Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-10-25
CONTINUED


This is very interesting. Go on
with your story. Why didn't you col
lar him while he was in this mood?
You would have won by the surprise"
II had no pistol, sir, and he had. l
heard him cock it. | thought he was
going to take his own life and held
my breath for the report, but nothing
like that was in his mind. Instead he
laid the pistol down and deliberately
tore in two the object of his anger.
Then with smothered curse he made
for the door and turret staircase.
Il was for following but not till
had seen what he had destroyed in
such an excess of feeling. l thought
knew, but | wanted to feel sure. So
before rlsking myself in the turret
crept to the room he had left and felt
about on the floor till | came upon
these"
"a torn photograph. Mrs. Fairbroth-
er'sv
Yes. Have you not heard how he
loved her? A foolish passion, but evil
IDENTITY sincere and
Never mind comments, Sweetwater.
Stick to facts"
Il will, sir. They are interesting
enough. After | had picked up these
scraps | stole back to the turret stair
case. And here | made my first break.
| stumbled in the darkness, and the
man below heard me, for the pistol
clicked again. | did not like this. and
had some thoughts of backing out of
my job But l didn't. merely wait
ed till | heard his step again. Then l
followed
"But very warilv this time. 1t was
not an agreeable venture. 1t was like
descending into a well with possible
death at the bottom. could see moth
ing and presently could hear nothing
but the almost lmperceptible sliding of
my own fingers down the curve Of the
wall, which was all had to guide me.
Had he stopped midway and would my
first intimatiOn of his presence be the
touch of cold steel or the tnging
around me OF two murderous arms? |
had met with no break in the smooth
surface of the wall. so could not have
! should get there the question would be
whether to leave the staircase and
seek him in the maZes of its great
rooms or to keep on down 90 the parlor
floor and so to the street whittier he
WAS possibly bound. | own that | was
| almost tempted to turn on my light
and have done with ii, but | remem-
bered of how little use | should be to
YOU lying in this well of a stairway
with a bullet in me, and so | managed
to compose myself and 90 on as | had
begun. Next instant my fingers slipped
round the edge Of an opening, and |
knew that the moment of decision had
come Realizing that no one can move
so softly that he will not give away
his presence in some way. paused for
the sound which I knew must come,
and when click rose from the depths
OF the hall before me | plunged into
that hall and thus into the house
proner
"IIcrc it was not so dark, yet could
make ont none Of the objects | now
and then ran against. | passed mir
rOr Il hardly know how | knew il to be
SuchI and in that mirror ! seemed to
see the ghost of Il ghost fit by and
vanish IT was too much. | muttered
suppressed oath and plunged fdr-
| ward when | struck against closing
door. 1t flew open again. and | rushed
in turning on my light in my extreme
desperation. when, instead of hearing
the SHARP renort of u pistol. as | eX
pcctcd. SAW Il second door fall to be
fore ne. this time with ii sound like
the snap of II spring lock. Finding
that this was 50. and that all advance
was barred that way. | wheeled hur
ric lly back toward the door by which
| had entered the place, to find that
that had fallen TO simultaneously Will
thu other. Il SINCE spring acting fol-
bpih | was trapped prisoner in the
strangeSt sort Of passag eway or closet
ami as Il speedy look about presently
assured me- Il prisoner with very LITTLE
hope of Immediate escape, for the
doors were not only immovable. with
out even locks TO pick or panels tC
break in. but the place was bare OF
windows, and the only communication
which it could be said to have with tht
outside world at all was a shaft RISING
from the ceiling almost to the top o.
the house. Whether this served as /
ventilator, or a means of lighting VI
the hole when both doors We're shut
II was much too inaccessible TO offe
any apparent way of escape
r "Never was a man more thorough,
boxed in. AS | realized how littl
chance there was of any outside inter
ference, how my captor even if h
: was seen leaving the house by the Off
Ger on duty. would be taken for my
. self and so allowed to escape, | owl
that | felt my position hopeless one
But anger is a powerful stimuant. ani