The Delta independent., 1910-11-25
CHAPTER XIV.
Prisoners In the Dark.

Yes. Are you hurt?"
Her voice came to him softly with
all it's solicitude and symca'h" she
knelt, to help him If peod -. be,
warm, supple hand resteo gently on
his forehead He could have remained
for long time as he was. content with
her touch, but his good sense told him
that their safety demanded action.
Not hurt at ALL" he said. and as
she withdrew her hand. he arose. "Al
catrante caught me OF guard" he ex
planned.
Yes, saw him. There wasn't time
to warn you"
He has been dogging me for an
hour" Orme continued 81 felt as
though he were sitting on my shoul
ders, like an Old Man of the Sea-"
81 know him OF DID," she replied
He is never to be trusted"
But you-how did you happen TO be
here. in the Rookery?"
'In the hope of finding you"
Finding me?"
Il called up the Pere Marquette
about five minutes ago. and the clerk
said that you had just been talking to
him on the wire, but that he didn't
know where you were. Then remem-
bered that you knew the Wallinghams
and came to Toms office to see II he
had any idea where you were. l was
on my way when passed you in the
elevator"
Tom and Bessie are at Glenview."
explained Orme.
Yes. the girl at the inquiry desk
told me- She went to get her hat to
leave for the night. and slipped into
this chamber to wait for you"
+; And here we are." Orme laughed
.'papers and all. But wish 1t weren't
20 dark"
|, Orme hunted his pockets for .
match. He found just one.
II don't suppose. Girl. that you hap
pen to have such q thing as q match?"
She laughed lightly. I'm sorry
no."
"I have only one." he said. I'm
going to strike It. 30 that we can get
our bearings"
He scratched the match on his sole.
The first precious moment Of light he
permitted himself to look at her. fixing
her face in his mind as though he
were never to see 1t again. 1t re-
1oiced him to find that in that instant
her eyes also turned to his.
\ The interchange of looks was hard
for him to break. Only half the match
was gone before he turned from her.
but in that time he had asked and an
swered SO many unspoken questions
questions which at the moment were
still little more than hopes and yearn-
ings. His heart was beating rapidly.
II she had doubted him, she did not
doubt him now. II she had not under
stood his feeling for her. she must un-
iderstand It now. And the look in her
own eyes-could he question that It
was more than friendly? But the me-
cessity OF making the most of the light
forced him to forget for the moment
the tender presence of the girl who
flled his heart. He therefore employed
himself with a quick study Of their sur
roundings.
The chamber was about ten feet
square, and lined smoothly with white
Ailing. It was designed to show the
sanitary construction OF the WalliDg-
ham refrigerator. Orme remembered
how Tom had explained 1t all to him
on a previous visit to Chicago.
This was merely a storage chamber.
There was no connection with an Ice
chamber. and there were none Of the
hooks and shelves which would make
1t complete for its purpose. The only
appliance was the thermometer. the
coils OF which were fitted in flush with
the tiling. near the door. and protected
by a close metal grating. AS for the
There was handle.
AS the match burned close to his
fingers, Orme pulled out his watch, It
was twenty-nine minutes past five.
Darkness again.
Orme CROPPED his way to the door and
tugged at the handle. The door would
not open; built with air-tight nicely.
It did not bulge In the least.
This was what Orme had expected.
He knew that Alcatrante would have
shot the bolt. He knew. too. that AL
catrante would be waiting In the cor
ridor, to assure himself that the last
clerk left the once without freeing the
prisoner-that all the lights were out
and the once locked for the night.
Then he would depart. exulting that
the papers could not be delivered: and
in the morning Orme would be re-
leased
But had Alcatrante realized that the
chamber was air-tight? Surely he had
not known that the girl was already
there. The air that might barely suf-
nce to keep one alive until relief came
would not suf1ce for two.
:, There was not the least opening to