Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-05-28
CHAPTER XIV
The Trap Door,

The Trap Door
BY Sunday evening. a week after
the wreck. my forced inaction had
goaded me 90 frenzy. The very sight
of johnson across the street or Turk
ing always within sight OF the house
kept me constantly exasperated. II
was on that day that things began to
come 20 @ focus. a burning glass of
events that seemed 20 center on me.
I dined alone that evening I'm no
cheerful frame Of mind There had
been polo game the day before aud
I had lent a pony, which IS always a
bad thing GO do And she had wrench.
cd her shoulder. besides helping TO
lose the game. There was no one in
town; the temperature was 90 and
climbing and nay left hand persistent
ly cramped under SIS bandage
Mrs. Klopton herself saw me served.
my bread buttercd and cut in tidhits
my meat ready for my fork She hoy
cred around me materially. obviously
trying Go cheer me.
The paper says stin warmer" She
ventured. "Thc thermometer IS %
now
and this coffee is $50" I said. put
ting down my cup. Where is Eu-
phemia? 7 haven't seen her around.
or heard "a dish smash all day"
"Euphcmia is ga bed" Mrs. Klopton
said gravcly. Us your meat cut small
enough. Mr. Lawrencc?" Mrs. Klop-
ton can throw more mystery into an
ordinary sentence than any one I
know. She can say. Are your sheets
damp. sir?" And can tell from her
! tone that the house across the street
has been robbed. OF that my left hand
neighbor has appendicitis. So now /
looked up and asked the question she
was waiting for.
What's the matter with Euphe-
mia?" I inquired idly.
Frightened into her bed" Mrs.
Klopton said in a stage whisper.
she's had three hot water hotties
and she hasn't done a thing all day
but moan"
she oughtn't to take hot water
bottles" I said in my severest tone.
One would make me moan. You need
not wait. I'll ring IL I need anything"
Mrs. Klopton sailed 20 the door,
where she stopped and wheeled indig-
nantly. Il only hope you won't laugh
on the wrong side OF your face some
morning, Mr.. Lawrence" she declared,
with Christian fortitude. But warn
you, ! am going TO have the police
watch that house next door"
l was half inclined 70 tell her that
both It and we were under police sur
veillance at that moment. But like
Mrs. Klopton. in spite OF the fact that
make her life a torment for her, so
i refrained
Last night. when the paper said It
was going TO storm. sent Euphemia
to the roof TO bring the rugs IN. Eliza
had slipped out although II was her
evening in. Euphemia went up 90 the
roof-it was IL o'clock-and soon /
heard her running downstairs crying.
When she got TO my room she just
folded up on the floor. She said there
was black figure sitting on the para
pet OF the house next door-the empty
house-and that when she appeared Il
rose and waved long black arms at
her and spit like cat"
had finished my dinner and was
lighting a cigarette. III there was
any one up there, which l doubt, they
probably sneezed." ] suggested. But
If you feel uneasy. I'll take a look
around the roof tonight before I turn
in, AS far as Euphemia goes,
wouldn't be uneasy about her-doesn't
she always have an attack OF some
sort when Eliza rings in an extra
evening on her?"
So l made a superficial examination
| OF the window locks that night, visit
| ing parts of the house that / had not
seen since / bought IL. Then / went
to the roof. Evidently Il had not
been intended for any purpose save
to cover the house. for unlike the
houses around, there was no staircase.
A ladder and trap-door led to it, and
II required some nice balancing on
my part to get UP with my useless
arm. made IL, however, and found
this uneXplored part Of my domain
rather attractive. IL was cooler than
| downstairs, and ! sat on the brick
parapet and smoked my final cigarette.
The roof OF the empty house adjoined
mine along the back wing, but inves-
tigation showed that the trap door
across the low dividing way was
bolted underneath.
There was nothing out OF the or
binary anywhere, and so assured
Mrs. Klopton. Needless to say, did
/.