Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1906-01-04
instant &c was alone and the closed
DOOR between them. Still be sud

Ue us TREND Trying 10 take
JUDAS advantage Of him because We
are alone together. lie Courcy spoke
truth. Woe is me. She loves him. and
I. blind fool q God, pity that poor
girl and this insanity of passion wasted
on So rank 4 cur.
Frances fed 10 her room and threw
herself on the bed in an agony Of tears.
This Storm subsidized into gentle rain
0: 81 .ca weeping and finally ceased
as 81. heard the heavy tramp Of riding
boots in the adjoining room. She sat
up in the darkness. listening intently
He closed the wooden shutters Of the
window. shaking them 10 he sure that
their la>teninss Were secure Then the
bolts eli The outer door were thrust into
their places. but this apparently failing
to satisfy the doubts Of the inmate.
there was sound of some heavy arti-
Gle Of furniture being dragged across
the room. then the tramping ceased
and all was still Cnhceding She heard
the clock in neishhorinS tower toll
counted the notes Eleven. 1t was
still Too early People slept heavier as
the night Wore on. One. two. three. four.
five sin seven Ii must he midnight.
and the first live strokes had been on
Cromwells hrcastplaic She reused
herself and attempted TO take off her
shoes hut her hands were trembling
SO She WAS forced To desist. She sat
up again. telling herself it was better
chimin. had ceased for the striking OF
twelve sometimes disturbed or awak
ened the soundcSi sleeper. The clock
tower seemed dangerously near. as if it
We're approaching her hour Ivy hour.
Al last the shoes came of. and in
stockings feet She STOOD 10y the secret
door, waiting I'LL the frightfully rapid
bvaiin. of hcr heart should moderate.
II threatened 10 choke her Then she
4 slid back the bar and drew open the
door all so smoothly oiled that there
+ Wis NOT the whisper OF creak. She tip
I tocl INFO The cavern of hlackncSS ant!
silence. holding her spread hands in
4 front IF her moving slowly With the
utmost caution. step lay Step.
In her mind snc had estimated. from
her earlier survey Of the room. that
nine steps would take her To the bed
] Now She realized She had taken a
dozen and Vet lad not come To it, She
stood hcwlderc. and listened The
lielPle>sncS> 81 Il person in thc pitch
dark thrilled! her With Il new fear up
setting all her calculations The panic
OF pulSation i'll her throat and i'll her
ears IL lirst rendered amy attempt at
listening futile. Int Il, last She heard his
regular hrcaihins. ;is peaceful rs that
OF IAN infant ANA ii came from the
other side OF TIE room. For II moment
this terrified her and She wondered ii
She We're really awake ar in the mizeS
OF some battling nightmare. but the So
lutioii c:iiase 10 hei mind and quoted
the growing agitation II had been his
bed that lie lad dragged across the
floor. and he wa> now sleeping against
the outside door Size ching. her di-
reclion ana, with her i..ins lcal,h.
came ghosiihn 10 the edge of couch.
Ills dolhlct w.is open III throat:
that WAS ,riavh u The 20, Like Il
snowflake in It's celsiaeSs AK its light
ness her ha,Y' stole down underneath
his vest iiutirrcl bs Tie SLOW steady.
sul,ducl beating II his heart running
no such wild race ~ her own III that
moment. II seemed Incredible that ut
last her fingers closed ON the parch-
ment. but there ii lay. aud gently she
drew il forth. Was the robbery To be
80 easily accomplished after all: Nh.
She had congratulated herself too soon.
1t stuck fast. Either the silken cord
that bound il WAS caught or the dOcu-
mcnt was secured TO the vest. Il con-
lingcncy She had never thought of. and
vet what more natural: Twice she
tuggei ii gently. then Il third time
more Strcnuously. when il came uneN-
pcctedly away ani her knuckles struck
the sleeper under the chin. Instantly,
liks. the snap of Il steel trap. his fingers
rang out rs witlca wake and clear as
ever he had spoken 10 her:
, ''lsranccS.''
Now The racin:, heart stopped dead
Lucky for her That nj this supreme mo
menl all action WIS impossible and
, that She was stricken into frozen mar
BILE. She imagined he was awake and
knew her and then the cold horror OF
her. situation nnmbcd thought at its
, source.
..lrranccs." The voice came more
slecpily this time. and he repeated
thrice. Very rapidly Frances. Frances
, Frances !'oe!., her heart had takci
I'm its work again She was not 10 iii.
as She had feared, Sudden With drow
sinoSs. his voice ramblcd on. Then thu
> words became indistinct and die,
away. Hut alas. The grip of iron re
NAMED on her wrist For long time
j, She stood there motionlesS. then triet
, to disenyage his fingers gently. but n
the first movement the grasp tightenet
! again one o'clock struck He slep
so silently that it began to appear t.
her agitated brain that she was :
!. prisoner. Of the dead She came nca
to sinking from very WEAKNESS. lW'
4 O'Clock tollc, from the tower Some
n times She fancied She slept standing
. there. hut her five iaioiS did not sleep
Sll,. kept wonderin. in which direction
:. lay the open door. for ut times tn
!, room seemed 10 swim around her. thu
!, disturbing all sense OF locality. Sh'
almost laughed aloid when she though
Of herself free. but cropping helplessl.
for the open door. failing To ind II. ant
!. she Shu,idered that even the remeM
~. a m