Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-09-12

AcoplhS LILY eye uVoh tue curtain
drew back to the foot of the bed. To
get to the door l must cross the room.
and inevitably be seen by the murder.
GUS rascal as he stood there on the in.
ner side Of the bed curtain; and ar.
rived at the door must turn the key
twice, and the handle as well before he
overlook me. On the other hand, he
had to disengage himself from the
folds Of the curtain and recover the
start had Of him.
The chances were pretty equal, and
I determined to save myself by flight
rather than risk the fatal result of
the unequal encounter.
made my way noiselessly in
straight line down the room until got
opposite the door, then made a rush
for 1t across the open space. I got to
the door and with furious haste groped
for the key-it was gone!
grasped the handle in the hope that
I might be able to tear the lock of;
the screw had been taken out. and the
knob slid of the spindle in my hand.
I was lost.
1t astonishes me now to think with
what celebrity and adroitness these pre-
cautions against my escape had been
made.
The man had not rushed after me;
there was no desperate pursuit of that
kind; he knew l was trapped. Only
as turned my eyes back to the place
where he stood l perceived that the
light was dying out.
There was but narrow rim of blue
fame above the wick; 1t faded away.
| and all was dark.
There are degrees Of Garkness; this
| seemed to me the last degree. felt
| as il was sunk in lake Of pitch.
If I called for help it was not GER
tain that the heavy sleeping Judge
I would hear me. Possibly Sir Edmund
was yet awake. but thought of Ed
| ith. and, besides, l knew that before
| assistance could come, before the door
could be burst. all would be over.
| Probably my foe was already ap-
preaching me; my cry would be the
signal for him to spring upon me.
No, my only chance Of escape was
in maintaining silence and keeping
him in ignorance of my position. II
accident brought us into contact.
trusted to my physical strength and
good luck to be match for him and
his knife in the subsequent struggle.
The diamond buckled to my wrist
might serve me in the fight; l might
stun the fellow with it IL fortune only
favored my arm.
1t was a duel between US, and, any
way, would sell my life dearly.
With this resolve, drew away from
the door toward that part Of the room
where, as fancled, the carved press
stood. kept my arms free, my body
crouched together and every muscle
tense and ready.
backed n few feet from the door.
and then l stopped, as the reelection
crossed my mind that might be back
ing toward my adversary. Then | re-
at least l might have stood safe from
rear attack.
| could hear nothing but the throb-
bing of the blood in my temples and
the tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac, tic
tao of my watch behind me, yet l
knew that the murderer must be mov-
ing.
| He had his work to do. ard must
have made up his mind how to do it
before putting out the light. l could
ness were horrible, with the possibili-
ty of his falling upon me from behind.
Yet. how was l to guard against that
attack. not knowing where he was?
| Possibly his visual power was strong
er than mine.
knew by the ticking of my watch
that the bed was somewhere behind
| me, and that ought TO be facing the
oriel; and as l strained my eyes to
catch any rays Of light that might ex-
ist. 1 fancied I detected dim gray
| seam in the blackness before me-pOs.
sibly the curtains masking the oriel
We're slightly parted.
AS continued to stare in that direc-
| tiOn, became convinced that this was
| the fact and, slight though the assur.
| security; in that direction l might
| know of my foes approach. And,
sure enough, at that very moment the
gray seam was blocked out.
He was there, between me and the
oriel. My first impulse was TO end the
terrible suspense, and spring forward
upon him; but prudence checked me.
He might be close to me, or he might
be close to the oriel-it was impossible
for me to tell merely by the absence
of faint light. If, in sprlnging for
ward, lie would have me at his mercy.
and a short death was the only kind
of mercy had to expect. Again, what
feeble light there was must fall upon
me, as l faced it-an advantage for
him, terrible peril for me.
| ! resolved to back toward the wall
at the upper end of the room, and
guided still by the ticking of my watch,
| l drew back with the stealthy caution
! of cat
Suddenly saw the gray seam Of
! light again. Had he gone to the right
or left2 l knew not. Quickly l
stretched my foot out behind me;
felt something, and for the instant
thought had touched the fellow, but
as turning about l CROPPED my hand
forward, encountered the cold wood
work of the bedstead. 1t was one Of
carved pillars l drew myself UP and
got my back against it. Now, at least,
| that dreaded stab in the back was less
| probable.
To be continued.