Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-09-07

away instantly, he made no movement
| think absolute terror had him by the
throat Then he stepped back, with
out turning, retreating foot by foot
from the dread in the corner, and | do
not think he breathed.
Then, with the relief of space be-
tween us, screamed, ear-splittingly,
madly, and they heard me outside.
in the chimney" l shrieked. Be
hind the mantel! the mantel!'
With an oath the figure hurled it.
self across the room at me, and |
screamed again. In his blind fury he
had missed me; | heard him strike the
wall. That one time l eluded him;
was across the room. and had got
the chair. He stood for a second,
listening, then-he made another rush,
and | struck out with my weapon.
think it stunned him. for had a sec
ond's respite when l could hear him
breathing, and some one shouted out
side:
"We--can't--g et-in. How-does-
it-open?"
But the man in the room had chang
ed his tactics. I knew he was creep
ing on me, inch by inch, and I could
not tell from where. And then-he
caught me. He held his hand over
my mouth, and bit him. | was help
less. strang}irg- some one was
trying to break in the mantel from out
side. 1t began to yield somewhere, for
thin wedge of yellowish light was
reflected on the opposite wall. When
he saw that, my assailant dropped me
with a curse; then-the opposite wall
swung open noiselessly closed again
without sound. and was alone. The
intruder was gone.
In the next room!' | called wildly.
"The next room!" But the sound OF
blows on the mantel drowned my
voice. BY the time had made them
understand, couple of minutes had
elapsed The pursuit was taken up
then, by all except Alex, who was de-
termined to liberate me. When |
stepped out into the trunk room, a
free woman again, / could hear the
chase far below.
l must say, for all Alexis anxiety to
set me free, he paid little enough at
tention to my plight He jumped
through the opening into the secret
room, and picked up the portable
safe
81 am going to put this in Mr.. Hal
sey's room, Miss Innes,'' he said, 'and
shall send one Of the detectives to
guard it."
| hardly heard him I wanted to
laugh and cry in the same breath
to crawl into bed and have a cup OF
tea, and scold Liddy, and do any of
the thousand natural things that had
never expected to do again. And the
air! The touch of the cool night air
on my face!
AS Alex and | reached the second
floor, Mr.. Jameson met us. He was
grave and quiet, and he nodded com
prehendingly when he saw the safe.
will you come with me for a
moment, Miss Innes?' he asked sober.
| ly, and on my asserting, he led the
way to the east wing. There was
! lights moving around below, and some
Of the maids were standing gaping
! down. lhey screamed when they saw
me- and drew back to let me pass
| There was a sort of hush over the
scene; Alex behind me, muttered past
me without ceremony Then realized
/ that man was lying doubled up a
| the foot of the staircase and thai
! Alex was STOPPING over him.
AS | came slowly down, Winters
stepped back, and Alex Strengthened
/ himself, looking at me across the body
/ with impenetrable eyes. In his hanC
| he held a shaggy gray wig, and before
me on tha floor lay the man whose
| headstone stood in Casanova church
| yard--Paul Armstrong
Winters told the story in doze1
j words. In his headlong flight dowl
i the circular staircase, with Winters
/ just behind. Paul Armstrong hat
pitched forward violently. struck Iii!
| head against the Goor TO the cas-
veranda, and probably broken his neck
He had died as Winters reached him
AS the detective gnished, | say
/ Halsey, pale and shaken, in the care
/ room doorway, and for the first tins
that night | lost my self-control.
put my arms around my boy, and TO
a moment he had to support me.
second later, over Halsey's shoulder
saw something that turned my emo
ton into the channels, for, behind hin
in the shadowy card room, were Ger
i rude and Alex, the gardener, and =
i there is no use mincing matters
i was kissing her!
/ was unable TO speak. Twice
opened my moth; then turned Halse
around and pointed They We're quit
unconscious Of us; her head was o.
his shoulder, his face against her hail
AS it happened, it was MI. Jamieso
who broke up the lableau.
He stepped over 10 Alex and touche
: him on the arm
And now" he said quietly, how