The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-22
CHAPTER xxxv1.
Susncnsc.

Olive WAS now eager for the next
development. OF the scheme against
her life. Tno rigid discipline to which
! SHE had subjected herself while In the
house was bearing excellent fruit She
was complete mistress OF herself, of
every faculty and every nerve, and.
what might prove OF even moro impor-
lance. of every muscle in her young,
1.-the. strong body.
She would have to fight for her life.
She understood that. and all that 1t
involved Merridew had come with this
last falsehood In order that she might
he deceived and caught off her guard.
The glance she had seen from him as
he left the room showed that he be-
lieved he had quite succeeded. But
| 1t would be his turn next time to be
caught Off his guard
Whatever their plan might be-and
the woman had said more than enough
to let Olive understand its main lines-r
she must appear to be deceived by it,
and this gave her con siderable thought.
She must, OF course. appear to have
taken the drug they had given her.
and tho question which filled her with
| anxious speculation was what. next
step Merridew would take to @scer-
tain this.
Would he come himself to see. or
| would he first send UP the woman2
| She guessed 1t would be hehatter. He
had said he was going away, and In his
desire to keep secret the fact OF his
presence In the house. he would send
the woman up lest Olive should not
have taken the drug and find out his
| lie. and thus prove a less easy victim.
But she must be prepared for either
course. II Merridew came, Olive must
attack him suddenly, and she had al
ready thought of tho means She had
| a weapon with which. II she could but
| find the opportunity for n blow. she
could certainly disable him
| This was the short iron bar used to
| keep the laths of her bedstead taut.
| She had often taken this out for the
purpose of her exercises. and she knew
she could use II with deadly effect.
Her plan would be. therefore, to af-
| feet to be unconscious. but TO have
this weapon at her side. and then to
find moment when he was off his
| guard and strike him down.
But II the woman came she had a
different plan. 70 use the weapon on
her would only rouse Merridew's suspi-
sions, and Olive would still be locked
| in her prison with the certain prospect
that he would find other means. prob
ably with moro help. to accomplish hsi
purpose.
She must. therefore. manasa to deal
with the woman almost silently, so
| that Merridew should have no thought
! of her being able to offer resistaEec.
She thought all this out and was soon
| ready for either emergency.
| She did not touch the food which
he'd been brought her; but having made
/ 1t appear as IL she had botn eaten
| and drunk freely, she drc~ out the
iron bar from the bed Pad sat down
on the bed In such ?. position that,
while appearing to te overcome With
| the drug, she could readily make the
| attack she had planned.
She knew :hat ther't would not be
| long to wait. Whatever the drug was,
1 It was sure to be rapid Nv its effects,
and one OF the two below would soon
| come to learn the result
(. Some minutes passed and she used
I the time to practice the simulation OF
lnsavy stertorous breathing, such as
4 sheS concluded would be the result OF
kthe drug.
1t was now quite dark. but Olives
1 experience during the time she had
Ebeen shut up there had accustomed her
eyes to darkness and she could easily
make out the objects in the room.
The house below was still az at
j midnight, and strain her ears as Olive
Il
Then suddenly beam of light
4 flashed across the ceiling, and she
4 caught the sound of footstep on the
/ ground outside, Some one had beer
/ Inspecting the path to the mine shaft
she thought. and had thrown the light
/ OF lantern UP to her window
Strong confirmation this of her sus.
i picions.
1 Soon afterward she heard tho stairs
/ creak; some one fumbled at the lock
1 Of her door, and then aAlight. faint anc
i dim, showed through the. Echinks.
4 The door was opened very stealthily
To her relief Olive saw that 1t was the
/ woman.
She paused by the door. first peerins
In and holding the lantern q behind =, her
i "Have YOU finished, mlss2" The ques
4 ton was little more than whisper
at first, but when Olive did not repl.
LIT was repeated in a louder tone ane
4 with more confidence.
j The lantern was put down and Mrs
j Tisley advanced into the room, closing
! j,he door behind her. AT first she do
not see Olive. but presently made hel
Il out, and then crossed the room to hel
4 side and looked closely into her face.
\ Olive did not open her eyes ane
. breathed heavily. She felt her HAND
4 lifted. and when it was released shs
1 let 1t fall lstlessly
4 An oath of satisfaction sllpped on
of the woman's lips. and she shool
4 olive by the shoulder. You SLY devil
I you've taken It all right. Curse you
. youth wake up presently, and then
She got no further than that for tn
!, next instant Olive had caught her b,
the throat, and with dexterous twis
threw her on to the bed and held he
! down. Caught thus entirely by sur
prise, the woman had no chance In TIL
!, strong hands that gripped her throa
:, and squeezed 1t till the breath coul'
{ . not pass.
!, She was at bay, lighting for8her life
81 and, she had a further task
j, Raising the iron bar she stood owe
: the covering wretch and threatened t
beat out her brains II she dared Il
. utter a sound; and then, taking TIL
r|little jug Of milk. she forced her t
II swallow 1t. In dire fright the woma
'.Itried to resist. but Olive held to tn
a task until, little by little, much as sh
!, would have forced 1t on an animal. tn
) whole contents OF the lug had bee
Al drunk.
! watching, her intently she saw tn
]. |'drug take effect, and as soon as IN
was apparent, she stripped theeWmRn'