Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1909-09-15


blackness above her. 1t was as if,
rendered supersensitive by strain and
excitement, the quivering filaments Of
her subconsciousness, like spiritual
tentacles feeling ahead of her, had
encountered and recoiled from shape
of evil, specter of horror obscene and
malign, crouching, ready to spring,
there, in the shadow of night.
And her breath was smothered in
her throat and her heart smote so
madly against the frail walls of it's
cage that they seemed like to burst.
while she stood transfixed, frozen in
inaction. limbs stiffening, roots of her
hair stirring, fingers gripping the BAN
lister rail until they panied her; and
with eyes that stared wide into the
black heart Of nothingness, until the
night seemed pricked with evanescent
periods Of dim fire, peopled with mon
strous and terrible shadows closing
Yeti was absurd! She must not
yield to such puerile superstitions.
There was nothing there.
There was something there :.
something that like an incarnation Of
hatred was stalking her.
If only she dared scream! II only
she dared turn and fly, back to the
comfort Of light and human COM
pany!
There arose a trampiing of feet In
the hallway; and she heard Maitland's
voice like far echo, as he babe the
police good night. And distant and
unreachable as he seemed, the sound
of his words brought her strength and
some reinsurance, and she grew
slightly more composed. Yet, the in
slant that he had turned away to talk
to the cabman, her fright of that I'm.
speakable and incorporeal menace
flooded her consciousness like a great
wave, sweeping her-metaphoricall
off her feet. And indeed, for the time,
she felt as if drowning, overwhelmed
In vast waters, sinking, sinking into
the black abyss of syncope.
Then, as drowning persen-were
told-clutches at straws, she grasped
again at the vibrations of his voice.
What was he saying?
"You will wait outside, please, until
I come out or send somebody, whom
you will take wherever directed. %
Speaking to the cabman. think
ing of her, providing for her escape!
Considerate and foresighted as al
ways! How she could have thanked
| him! The warmth Of gratitude that
| enveloped her almost unnerved her;
she was put to it to restrain her i'm
pulse to rush down the stairs and
But no; she must not risk the
chance of rebuff. How could she fore
tell what was in his mind and heart,
how probe the depths of his feeling
toward her? Perhaps he would re-
ceive her protestations in skeptic spir-
it. Heaven knew he had cause to-!
Dared she :. To be repulsed!
But no. He had provided this means
| for flight; she would advantage her.
self of it and and thank him
| by letter. Best so; for he must ever
never undeceive him-pride restrain
| ing and upholding her.
Better so; she would go, go quickly,
before he discovered her absence from
| the fiat.
And incontinently she swung about
and flew down the stairs, silently,
treading as lightly on the heavily.
padded steps as though she had been
thistledown whirled adrift by the
| wind, altogether needless Of the
| creeping terror she had sensed on the
| upper fight, careless of all save her
immediate need to reach that cab be-
| fore Maitland should discover that she
had escaped.
The door was just closing behind
the cabby as she reached the bottom
step; and she paused, considering that
it were best to wait moment, at
least, lest he should be surprised at
the quickness with which his employ
er found work for him; paused and on
some mysterious impulse half turned,
glancing back up the stairs.
Not thought too soon; another in
stant's hesitation and she had been
| caught, Some one-a man-was de-
scending; and rapidly Maitland?
Even in her brief glance she saw the
white shield Of shirt bosom CLEAN
dull against the shadows Maitland
was in evening dress. Could it be
possible >?
No time now for conjecture, time
now only for action. She sprang for
the door, had it open in a trice, and
| before the cabby was really en-
throned upon his lofty box, the girl
was on the step, fair troubled face
upturned to him in wild entreaty.
Hurry" she cried, distracted.
Drive of, at oncei Please-oh,
pleased"
Selling reins and whip. he jerked
the startled animal between the shafts
out of its abstraction and
L say, cabby! One moment"
The cabman turned; the figure on
the stoop of the house was undoubted-
| ly Maitland as he had Just