice. that thrilled my very soul.
asked family. who Is there p
could doubt no longer The key
was In the lock outside. tried turn
ed it-opened the door-mst her whom
| souEht-heard a low cry Of astonish-
ment, and my darling was in my arms
At that moment fancisd that heard
4 sound like the click Of a lock in the
corridor suddenly turned, disenza Epd
myself from her arms, and looked out.
All seemed precisely as had left it
no light. no object, no sound II must
have been fancy. | gently drew the
key from the outside. and. reversing II.
locked the door from within. We were
alone-no one could surprise rs now.
To her eager questions. how had dis
covered her, / scarcely knew what to
answer; for. the first excitement Of our
meeting over, | rspented that had ever
sought il. CouId I have freed her from
her enemies then, and then only, would
IL have been iustlfAbls3 As IL was. |
was feeding my own hopeless passion,
and engaging more and more closely the
affections OF a Supplemented girl. be-
meath the very roof that sheltered the
implacable woman who claimed a. her
! husband. Oh. all this was weak. Grim
inally weak: and I felt II 90 and yet
had not the courage 10 end Il honestly
After a while / asked her what hap
pensd upon the fatal Eight that we lost
her-how she came TO be separated from
Us.
She told ms that rush Of people had
suddenly impelled her forward. and that
/ By the time she could turn her head Il
| look round. she found that she had beer
carried out Of sight Of Mrs. Wilson.
Ar that moment a young man. evident
/ y the same who had delivered MontgUm
| sry's message TO me. touched her upon
the shoulder. and said that was wait
ing for her In a cab a little way dowr
the street
lie was hurrying me along all tbs
time he Was speaking" she went on
"and | WIS too bewiiaered by mr. situa
tion to offer the slightest resistance
There was long lius Of cabs aud car
riages: the one he pointed ont as onrl
was the last Of nll. aud stood up an un
frequented side street. He opened thu
door and pushed me In: ct the sam,
moment strange man jumped in pas
me. the door vas slammed. the window
raised, and the horses were on at full
speed. before | could recover my breath.
From her description. discoYsre,
that this man who accompanied he
was Montgomery.