The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-09-29

No Trap-Door Revealed Itself.
inches across, and standing perhaps
Is inches high and three feet apart,
with cap to prevent rain from en-
tering and raised to permit the pas
sage of air. l picked up a pebble
from the roof and dropped 1t down.
listening with my ear at one of the
pipes. I could hear it strike On some
thing with a sharp, metallic sound,
but it was impossible for me to tell
how far 1t had gone
gave up finally and went down the
ladder again, getting in through the
ballroom window without being OBJ
served I went back at once to the
trunkroom, and, sitting down on a
box, gave my mind, as consistently as
l could, to the problem before me. If
the pipes In the roof were ventilators
to the secret room, and there was no
trap-dOor above, the entrance was
probably in one of the two rooms be-
tween which 1t lay-unless, indeed,
the room had been built, and the open
ing closed with a brick and mortar
wall.
The mantel fascinated me. Made of
wood and carved, the more I looked
the more I wondered that I had not
noticed before the absurdity of such
a mantel in such place. 1t was GOV
cred with scrolls and panels, and fin
ally, by the merest accident, pushed
one of the panels at the side. 1t
moved easily, revealing a small brass
knob.
1t is not necessary to detail the
fluctuations of hope and despair, and
not little fear of what lay beyond,
with which ] twisted and turned the
knob. Il moved, but nothing seemed
to happen, and then 7 discovered TIE
trouble. I pushed the knob vigorous.
ly to one side, and the whole man.cl
swung loose from the wall almoat a
foot. revealing a cavernous space be-
yond.
I took a long breath, closed the
door from the trunkroom into the hall
thank heaven, did not lock it-and
pulling the mantel-door wide open, I
stepped into the chimney-room. had
time to get hazy view Of a small
portable safe, common wooden table
and chair-then the mantel door
swung to, and clicked behind me. |
stood quite still for moment, in the
darkness, unable to comprehend what
had happened. Then turned and beat
furiously at the door with my fists
1t was closed and locked again, and
my fingers in the darkness slid over a
smooth wooden surface without sign
of knob.
I was furiously angry-at myself, at
the mantel-door, at everything. did
not fear suffocation; before the
thought had come to me had already
seen CLEAN of light from the two
small ventilating pipes in the roof
They supplied air, but nothing else
, The room itself was shrouded In
blackness.
!, | must have dozed off. am sure
, composed in my life. l remember
planning, If l were not discovered
who would have my things | knew
Liddy would want my heliotrope pop
lin, and she's a fright in lavender
Once or twice heard mice in the par
titions, and so | sat on the table, will
my feet on the chair. | imagined
could hear the search going OF
through the house, and once some
one came into the trunkroom; I coult
distinctly hear footsteps.
I'm the chimney In the chimney
I called with all my might, and wa.
rewarded by a piercing Shrek from
Liddy and the slam of the trunkroon
door.
felt easier after that, although tn,
, room was oppressively hot ant
enervating. I had no doubt the searcl
for me would now come in the RICH
. direction, and after little, I droppe,
into a doze How long ! slept | d,
not know.
1t must have been several hours
for | had been tired from busy day
and | walked stiff from my awkwar,
position I could not remembe
! where | was for few minutes, an
my head felt heavy and congested
Gradually | reused to my surround
ngs, and to the fact that in spite Q
ventilators, the air was bad and grow
ing worse. | was breathing Ions
. gasping respirations. and my face wa
damp and clammy. I must have bee
there long time, and the searcher
were probably hunting outside tn
mouse. dredging the creek, or beatin
, the woodland. | knew that anothe
hour or two would find me uncol
I scious, and with my inability to CT
out would 60 my only chance Of re