Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-18

blundered along in the semi-darkness,
been the dining room, for my out
stretched hand skirted the table. The
footsteps seemed only beyond my
reach, and at the other side OF the
room the swinging door into the pan
try was still swaying whenI caught It.
I made misstep in the pantry, and
brought up against blank wall. 1t
seemed to me heard the sound of feet
running up steps, and when | found
door at last, threw 1t open and dash
ed in. .
Is The next moment the solid earth
slipped from under my feet, l threw
out my hand, and met a cold wall,
smooth as glass. Then. | fell-fell an
incalculable distance, and the black
ness of the night came over me and
smothered me.
CHAPTER XII
When came to, I was lying in dark
ness, and the Stiffness was absolute.
When l tried to move, found | was
practically prisoner: had fallen in
to an air shaft, or something OF the
kind. could not move my arms.
where they W ire pinioned to my sides,
and was half-lying, half-crouching, In
semi-vertical position. worked one
arm loose and managed to make out
that my prison was probably the
dumb-waiter shaft to the basement
kitchen.
had landed on top Of the slide, and
/ seemed to be tied in knot. The
revolver was under me, and If 1t had
exploded during the fall it had done
no damage. can hardly imagine a
more unpleasant position. If the man
| had been following had so chosen, he
could have made away with me in any
one of a dozen unpleasant ways--he
could have filled me as full of holes,
or scalded me, or done anything,
pretty much that he chose. But moth
ing happened. The house was impress
sively quiet.
/, l had fallen feet first, evidently,
and then crumpled up unconscious, for
one of my ankles was throbbing. -.
was some time before could stand
erect. and even by reaching, could
not touch the doorway above me. 1t
must have taken five minutes for my
confused senses to remember the wire
cable, and to tug at it. was heavy
load for the slide, accustomed to
nothing weightier than political din
ners, but with much creaking | got
myself at last to the floor above,
and stepped out, still in darkness, but
free.
l still held the revolver, and light
ed the whole lower floor. But found
nothing in the dining room or, the
pantry. Everything was locked and in
good order. A small alcove off the IL
brary came next; 1t was undisturbed,
but tabouret lay on it's side, and
half dozen books had been taken from
low boo lease, and lay heaped on
chair In the library, howevers every
thing was confusion. Desk drawers
stood open-one of the linen shades
had been pulled partly off its roller,
chair had been drawn up to the long
mahogany table In the center of the
room, with the electric dome over
head, and everywhere, On chairs, over
table, were papers.
After searching the lower floor, and
finding everything securely locked. l
went up stairs, convinced the intruder
was still in the house. / made sys-
tematic search Of every room, looking
into closets and under beds. Several
times had an impression, as turned
8 corner, that some one was just ahead
Pof me, but was always disappointed.
gave up at last and, going down to
the library, made myself as comfort
able as could, and waited for morn
ing,