Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-10-10

that 1t beat family; so family that 1t
might have been only the drumming
of my own pulses in my ears.
Can you find a mirror" I asked from
the floor.
Lady glanced vaguely about the
room, then came back to me with un-
compromising eyes. mo, I can't see
any. What for?" she said DULY.
I sprang quickly to my feet. A chair
lay overturned on the bare white
boards of the floor, and I picked It
up, setting 1t near the window.
"Sit there I said, while 1 rum
mage" and I drew her to it, half fore
ing her down into it. She sat very
still, mechanically obedient, while I
looked around me.
It was a strange little room to ind
in this decaying tenement. On the
sill OF the single window that gave
upon the street blossomed al uneven
row of geraniums. One pot had fallen
to the floor and lay shattered, the
fresh green of its broken plant piteous
in. a sprawl Of scattered earth. The
whole place bore evidence of an insis-
tent struggle for the ~cheerfulness of a
home. White, starchy curtains were
Ri lit NllllOW0p lAO NoiiO ioAAJ
covered with pictures, colored prints
for the most part, and supplements
of Sunday papers. A b~ird-cage had
hung in one corner, n now lay, cage
and bottom fallen apart, upon a mud
die of seed and water; and a. fright
ened canary perched upon the leg Of
a fallen table, blinking at the I'M
steady flare of the gas. The floor was
49, a. r,o~z @a-1G militia
with scrubbing. save where the flower
pot and bird cage had been overturned,
and the dark stain spread from be-
meath the woman's hair. The whole
scene was unnaturally and strikingly
vivid, all its little details leaping to
the y with the stark brilliance of a
f1ashlight,
To the right of the door by which the
woman lay was another door. and I
crossed over to it. 1t opened with a
squeak, and for a moment 1 stood
looking in. This was evidently the
sleeping room. It held only a wash
stand, a chest and an iron bedstead;
and here, too, an une~xtinguished gas
Jet 1ared. 1 stepped in and closed
the door behind me, for upon the bed
lay another huddied figure. 1t was a
man lying face downward, breathing
heavily, and evidently very drunk. for
the whole place reeked sourly of al
cohol. l pulled at his shoulder, turn
ing him half over. For half a minute
| held to him, her let him fall back
as I had found him. l glanced behind
me to be sure that the door was shut.
The man on the bed muttered
thickly, shifting his position; and
something thudded upon the floor
and rolled to my feet. 1t was a
| short bit Of iron, rather more thick
| at one end than at the other; and as
turned 1t over in my hands 1t left a
stain. Somewhere l had seen such an
instrument before, but I could not at
the moment recall where; and
dropped the thing INTO my pocket not
without some feeling of disgust. A
small mirror hung over the washstand.
This l hurriedly took down and as
hurriedly left the room, closing the
door behind me. Lady was still sitting
where I lad left her, but as I came
across the room she got up.
What are you going to do?" she
asked. I'm sure I can help in some
way. You were gone a long time, but
| waited"
III snow you In a monent' L eolu'
We talked in whispers as IL in the
presence of death, and yet ! was al
most sure that the woman was alive.
Nevertheless, 1t was with a great deal
of relief that I saw the mirror softly
cloud before her lips.
It's all right" I cried. She's alive"
Are you sure?"
Absolutely"
20, thank Godi' Lady breathed.
Amen" said I. "What are we to
do now"
What do you think we had better
do? Is there any water in there?"
There's nothing in there that's of
any use" I said quickly. II should say
the first thing would be to send for an
ambulance, and the next for the po-
lice"
mo, MOI" Lady cried. Whatever is
to be done we must do ourselves. l
came here to take her away. Can't
we take her as she is?'
"She could be carried down stairs
easily enough" said I, surprised, but
somebody ought to be arrested for this
thing. Have you any notion who did
it?"
Her husband. l suppose" answered
I