The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-04-30

cancer microbes. I keep it in an oven /
in a small laboratory which we have
not yet visited. Dagmar my dear,
light the lantern"
Miss Sorensen took up a small Ian
tern, applied a match to the candle |
within and, taking it in her hand pre- |
ceded us up the whole length of the |
laboratory to a door which had not |
noticed before, and which was stu
ated just behind DR.. Sorensen's couch. |
She opened it and waited for us to
come up to her. She then handed the
lantern to the professor
You go first, Uncle" she said, with
a laugh which sounded trifle I'M
steady. mo one knows your faVorite
haunts as well as you do. DR.. Halifax
will follow me-"
The professor took the lantern with
out making any comment. He began
to descend some narrow and steep
stairs. They were carpeted and ap-
peared, as far as I could see through
the gloom, to lead into another pas
sage further down. Miss Sorensen
followed her uncle Immediately. AS
he moved on, she threw her head
back and gave me a warning glance.
Take care, the stairs are steer"
she said 81 will count them for you.
l wish, Uncle Oscar, that you would
have this passage props1ly lighted.
The girls hand touched mine; il
was hot and feyerish. Follow me,
DR.. Halifax" she said. II must count
these horrid stairs, or am afraid
that I may stumble" 6he began to
count at onGS in losJ monotonous
| voice, throwing her voice back at me,
so that l doubt if the professor heard
her.
"One," she began, "two-three-fou
-ffve-six." When she had counted
to six, she made an abrupt pause.
We stood side by side on the sixth
step.
Seven is the perfect number" she
said in my ear; as she spoke, she ex-
tended her arm and thrust me fore
| IDLY back as | was about to advance.
| At the same instant the dim light of
the lantern went out, and l distinct
ly heard the door by which we had
entered this narrow passage close be-
| hind us. We were in the dark.
| was about to call out, when a horrid
noise fell upon my ears. 1t was the
heavy sound of a falling body. It
went down, down, making fearful
echoes as it banged against the sides
of what must have been a deep we'll.
Presently there was a splash, as if
it had fallen into water.
That splash was a revelation The
| body, whatever it was, had doubtless
dropped into the Neva Instantly l
| remembered Miss Sorensen's mysteri-
our words: Avoid the seventh step. .
| l recalled that we had gone down six
steps when she had pushed me back.
There was no seventh step! By this
trap, therefore, but for her warning,
would have been hurled into eternity
Alone and trembling in every limb
retraeed my steps to the door of the
upper laboratory, and felt vainly all
| along it's smooth, hard surface. Nc
chance of escape was to be found
there. The silence, and darkness OF
the grave surrounded me, broken only
by the faint, distant gurgle of run
ming water / felt my nerves totter
ing, and for brief moment trem
bled for my reason. Suddenly HAND
touched my arm, and voice spoke
to me in tense whisper.
Thank heaven you are here; come
with me as quietly as possible" Miss
Sorensen's hot fingers clasped my
hand and drew me forward. Once
again we descended to the sixth
step.
This way" she whispered. Sht
felt with her hands against the wall, ;
panel opened, and we found ourselve;
, in narrow passage with a very fain
light at the farther end. We passed
around a sort of semi-circular build
ing until we came to small poster
door in the wall, which she opened
and pushed me gently out into tn
street.
Farewell, she said, brave Amer
can; / have saved your life. Fare
well. l am Olga Krestofski, suspect
ed by the police, the owner of impol
tant secrets, the head of branch 0
the nihilists. / slammed illness an
assumed the name under which tray
. eled in order to convey certain paper
to st. Petersburg. Prof Sorensen, a
court physician, has not yet INQUIRE
the faintest breath of suspicion; ne1
: ertheless, he is one of our leaders
. and every individual with whom 20
, dined tonight belongs to us. 1t wa
decreed that you were to die, but
. decided to save you AS you prol
! ably have guessed now. there was n
ssS Ssat I s hsei a body d19h.. | said.
: Precisely : she replied. Il place
: bag Of sand on the edge of the sixt
! step shortly after my arrival thi
) morning, and just as / was followin
t Prof. sorensen through the secrt
: panel in the wall, / pushed the ba
over. He heard it splash into the W
. ter, and l was able to assure hi