The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-08-14
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agtteArHsion eo9id be seeb. vas tho
oaly creature hat brea,hed tho air ~
,AAt bleak and aingy roam.
Gfcp aside the curtain. and threw
~ the ~lndoS. 1, opened merely on
a igl' Ecii. and the blank walls DO
yond gave back tho CHEEKY reflection
Of a patch Of sunshine hat fell at an
angle from above.
The freaher air that crcpt 10 from
the window cleared my mind. a dash
OF water refreshed my body and ! vas
ready once more TO face whatever
might befaii.
looked at my watch. Il was 8
O'Clock, and | had slept four hours In
this place. Truly ! had been impru-
dent after my adventure below. but
had been right In trusting Mother
Borton. Then ! began u realize that
! was outrageously hungry. and | re-
membeted that | should be at the
Office by 3 20 receive the commands
OF Doddridge Knapp. should he choose
to send them. ti'. t.f
l threw back the bolt, but when I
tried to swing the door open 1t re-
sisted my efforts. The key had been
missing when i closed 1t, but q sliding
bolt had fastened 1t securely. Now /
saw that the door was locked.
Here was a strange p~erdicament. !
had heard nothing OF the noise Of the
key before, / lost myself. in slumber.
Mother Borton must have turned 1t as
an additional precaution as ! slept
HIT how was l 10 get out? / hesitated
to make a noise that could ,attract at
tention. 1t might bring some one lass
kindly disposed than my hostess OF the
might. But there was no other way.
I was trapped, and must take the risk
of summoning assistance. +
l. l raped, on the panel and listened
mo sound rewarded me. l raped
again more vigorously, but only 81.
Hence followed. fhes house might
have been the grave for all the signs
of life it gave back, {
There was something ominous about
| It. To be locked, thus, in a dark room
of this house in which l had already
| my spirit and resolution for the mo-
ment5 What lay without the. door, my
|. apprehension asked me. Was it part
of the plot to get the secret it was
supposed l held?i Had AInther Borton
been murdered and the house seized?
fOrWhadl Mother Bortou played me
false and was now a prisoner to my
own party for my enforced imposture,
as one who kIewftoo much TO be left
at large and toe little to be OF use?
l On q second and 1calmer Thought il
was evidently folly to bring my jailers
about my ears, II jailers there We're.
i abandoned my i~half-formed plan OF
4breaking down the door. and turned to
the window and the light-well. An.
sother 4 window faced on the same
space, o five feet away. If it were
but opened l might swing myself orer
and through it; but it was closed, and
a curtain hid the unknown possibili-
I ties and dangers OF the interior. A
dozen feet above was the roof, with no
projection or foothold by which it
might be reached, Below, the light.
well ended in a timed floor, about four
feet from the window sill. ~ ZEE
l swung myself down, and with two
steps was trying the other window. 1t
was unlocked. l raised the sash eau,
tiousiy but its ereaking protest
seemed to my excited ears to be loud
enough to wake any but the dead. i
stopped and listened after each squeak
of the frame. There was no sign of
movement.
Then / pushed aside the curtain
cautiously, and looked within. The
room appeared absolutely bare. Gain.
ing confidence at the sight, l threw
the curtain farther back. and with a
bound climed in, revolver in hand.
The room was, as l had thought
bare and deserted. There was a musty
smell about it, as though it had not
been opened for a long time, and dust
and desolation lay heavy upon 1t.
There was, however, nothing here
to Hnger for. and ] FASTENED to try the
door. 1t was locked. ! stopped to exs
anime the fastening IT was Of the
cheapest kind, attached to door and
easement ny, small screws With 4
good wrench II, gave way, and / found
myself in a dark side-hall between
two Topms. Three Steps brought me
to theE pdain hall. andsI recognized It
for the same through which I had felt
myawSsz An the sdafkhess u the night
rtcs5x- my" Cautiously dow. the
stairs, Following Me way that led to
the side entrance. The saloon and
restaArane room was anxious e
harkesper Ind ssevsfal loahrSfS about.
1t could not be avoided, however. Az