The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-18
The
Circular Staircase.
By MART RoBKRTs RngEHARr
coPYR16EfT 1908 By TIE BoBBS- MERRILL COMPANY

The mantel fascinated me. Made
the more wondered that ] had not
noticed before the adsurdity of such
a mantel in such q place. 1t was
covered with scrools and panels. and
finally, by the merest accident, l push
ed one OF the panels TO the side. It
moved easily, revealing small brass
knob.
II is not necessary TO detail the fiuc-
tuations OF hope and despair, and not
little fear OF what lay beyond, with
which i twisted and turned the knob.
1t moved. but nothing seemed to hap
pen. and then ] discovered the trouble.
! pushed the knob vigorously to one
side. and the whole mantei swung
loose from the wall almost foot, re-
vealing cavernous space beyond.
i took long breath, closed the
door from the trunk-room into the
hail---thank Heaven. / did not lock
it--and pulling the naanteI-door wide
open. stepped into the chimney
room. ! had time to get a haZy view
OF small portable safe. common
wooden table and a chair--then the
maptel door swung to, and clicked
behind me. ! stood quite still for a
moment in the darkness, unable to
comprehend what had happened Then
/ turned and beat furiousiy at the
door with my fists. It was closed and
locked again. and my fingers in the
darkness slid over smooth wooden
surface without sign Of knob.
4 was furfousfy angTy-at myself,
at the mantei-door, at everything.
did not fear suffocation: before the
thought had come TO me had already
seen a CLEAN OF light from the two
small TentiIating pipes In the roof
They supplied air, but nothing else
The room itself was shrouded in
blackness,
] rat Down in the st4fg~haalsaa chair
and tried to remember how many DAYS
one could live without food and water.
When that grew monotonous and
rather painful. j got up and, accord
ing to the time-honor rule for peo-
pie shut in unknown and ink black
prisons l FELT my way around--it
was small enough. goodness knows.
i feit nothing but spiintery surface
or boards, and In endeavoring to get
back 70 the chair, something struck
me fuil in the face. and fell with
the noise OF thousand explosions
to the ground. When I had gathered
up my nerves again, / found 1t had
been the bulb OF swinging electric
light. and that had it not been for tn
accident. l might have starved to
death in an illuminated sepulcher.
! must have dozed of. / an, sure
ala not faint ] was never more
composed In my life. I remen, bar
planning. II ] were not discovered.
who would have my things / knew
Liddy would want my heliotrope pop
lin, and she's fright in lavender.
once or twice / heard mice In the
and so l sat ON the table.
with my feet on the chair. I imagtn-
ed ! could hear the search going on
through the house. and once some
one came into the trunk room; II
could distinctly hear footsteps.
In the chimney! In the Chimney,
called with all my might. and was
rewarded oy a piercing shrek from
I-ddy and the slam of the trunk
room door.
felt easier after that. although
the room was oppressively hot and
had no doubt the search
Tor me would now come in the right
direction. and after little, dropped
into doze. How long I slept I do
not know
It must have been several hours
Tor had been tired from a busy day
nc ! wakened stiff from my awk-
YemATn-
Der whore I was for a few minutes
and my head felt heavy and con-
gested. Gradually l reused to nv
and to the fact that in !
spite of the ventilators, the air was |
pad and growing worse. was |
breathing long, gaping respirations. |
ana my race was damp and cfamrny. |
must have been there q lonr time. |
and the searchers were probably
suntins outside the house, dredging |
me creek. or beating the woodland. |
Knew that another hour or two
would md me unconscious, and with |
ny Inability to cry out would 70 INV /
only chance Of rescue. 1t was the
Of bad air and heat.
probably, for some inadequate yenfi-
alton was coming through the pipes.
tried 70 retain my consciousness by
Walking the length Of the room ana /
JACK. over and over. but had not
he strength to keep 1t up, so / safI
Town on the table again, my back
lgainst the wall.
Ito Be Continued