Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-02-23

that we are near death"
He could feel that she was looking
at him in the blackness. Don't you
think known" she whispered. "They
will not find us until tomorrow. There
isn't air enough to last. l have known
1t from the first"
Some n will open the door," he
replied. I'VE may have to stay here
quite a while, but"
mo, my friend. There is no likeli-
hood that 1t will be opened. The
clerks are leaving for the night"
He vas silent.
so finish the story" she went on.
Finish the story!" That was all
that he could do. y
Finish the story!" His story and
hers-only Just begun, and now to end
there In the dark.
But with a calmness as great as her
own, he proceeded to tell all that had
happened to him since he boarded the
electric a at Evanston and saw Maku
sitting within. She pressed his hand
gently when he described the trick by
which the Japanese had brought the
pursuit to an end. She laughed when
he came to the meeting with the de-
~tective in his apartment. The episode
with Madam Ala he passed over
lightly, for part of it ranked now. Not
that he blamed himself foolishly; but
he wished that it had not happened.
"That woman did a fine thing" said
the girl.
He went on to describe his efforts
to get free from Alcatrante.
And you were under the table in
Arima's ROOM" she exclaimed, when
he had finished.
Il vas there; but l couldn't see
you, Girl. And you seemed to doubt
me-"
ITO doubt you?"
Don't you remember? You said
that no American had the papers; but
you added, unless"
UNLESS Walsh, the burglar, had
played a trick on Poritol and held the
true papers back. | went straight
from Arima's to the Jail and had an
other talk with Walsh. He convinced
me that he knew nothing at all about
the papers. He seemed to think that
they were letters which Poritol wanted
for his W purposes"
Then you did not doubt me-" Glad
relief was in his voice.
81 have never doubted you," she
said, simply.
There was silence. Only their breath
ing and the ticking Of Orme's watch
broke the stiffness.
Il don't believe that Alcatrante knew
that this place was unventilated," she
remarked at last.
mo; and he didn't know that vol
Z were here"
: "He thinks that you will be released
in the morning, and that you will thinl
it wiser to make no charges. Wha'
t do you suppose his conscience will say
: when he learns"
Girl, l simply can't believe tina
there is no hope for u.s."
: what possible chance is there?'
Her voice was steady. "The clerks
. must all have gone by this time. W.
, can't make ourselves heard"
"Still, l feel as though should b.
fighting with the door"
you can't open it"
. But some one of the clerks goin,
out may have seen that it was bolted
t Wouldn't he have pushed the boil
: back? I'm going to see."
He CROPPED to the door and tugged a
the handle. The door, for all the Ell
Q feet his effort had on it, might hay
been a section Of solid wall.
Come back" she called.
He felt his way until his foot touche
e the coat. AS he let himself down BIZ
side her, his hand brushed over he
hair, and unconsciously she leane
S toward him. He felt the pressure c
her shoulder against his side, and tn
e touch sent a thrill through him. H
b leaned back against the wall an
It stared into the blackness with eye
# that saw only visions of the happines
r that might have been.
I'VE mustn't make any effort I
It break out" she said. ut is useless
r. And every time we move about an
Is tug at the door, it makes us breath
It that much faster"
y "Yes," he sighed, Il suppose we ca
e only sit here and wait"
Is do you know" she said softly,
am wondering why our situation doe
not seem more terrible to me.
should, shouldn't it?"
D. Il hardly think So" he replied.
d THE relative Importance of OF
,e worldly affairs" she went on dream
d. lily, appears to change when one see
Ia that they are all to stop at once. The
e recede into the background of ii
lie mind. What counts then is, oh, l don
lie want to think Of it.! My father-he-
re Her shoulders shook for a moment u
der the stress Of sudden grief, b,
1T she quickly regained her contrc
There, now" she whispered, Il won
III do that"
For a time they sat In silence. H
or own whirling thoughts were Of a SO
lie that he could not fathom; they 20
N sessed him completely, they destroye
as seemingly, all power Of analysis. tbs
re made him dumb: and they were ia
gled inextricably In the blended ii
!" pressions Of possession and losa