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

Continued.
had even gone down upon my knees
and looked under the bed to appease
his curiosity. And yet now vague
Nneasiness possessed me as raised
the lamp shade and looked round the
foom. The dark oak wainscot, the
sombre hangings, the painted ceiling
overhead, absorbed the light; there was
b black void on the opposite side Of
the bed, where the lamp was intercept
ed by curtains; could not see even
the outline of the great press
I readjusted the shade, turned the
wick higher, and, half undressed,
threw myself upon the bed. I was not
afraid; in strength I was match for
any natural foe, and did not believe
In the existence of any other; yet I
felt myself infected with Van Hoeck's
presentiment of impending calamity.
Van Hoeck's theory of Lola's COM
plicity in plot to steal the diamond
had been upset by the fact that 1 was
watching her asleep at my door at the
very time Edith believed she saw the
girl looking through her blinds; but
this had in no wise shaken his convic-
ton that the mysterious appearance
was connected with the scheme to rob
us.
"Are a mans convictions to be lim-
tied by his senses?' he asked. "You
are convinced that cloud Is rising in
the horizon because you see 1t, but am
/ to deny its existence because l have
no sight? Are you justified, then, in
declaring that we are not menaced
by this disaster which is to overwhelm
us because you have not my faculty
Of precision? You who cannot deny
the prescience Of bee, the PRESENT.
ment Of coming storm to cattle, tell
me that my conviction is nothing. 1t
Is only by conviction that we live.
What saves us from destruction but
the conviction that by stepping into
an abyss, we must fall? tell you to
look about you; you are on the edge of
an abyss. There are signs to strike
the dullest intelligence. Your turn
will Gomez
had hung my watch in the pocket
upon the hanging at the head of the
bed; its lively ticking sounded strange
ly out of keeping with the gloom and
stiffness Of the surroundings. The
shaded light gave funeral aspect to
the bed hanging; the baldaquin over
my head might have been a cata-
falque for the dead wondered how
many men had ended their days on
this bed since those hangings had been
put up. Would Van Hoeck's PRESENT.
ment be fulfilled? Should l be found
there in the morning dead?
1t was well suited for a murder, that
bed, with its pall-like hangings to con-
ceal the lurking murderer.
Tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac, tic"
tao.
: My ear had become so familiar to
the brisk movement of my watch that
the slightest sound was audible above
1t. And sound slight, indeed, heard.
To my mind, dwelling then upon as
IL SOuliuCN llht lHt W lHS
of a dagger from its sheath.
, Turning my head toward the side
from which the sound proceeded, l
fancied / saw the heavy curtain move;
1t was between me and the lamp. The
movement was as slight US the sound.
If it was fact that I heard one, it
was a fact that saw the other.
1 drew myself up gradually, and,
leaning forward, | suddenly flung
back the curtain with my left hand.
nothing to be seen beyond but the
lamp burning steadily on the table,
the saddle back chair and the dim out
line of the big chimney piece.
+ got upon my knees and pushed the
curtain fiat against the wall, to be
sure that there could by no possibility
be any one concealed in the heavy
folds-to assure myself that my sus-
picion was utterly without foundation.
The end of the room was cOmpara-
lively light and the sadde-back chair
was so placed as to preclude the pos
sibility of any one hiding beyond it.
If the curtain had indeed moved, it
must have been by hand from under
the bed. 1t was easy to believe that
I had been mistaken in seeing the
slight movement than to suppose that
] had overlooked a concealed thief
when looked under the bed to salts
fly Won Hoeck; so let the curtain fall
and lay down again.
My thoughts still dwelt upon the idea
of assassination. Setting aside the
idea of an intrigue in which Lola was
concerned, there was yet nothing pre-
posterous in Van Hoeck's PRESENT.
ment. There were eight or ten SER
wants in the house, and undoubtedly
every one of them knew of the mar
velous treasure in my keeping. They
would tell their friends in the adjacent
village, the keepers. the tradespeople--
in a few days the story would be car
r1ed out and made known to hundreds;
and was there none among them
whose cupidity might take practical
form? 1t was quite possible that un-
der this very roof there was one with
the ingenuity and daring to plan and
execute the robbery. A servant inti-
mately acquainted with the arrange
ment of the rooms and the peculiarities
of the building would probably know
of the external means of communica-
ton between the bay and the oriel
windows. Without this knowledge no
one, 1t seemed to me, would dare to