Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-10-13

breathed at ali | did so with such
fierceness of restraint that her eyes
never turned my way. not even when
she had reached the lowest step and
paused for moment there, oscillat-
Ing In pain or uncertainty. Her face
was turned more fully toward me.
and | had just begun to discern
something in II besides Its tragic
beauty when she made quick move
and blew out the candle she held.
Then there came crash. followed
by the sound of flying feet. She had
flung the candlestick out of her hand
and was hurriedly crossing the hall
thought she was coming my way
and instinctively drew back against
the wall But she stopped far short
of me, and l heard her cropping about,
then give a sudden spring toward
the front door. 1t opened. and the
wind soughed in. felt the chill of
snow upon my face and realized the
tempest Then all was quiet and
dark again. She had slid quickly out.
and the door had swung to behind
her.
Another instant and l heard the
click of the key as it turned in the
lock. heard 1t and made no outcry.
such the spell such the bewilderment,
of my faculties! Then | felt all lesser
emotions give way to an anxiety
which demanded immediate action, for
the girl had gone out without wraps
or covering for her head, and my ex-
perience of the evening had told me
how cold 1t was. | must follow and
find her and rescue her If possible
from the snow.
Throwing myself against the door,
shook it violently. 1t was immovable.
Then / few to the windows. Their
fastenings yielded readily enough, but
not the windows themselves. One had
a broken cord. another seemed glued
to its frame. and | was still struggling
with the latter when | heard sound
which lifted the hair on my head
and turned my whole attention back
W Nhdt iuf pChihu anu ap''S AS'
There was still some one in the house.
To find Carmel Cumberland alone In
this desolation was mystifying dis
covery to which had found 1t hard
enough to reconcile myself. But Car
mel here in company with an un-
known another at the very moment
when | had expected the fruition Of
my own joy-ah. that was to open
hells door in my breast. possibility
too intolerable to remain unsettled
for an instant.
Leaving the window. groped my
way along the wall until I reached
the rack where the mans coat and
hat had hung, Nothing now hung
from the rack. The wall was free
| from end to end. She had taken
these articles Of male apparel with
her; she had not gone forth into the
driving snow unprotected. but
l did not know what to think. The
cropping she had done had been in
this direction. She was searching for
this hat and coat Ia mans hat, a
derby, as | had been careful to as
sure myself at the first handling), and
| in them she had gone home as she
had probably come, and there was no
man In the case. or II there were
| The doubt drove me to the staircase
/ began my wary ascent. had not
the slightest fear | was too full Of
cold rage for that,
The arrangement Of rooms on the
second floor was well known to me.
| understood every nook and corner
and could find my way about the
whole place without a light. took
but one precaution, that of slipping off
my shoes at. the foot of the stairs.
wished to surprise the intruder. was
willing to resort to any expedient to
accomplish this. The matches car
ried In my pocket would make this
I possible If once heard him breathing.
/ held my own breath as | stole softly
up and waited for an instant at the
top of the stairs to listen. There was
an awpSolnt silence everywhere. and
] was heSita ing whether to attack the
| front rOut> first or TO follow up a
certain narluN hail leading to rear
staircase when | remembered the thin
line OF smoke which. rising from one
of the chimneys. had first attracted
my attention to the house. In that
was my clpw.
knew that there was but one room
on this floor where fire could be lit