Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-04-27
CHAPTER Ix-(continued.,

/ CHAPTER lX-(Continued.)
Clarence waited until he saw the
fellow pass the foot of the stairway,
and turn off into another corridor,
whistling and staring straight at the
flame of the lamp; and then the young
man cautiously followed him at dis
lance.
| He is either quite drunk" thought
| Clarence, cor he fears to look about
| him, dreading the sight of what fright
ened him above. But l must be on
| the alert, for if he turns suddenly
about and looks this way, he may see
| me-
Bashfort, however, had no desire to
| turn about. If he were to remove his
| eyes from the flame of his lamp and
! look anywhere toward the dark gloom
| beyond the reach OF it's rays, he fear
| ed that he should be startled into that
| unpleasant sensation Of utter horror
| of which he had now come to have
| such dread.
Therefore he kept steadily on his
way until he halted before the door
| Of Helen's prison.
Her room was at the end of long
| hall and there We're no other rooms
opening into this hall; this fact Ciar-
ence remembered the instant he saw
| Bashfort enter the hall from the cor
| ridor, which crossed it at right an
| giles.
"Helen must be imprisoned in the
| large room at the end of the hail. >"
thought Clarence, "the very room oc-
cupled by Zeno Sosia and myself when
| We were here three years ago, in the
| base of the old tower. dare approach
| no nearer than / am now, and | can
see and hear nothing at this distance
| There was room of the same size
Immediately aboye-the ceiling of the
| room below was imperfect and crack
ed in many places. Ha! | may be
| able to hear something of what is said
below by going above. AT least, low
! have discovered in what room Helen
is imprisoned"
These thoughts flashed through the
young mans mind in the wink OF an
eye, and even as he saw Bashfort en-
tering the hall. This quick and dar-
ing lover did not pause to see whether
Bashfort would continue straight on
and halt at the door at the end of the
hall. He concluded instantly that
Bashfort was about to enter that
room, and acted as promptly.
He turned and dafted up stairway
of stone, noiseless of tread even in
| his precipitate speed-for he was
! light and strong Of foot-and was
within the room he desired to reach
| at the very moment Bashfort was rap
| ping for the second time at the door
Of, the room below.
Clarence DarrelFs quick eye detect
ed, even as he glided into the room
above, the great hole which Bashfort
cut through it's floor and through the
ceiling under it, and he was PROSTATE
on the floor and peering through the
! shattered and hanging lathing as the
| sorcerer was few hours before, just
as Martha, aroused from deep and
| heavy slumber by Bashfort's rapping,
| arose yawning and stretching, from
| the chair in which she had fallen
| asleep near Helen's bed.
Come, open unlock! Hi, there,
| Martial" cried Bashfort, in the hall,
and through the keyhole Of the new
lock he had affixed to the door.
so it is you, is it," replied Martha
sulkily, and unlocking the door. BE
quiet, you bear, or you will awake the
young lady.
But Helen was already awake. The
first rapping at the door had awak-
sened her. Her gaze naturally rested
upon the gaping, raging hole in the
ceiling. Martha, half asleep still, was
fumbling at the key in the lock, her
back toward the interior Of the room
| for half minute as she was thus en-
| ployed.
Clarence ventured TO move aside a
/ few Of the laths with firm and noise
less grasp upon them, and Helen
| Beauclair peheld and recognized the
pale but encouraging face of her faith
| full and daring lover.
/ She saw it but for an instant, with
q finger pressed upon its lips, warn
ingly; and then it was hidden from
| view by the laths again.
Save me. Clarence!" she cried,
startled from the presence Of mind SO
necessary at this supreme moment;
| and as her wild words rang loudly,
! Martha opened the door, and Neil
Bashfort stalked into the room.
CHAPTER x.
L ss.- = '