Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-08-24
'ened the gate and entered the

seized with panic lest l be seen and
scurried into the shadow of the house.
then dropped beside the ventilator and
examined it.
1t was of the ordinary type--a plate
of iron some six or eight inches square,
perforated with holes perhaps half an
inch in diameter, and Set in the founda-
ton about six inches from the ground.
! applied an eye to one of the holes
n e~ndeavored to see what lay beyond.
For Il moment I saw absolutely Moth
ing; then l perceived in front of me
a stretch of clay, which ended abruptly
at a distance of six or eight feet. A
few inches above the level of my eye
We're the beams supporting the floor
of The cottage. But it was only a
glance 1 gave to these details, though
l found them afterwards photographed
upon my brain; it was the space be-
yond which fixed my attention-the
space where the clay bank before me
dropped abruptly to what was no
doubt the cellar Of the cottage.
1t was from this space that the light
proceeded, but of what lay within it
! could see almost nothing-only
enough, indeed, to fire my curiosity. For
from time to time a shadow moved be-
tween me and h light-a shadow
which showed that the cellar was not
empty. The light, 1 judged, had been
placed on a stool or table on the OPP
posite side of the cellar. From the way
it varied. now bright, now dim, l decid-
ed it was a candle, and that the mo-
tions OF the person working near it
caused the flame to flicker. These
motions would continue for a time with
considerable regularity; then they
would cease while the worker evidently
stopped to rest, and then begin again.
Who was this person and what was
this work which must be done at such
an hour? In vain I sought an answer.
l pressed my ear to the ventilator, but
could hear nothing; nothing, at least,
beyond the faintest of faint sounds.
which gave me no clue to what was
happening within. 1 peered through
the little orifice after mo-
ment. until the shadows grew confused
and blurred and my eyes aoaled under
the strain.
l rose to rest myself. Then it sud-
denly occurred to me that the cellar
must have a window. Skirting the
house cautiously, I at last came to it.
But 1t was closed and curtained so eff
f~ectually that only a faint glimmer
here and there betrayed the light with
i'm. l listened, but could hear no
sound.
Fairly n%onplussed. 1 returned to the
hedge and sat down against IL to con-
slider. The shadow had given me no
indication of whether the worker was
man or woman; yet to the first ques-
ton l had asked myself there could be
only one answer. 1t was n or both
of the Kingdom women who We're
decided, since 1t was improbable that
one could spend the night there with
but the knowledge Of the other. Rut
what We're they doing?
To this l could find no answer. 1t
was not merely an errand, because the
sat there, until I heard a clock some
where strike two, and still the light
remained. I crept forward to the VEN
tilator n peered through again. The
shadows were moving backward and
forward. just as they had been an hour
about them, and I shivered as I
watched. 1t seemed to me that they
We're made by some person alternately
rising and ssooping, but why should
anyon do that for hours at a timeo
Some subtle association of ideas
which had confronted Jean Vatican on
that night when he had peereG
through the grated window into the
convent of Little Picqus-the din
light, the vast hall, the motionless
figure on the loo before the cross.
Was some such explanation to be
sought here? Were these long-con-
tinued risings and stoopings a series
of genuf1exions before some shrine
a penance. perhaps, imposed for some
transgression? The thought seemed
absurd. But I could think OF no other
explanation of these singular mo-
tions.
At last, weary with long staring. I
went back to my seat beside the hedge
and waited. Half an hour passed,
then l saw the glimmer at the ventila-
tor suddenly disappear, and a moment
kitchen window. I went on toward
the front of the house, and I saw the
shadow of a woman's figure on the
blind as 1t passed the window in front
OF me. Only one shadow-there was
only one woman In the house, or, at
least. only one awake and moving
about. There had been only one in the
cellar.
My resolution was taken. I went
straight forward to the door at the
side of the house and Knocked sharply.
At the same instant, the light van
ished. I waited a moment, then
knocked again, more loudly.
Who's there?" called a voice, SO
harsh, 80 fierce, that 1t fairly startled
me.
open the door" l said. II wish to
see Miss Lawrence"
This is no Miss Lawrence's home"
cried the voice.
II know it; but she's there"
She's not here and the voice rose
to a scream. BE off, or I'll fire through
the door,"
What sort of fury was this, 1 asked
myself, and 1 stepped to one side to be
out OF range of a possible bullet.
BE Off" screamed the voice again.
I'll fire. I swear it! The law will
justify me-
There could be no question of that
It would be worse than folly to attempt
to. force an entrance with this fury OPP
l nOSinr mo So Itretreated aaafn IN tho