The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-02-09
CHAPTER XIV.
The Trap Door.

The Trap Door.
BY Sunday evening, week after
&he wreck my forced tnaction had
S0aded ME to frenzy. The very sight
OF Johnson across the street or Turk
ing always within sight of the house,
kept me constantly exasperated. 1t
was on that day that things began to
come to a focus, a burning-glass Of
events that seemed to center on me.
dined alone that evening in no
cheerful frame Of mind There had
been a polo game the day before and
/ had lent a pony, which is always
bad thing to do. And she had wrench
ed her shoulder, besides helping to
lose the game. There was no one in
town, the temperature was 80 and
climbing, and my left hand persistent
" cramped under its bandage
Mrs Klopton herself saw me served,
nv bread buttered and cut in tidbits,
my meat ready for my fork. She how
0"nd around me materially. obviously
irving to cheer Ee.
The paper says still warmer" she
vea,ared. The thermometer is 80
GOV
And this coffee is 25O," I said, put
..2 down my cup. Where is Eu-
o., MIA? l haven't seen her around
or heard a dish smash all day"
Egphemia is in bed" Mrs. Klopton
sid -rayely. Is your meat cut small
auo,G h, Mr.. Lawrence" Mrs. Klop-
l..
ordinary sentence t. al any one
Know. She can say, Are your sheets
H.un, sir?" And l can tell from her
1o9" that the house across the street
..- been robbed, or that my left hand
p. .g1bOr has appendicitis So now 1
cooked up and asked the question she
Was waiting for
What's the matter with Euphe-
mia" / inquired idly
frightened into her bed" Mrs.
Elopcon said in a stage whisper.
She's had three hot water bottles
sad she hasn't done thing all day
bu' moan"
She oughtn't to take hot water
bottles l said in my severest tone.
one would make me moan. You need
MOI wait I'll ring if l need anything"
Mrs KIopton sailed to the door,
Where she stopped and wheeled indig-
ndHtly. Il only hope you won't laugh
on the wrong side of your face some
morning, Mr.. Lawrence" she declared,
with Christian fortitude. but l warn
YOU am going to have the police
watch that house next door,
was half inclined to tell her that
both it and We were under police sur.
veillance at that moment But I like
Mrs. Klopton, in spite of the fact that
/ make her life a torment for her, so
Z refrained
Last night, when the paper said it
was going to storm, l sent Euphemia
10 the roof to bring the rugs in. Eliza
ead slipped out, although it was her
evening in. Euphemia went up to the
rJol-it was II o'clock-and soon l
heard her running downstairs crying.
When she got to my room she Just
folded UP on the floor. She said there
was a black figure sitting on the para
pet OF the house next door-the empty
LOuse-and that when she appeared 1t
rose and waved long black arms at
her and spit like a cat"
had finished my dinner and was
lighting a cigarette IF there was
any one up there, which I doubt, they
probably sneezed" I 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 I made a superficial examination
.oi the window locks that night, visit
ing parts of the house that | had not
seen since l bought it, Then l went
& the roof Evidently it had not
been intended for any purpose save
to cover the house, for unlike the
houses around, there was no staircase
A ladder and a trap-door led to 1t, and
it required some nice balancing on
my part to get up with my useless
arm | made it, however, and found
this unexplored part of my domain
rather attractive. 1t was cooler than
downstairs, and l 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 traT-door
across the low dividing way was
&ujted underneath