Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-23

to her for ever, because of last night.
But here she was safe for a few short
hours, and free to make assurance
doubly sure.
There remained the dispatch box,
the black japanned tin box which had
proved obdurate yesterday. She had
come prepared to break Its lock this
time, If need be: Maitland's careless
ness spared her the necessity.
She lifted 1t out of lower drawer,
and put it in her lap. The smallest
key fitted the lock at the first attempt.
The lid came up and
Perhaps it liz not altogether discred-
| table that one should temporarily for
| get ones computations in the long-de-
ferred moment of triumph. The girl
uttered little cry of joy.
Crash!-the front door downstairs
had been slammed.
She was on her feet in breath.
faint with fear. Yet not so overcome
that she forgot her errand, her sue
cess. AS she stood up she dropped
the dispatch box back into the drawer.
without sound and, opening her
hand bag, stuffed something into it.
| No time to do more; dull rumble
Of masculine voices was distinctly,
frightfully audible in the stiffness Of
| the house; voices of men conversing
together in the inner vestibule. One
laughed and the laugh seemed to
penetrate her bosom like knife. Then
| both strobe across the thing and began
to ascend, as was clearly told her by
| footsteps sounding deadened on the
padded carpet.
Panic-stricken. she turned to the
student lamp and with a quick twirl
and upward jerk OF the chimney-catch
extinguished the fame A reek OF
smoke Immediately began to foul tho
close, hot air; and she knew that it
would betray her. but was helpless to
stop it. Besides, she was caught,
trapped, damned beyond redemption
unless-unless it were not Maitland,
after all, but one of the other tenants,
unexpectedly returned and bound for
another fiat.
Futile hope. Upon the landing by
the door the footsteps ceased; and a
key grated in the wards of the lock
Blind with terror, her sole thought
an instructive impulse to hide and so
avert discovery until the last possible
! instant, and on the bare chance OF
something happening to save her. the
| girl caught up her skirts and fed like
| a hun I'D ch ud fhrniub tho alrnva
through the bed chamber, thence down
the hall toward the dining room and
! kitchen offices.
The outer door was being opened
ere she had reached the hiding place
she had in mind-the trunk closet
from which, she remembered remark
ing, window opened upon Il fire.
escape 1t was barely possible, a
fighting chance
She closed the door, grateful that
its latch slipped silently into place,
and fairly flung herself upon the Win
dow. painfully bruising her soft hands
in vain endeavor to raise the sash 1t
stuck obstinately, would not yield.
Too late, she remembered that she
had forgotten to draw the catch
fatal oversight! A sob of terror
choked In her throat. Already foot
4 steps were hurrying down the hall; a
line Of light frightened underneath
the door; voices, excitedly keyed.
banded question and comment, an I'M
mistakable Irish brogue minging with
a clear enunciation which she had but
too great reason to remember. The
pair had passed into the next room.
She could hear O'Hagan announcing:
mo wan here, sor."
"Then it's the dining room, or the
trunk closet Come along."
One last, frantic attempt! But the
window catch, rusted with long dis
use, stuck. Painting, sick with fear
the girl leaped away and crushed her
self into corner, crouching on the
floor behind heavy box, her dark
cloak drawn up to shield her head.
And the door opened.
A flood of radiance from the re.
lighted student lamp fell athwart the
floor. The girl lay close and STILL hold
ing her breath.
Ten seconds, perhaps, licked on into
eternity; seconds that were in them
selves eternities. Then: "No one
here, O'Hagan."
The door was closed, and through
its panels more family came: Faith
and the numbering divvle must We
flew tn coop afore We come in,sor."
The girl tried to rise, to make again
for the window; but it was as though
her limbs had turned to water; there
was no strength in her; and the black
ness swan visibly before her eyes, ra
dating away in whirling, streaky cir
cles.
Even such resolution and strong will
as was hers could not prevail against
that numbing, deathly exhaustion. Hel
eyes closed and her head fell back
against the wall
1t seemed but an instant (thougt
1t was in point of fact full five min
utes) ere the sound of voice again
reused her.
She looked up, dazzled by a gust
Of warm light.
He stood in the doorway, holding the
lamp high above his head. his face
pale, grave, and Swallowed as he
peered down at her.
81 have sent O'Hagan away" he
said, gently. eff you will please t.
| aODoa nOw-o