Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-03-02


i eeept wariy after aim. ready TO fire
on tho instant but not wishing to
throw away my last cartridge
| He was now very near the end OF
the corridor. heard his feet strike
some boards that | remembered lay
| on the floor there. end | was neryed
| for a shot and a hand-to-band strug-
| gle, II 1t came to that.
was sure that lie sought the win
dow: heard his hands on the wall as
| he felt for IT. Then breath Of cold
air swept the passage, and J knew
| that he must be drawing himself up
10 the opening. fred and dropped
to the floor With the roar Of the ex-
pIosion ! heard BIN yell, but the ex-
pected return shot did not follow
The pounding of my heart seemed
to mark the passing Of hours. !
feared my foe was staying some trick,
creeping toward me, perhaps, to fire
at close range, or 10 gFapple with me
In the dark The cold air whistled
into the corridor. AID / began to feel
the chill Of ri Being fred upon is
| disagrccable enough. but waiting in
the dark for The shot is intolerablc I
| rose and walked toward the end Of
| the passage.
Then his revolver flashed and roared
directly ahead, the Fame Of ii so near
that 1t blinded me and the wad Of the
cartride burned and stmg my cheek. /
fell forward dazed and blinded, but
shook myself together in a moment
and got upon my feet. The draft of
| air no longer blew into the passage.
| Morgan had taken himself off through
| the window and closed it after him.
! made sure Of this by going to the
/ window and feeling 1t with my hands.
| / went back and CROPPED about for
| my candle, which found without diff.
| Guilty and lighted. | then returned to
the window to examine the catch TO
| my utter establishment it was fas.
tened with staples, driven deep into
the sash in such a way that it could
not possibly have been opened with
| out an expenditure of time and labor.
My eyes smarted from the smoke OF
| the last shot, ami my cheek stung
where the wadGing had struck my
| face. was alive, 5ut in my vexation
| and perplexity not | fear, wholly
| grateful for my safety 1t was, how.
ever, some consolation to feel sure
| had winged the enemy.
| gathered up the fragments Of Nor.
| gan's lantern and went back to the T.
brary. The lights in half the candle
| sticks had sputtered out. I extin.
| guished the remainder and started to
my room.
| Then, in the great dark hail. heard
| a muffled tread as of some one follow
| ing me-not on the broad staircase
| nor in any place could identify-yet
| Enthusiastically on steps of some sort
| beneath or above me. My nerves
We're already keyed to breaking
| pitch, and the ghost-like tread in the
wall angered me. Morgan, or his ally
Bates, undoubtedly, o reflected, at
some new trick | ran into my room
found heavy walking stick and set
| on for Bates room on the third floor
| 1t was always easy to attribute any
sort of mischief 10 the fellow, and
undoubtedly he was crawling through
i the house somewhere on an errand
| that BODIED no good 10 me.
1t was now past two o'clock and he
| should have been asleep and out of
the way long ago. | crept to his room
| and threw open the door without.
must say. the slightest idea Of find.
ing him there. But Bates, the enigma
Bates. the incompatible cook, the per.
feet servant, sat at a table, the light
of several candles falling on a book
over which he was bent with that
| maddening gravity he had never yet
in my presence thrown off
He rose at once, stood at attention
! inclining his head slightly.
| Yes, Mr.. Glenarm.
| Yes, the devil" | roared at him
| astonished at finding him-sorry. ]
] must say, that he was there, The
| stick fell from my hands. | did not
doubt he knew perfectly we'll that
had some purpose in breaking in upon
him. | was bafIled and in my rage
tioundered for words to explain my,
| self
| Il thought heard some one in the
house. / don't want you prowling
about in the night. do you hear?"
| Certainly not, sir" he replied in a
| grieved tone.
| glanced at the book he had been
reading. 1t was a volume of Shakes
| peare's comedies, open at the first
scene of the last act of Winters
Tale"
Quite pretty bit of work that, ]
should say he remarked. 1T was
one of my late masters favorites'
Go to the devil" | bawled at him
and went down 70 my room and
slammed the door in rage and
| ~hagrin.
CHAPTER XII.
Receive a Call.
Going to bed at three O'Clock on q
winter morning in a house whose