Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-09-19
CHAPTER XIV.

PrIsoners In tho Dark.
orme's hand still held her skirt J.
"Girl!" he whispered.
eyes. Are you hurt?"
Her voice came to him softly with
all its solicitude and symrathF. sbs
knelt, to help him II need 10. hsr
warm, supple hand rested gently on
his forehead. He could have remained
for long time as he was, content with
he- 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. cal
catrante caught me off guard" he ex-
plained.
Eyes, saw him. Tnere.wasn't time
t. warn you"
"He has been logging me for an
hour" Orme continued. Il felt as
though he were sitting on my shout
ders, ltke an Old Man OF the Sea-
II know him Of DID," she replied.
s'He is never to be trusted"
But you-how did you happen,to DO
here. in the Rookery?"
I'm the hope ofsflnding you"
Finding me?"
II 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 1 came to Toms office to see If he
had any idea where you were. I was
IN
elevator
TON 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 I slipped into
this chamber to wait for you.
"And here we are" Orme laughed
"papers and ALL But wish it weren't
80 dark"
Orme hunted his pockets for q
match. He found just one.
II don't suppose, Girl. that you hap
pen to have such g thing as match?"
She laughed lightly. I'm sorry
no."
81 have only one," he said. I'm
going to strike it, so 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 it 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.
I but in that time he had asked and an
swered so many unspoken questions
questions which at the moment were
1 still little more than hopes and yearn-
lngs His heart was beating rapidly.
II she had doubted him, she did not
doubt him now. If she had not under
stood his feeling for her, she must I'M
derstand it now. And the look in her
own eyes-could he question that 1t
was more than friendly? But the ne
cessity of making the most of the light
forced him to forget for the moment
the tender presence Of the girl who
filled his heart. He therefore employed
himself with quick study of their sur
roundings.
The chamber was about ten feet
square, and lined smoothly with white
thing It was designed to show the
sanitary construction of the Walling-
ham refrigerator. Orme remembered
how Tom had explained 1t all to him
on previous visit to Chicago.
This was merely storage chamber.
There was no connection with an ice
chamber, and there were none of the
hooks and shelves which would make
It complete for its purpose. The only
appliance was the thermometer, the
coils of which were fitted in flush with
the thing, near the door, and protected
by close metal grating. AS for the
door itself, its outline was fine seam.
There was a 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 alright nicely.
1t did not bulge in the least.
This was what Orme had expected.
lie knew that Aicatrante would have
shot the bolt. He knew. too, that AL
CdtFdHIo WOulQ DC WdAIluB LII luS CUT.
Tidor, to assure himself that the last
clerk left the Office without freeing the
prisoner-that all the lights were out
and the Office 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 alright? Surely he had
not known that the girl was already
there. The air that might barely SUI
flee to keep one alive until relief came
would not suffice for two.
There was not the least opening to
admit Of ventilation. Even the places
where, in practical refrigerator, con-
nection would be made with the ice
chamber, were blocked up; for that
matter. they we're on that side. Of the
chamber which was built close into the
corner OF the ofice.
Orme drove his heel against the
wall. The tiles did not break. Then
he stepped back toward the middle Of
the chamber.