The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1911-07-12
The House of the
Whispering
Pines


unseated-by a sudden and tremendou:
gled with loud cries to open which rar
laundering through the house, calling
up innumerable echoes from its dead
and hidden corners.
IL 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, / 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 ii from this
rear hall by just turn or two, and
once on that shed a short leap would
land me on the ground, after which |
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.
| udu DO ItuSOu W lIluh THAT Il W us
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 a 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 reached the window
| 10y which hoped to escape and quick
ly raised it, A torrent of snow swept
in. covering my face and breast in
a moment. Ii did something more
/ it cleared my brain. aud | 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 flee by the rear fields
| while such a witness to my presence
remained in full view in front. With
Iue sensation of a trapped animal 1
( reclosed the window and cast about
| for safe corner where | could lie
concealed until | learned what had
brought these men here and how
much / really had TO fear from their
presence.
had but little time in which TO
| choose. The door below had just CIV
en- way. and a 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. l 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. l
could only put off the fatal moment.
But IL was better to do this than to
plunge headlong into the unknown fate
awaiting me.
knew of 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
little staircase leading to the musi-
clans gallery. A balustrade guarded
this gallery. supported by boarding
wide enough TO hide a 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 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 ] was then lurking, and
toward this | now made my way with
all the precaution suggested by my
desperate situation. No man ever NOV
cd more lightly. The SHOES which l
had taken off in the lower hall were
yet in my hand. l had caught them
up 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 lay brighten
ed under an advancing lantern. and l
heard the steps Of two men coming
down the ball. II was a 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 10 them vast and
empty space. When l lifted my head
again II 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. mufiied but stern.
which was the first word above a
whisper that l had heard issue from
their lips. told me that they had reach
cd the room and had come upon the
horror which lay there.
Maddened by my own intolerable po-
sition. drawn by power felt IL i'm
possible 70 resist. crept to my feet
and took my staggering way down the
half dozen steps Of the gallery and
thence along by the left hand wall