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

narrow hall ! have just mentioned.
Why had | trusted everything to my
ears when my nose would have been
a better guidef AS | took the few
steps necessary a slight smell of smoke
became very perceptible. and. no longer
In doubt of my course. pushed boldly
on and. entering the half open door.
struck a match and peered anxiously
about
Emptiness here Just as everywhere
else. a few chairs. dresser-it was
a ladies' dressing room-some smolder-
ing ashes on the hearth. lounge piled
up with cushions, but no person. The
sound had heard had not issued from
this room, yet something withheld me
from seeking further. paused just in
side the door and when the match
went out in my hand remained shiver-
ing there In the darkness. prey to
sensations more nearly approaching
those OF fear than any ! had ever be-
fore experienced In my whole life.
Why did not know. There seemed
to be no reason for this excess of
feeling. ! had no dread of attack. My
apprehension was of another sort.
Besides. any attack here must come
way In which stood-and my dread
lay before me, In the room itself.
which. as ! have already said, ap-
peared to be totally empty. had for
gotten the intruder. The interest which
had carried me thus far had become
lost in fresher one Of which the be-
ginning and ending lay hidden within
the four walls | now stared upon, un-
seeing. Not to see and yet to feel
did that make the horror2 IL so an
other lighted match must help me out.
struck one while the thought was
hot within me and again took look
at the room.
noted but one thing new. but that
made me reel back till was half.
way into the hall. Then certain
dogged persistency l possess came to
my rescue, and I re-entered the room
at leap and stood before the lounge
and its pile Of cushions. They were
numerous-all that the room con.
tained and more. Chairs had been
stripped. window seats denuded and
the whole collection disposed here in
set way which struck me as un-
natural.
But at this point my second match
went out.
Thoroughly reused now tyou will
say by what0, felt my way out of
the room and to the head Of the stair
case. I remembered the candle and
candlestick | had heard thrown down
on the lower floor by Carmel Cumber-
land. l would secure them and come
back and settle these uncanny doubts.
/ had hunt for the candlestick and
a still longer one for the candle, but
finally ] recovered both and. lighting
the latter. felt myself for the first
time more or less master of the situa-
ton.
Rapidly regaining the room in which
my interest was now centred, ! set
the candlestick down on the dresser
and approached the lounge. Hardly
knowing what l feared or what | ex-
pected to find. | tore off one Of the
cushions and flung 1t behind me.
More cushions were revealed. but that
was not all.
Escaping from the edge of one Of
them l saw shiny tress of woman's
hair. gave a gasp and pulled off
more cushions Then l fell on my
knees, struck down by the greatest
horror which q man can feel Death
lay before me-violent. uncalled for
death-and the victim was a woman.
1t was she-she indeed. Dead
Adelaide, the woman had planned to
wrong that very night and who had
thus wronged me! For moment l
could take In nothing but this one
astounding fact; then the how and
why woke In maddening curiosity
within me.
But beyond the ever accusing, pro-
tuberant stare those features told
nothing, and, steeling myself to the
situation. made what observation l
could Of her condition and the sur