Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-10-20

ny the place-l would leave this
ghastly find to tell its own story. The
night was stormy, the hour late, the
spot a remote one and the road to it
but little used. l could easily escape,
and when the morrow came But II
was the present l must think of now
this hour, this moment. How came /
to stay so long? In feverish haste be.
gan to throw the pillows back over the
quiet limbs, the accusing face. Shud.
deringly i hid those eyes q understood
their strange protuberance now and,
recklessly bent on fight, was halfway
across the floor when my feet were
stayed-l wonder my reason was no,
unseated-by a sudden and tremendous
attack on the great door below, min
gled with loud cries to open which ran
numbering through the house, calling
up innumerable echoes from its dead
and hidden corners.
1t was the police. The wild night,
the biting storm, had been of no avail.
An alarm had reached headquarters,
and all hope of escape on my part
was at an end. Yet, because at such
crises instinct rises superior to rea-
son, l blew out the candle and softly
made my way into the hall. had
remembered the window opening over
shed at the head of the kitchen
staircase. / could reach it from this
rear hall by just a turn or two, and
once on that shed a short leap would
land me on the ground, after which l
could easily trust to the storm to con-
ceal my flight across the open golf
links. 1t was worth trying, at least.
Anything was better than being found
In the house with my murdered be-
trothed.
had no reason to think that I was
being sought or that my presence in
this building was even suspected. 1t
might well be that the police were
even ignorant of the tragedy awaiting
them across the threshold of the door
they seemed intent on battering down.
The CLEAN of candle burning in this
closed up house or even the tale told
by the rising smoke may have drawn
them from the road to investigate.
With a spring l reached the window
by which hoped to escape and quick
ly raised it. A torrent of snow swept
In, covering my face and breast in
moment 1t did something more
1t cleared my brain, and I remembered
my poor horse standing in this blind
ing gale under cover of the snow
packed pines. Every one knew my
horse. could commit no greater
folly than to fee by the rear fields
while such witness to my presence
remained IN full view in front with
the sensation Of trapped animal l
reclosed the window and cast about
for safe corner where l could lie
concealed until I learned what had
brought these men here and how
much / really had to fear from their
presence.
l had but little time in which to
choose. The door below had just CIV
en- way, and q party of at least three
men were already stamping their feet
free from snow in the hall. | did not
like the tone of their voices; it was
too low and steady to suit me. / had
rather have heard drunken cries or a
! burst of wild hilarity than these stern
and purposeful whispers. Men of res
olution could have but one errand here
| My doom was closing round me.
could only put off the fatal moment
But it was better to do this than to
plunge headlong into the unknown fate
awaiting me.
I knew of a possible place Of conceal
ment 1t was in the ballroom not far
| from where / stood. l remembered
the spot well. 1t was at the top of
q little staircase leading to the musi-
clans gallery. A balustrade guarded
this gallery, supported by a boarding
wide enough to hide man lying be-
hind it at his full length. 1t would
offer me the double advantage Of con-
cealment and an unobstructed view OF
what went on In the hall through the
main doorway opening directly oppo-
site. l could reach this ballroom and
its terminal gallery without going
around to this door. A smaller one
communicated directly with the corri-
dor in which l was then lurking, and
toward this l now made my way with
all the precaution suggested by my
desperate situation. No man ever NOV
ed more lightly. The shoes which l
had taken off in the lower hall were
vet in my hand. 1 had caught them
I'D after replacing the cushions on
Adelaide's body. Even to my own
straining ears / made no perceptible
sound. reached the balcony and had
stretched myself out at full length be-
hind the boarding before the men be-
low had left the lower floor.
More quickly than ! expected the
total darkness in which l lay brighten
ed under an advancing lantern, and l
heard the steps Of two men coming
down the hall. 1t was steady II not
rapid approach, and l was quite pre-
pared for their presence when they
finally reached the doorway opposite
and stopped to look in at what must
have appeared to them vast and
empty space. When l lifted my head
again it was to catch glimpse Of their
side faces as they turned to look else
where for what they were plainly in
search of. An oath. muflled but stern
which was the first word above q
whisper that l had heard issue from
their lips, told me that they had reach.
ed the room and had come upon the
horror which lay there.
Maddened by my own intolerable po
sition, drawn by a power I felt 1t I'M
possible to resist, I crept to my feet
and took my staggering way down the
half dozen steps Of the gallery and
thence along by the left hand wal
toward the farther doorway and
through it to where these men stooo
4,~ NJ n m II