Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-09-28

[ reused into the dubious half-con-
seriousness which is the territory of the
powers of darkness; in which the senses
are vaguely alive, while no judgment
restraints or questions the vagarles oil
imagination; the place of evil memo
ries and needless fears, of sweeping re-
forms whose vanity appears with the
new light, and of remembered dreams
whose beauty faints upon the thresh-
old of the day. 1t was still SO dark
that before | could place myself amid
my unfamiliar surroundings, | was
aware Of smothered connection.
People were awake and in trouble;
the house was full of swishing gar
ments and the hurry of uncomfortable
feet. Some one passed my door swift
ly, carrying a light, whose rays swept
through the cracks and swung uncan-
nily across the ceiling. Another door
opened somewhere, letting out a blur OF
voices, among which | seemed to dis
tinguish the bass growl of the man at
the gate. My first thought was of fire,
and with the shock of that sprang
up and across the room, CROPPING for
the handle of the door. 1t would not
open. I pulled and tugged at it, feel
Ing above and below for a bolt. There
was none, nor was any key in the key
hole. After some stumbling | found
the switch of the electric light, and in
the sudden radiance explored the floor
for the fallen key. 1t was not there,
and a hurried examination of the crack
showed me that the lock had been
turned from the outside.
| sat down on the bed and tried to
gather my common sense. l remem-
bered perfectly having left the door
unlocked and the key in its place
within. BY what conceivable design or
accident had ! been made a prisoner?
The melodramatic suggestions born of
the hour and my excited fancy were
simply absurd in such a place. 1 was
in a Connecticut suburb, a home of
lawn parties and electric lights, and
this was the twentieth century; yet I
could find no explanation more reason
able. Fire was by this time out of the
question, and an accident or practical
joke would have been evident by now.
Meanwhile the muffled turmoil of the
house continued. A mans voice and a
woman's broke into inarticulate alter
cation, and presently l thought l heard
2 cry and a sound like the fall of
ooiiiCNAiiA6 SUI obo - L 3HhSD'o
to the door again and shook 1t with all
my strength. but 1t was so solidly fitted
that 1t did not even rattle. Then some
one ran softly downstairs; the front
door banged sharply, and. looking out,
I saw the figure of a man, his shoulders
raised and his elbows bent with haste,
run swiftly across the bar of light that
streamed from my window and dis
appear in the dark. Could he have
broken into the house, locking the bed
rooms against interruption, and fled
upon being discovered? was opening
my window TO shout for help when I
was arrested by a voice that there was
ao mistaking.
y can't. We mustn't she walled.
what will he think of us?"
An angry whisper answered, and of
the rest I could distinguish only the
tone. The whisper grew more volubly
urgent. while her replies hesitated. AT
last she came quietly down the hall and
knocked at my loo
"Mr. Crosby-are o awake"
II thin So" | answered. What has
happened? I'm locked in"