Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-05-18

~ N0NkNaff - "
sible errand II not that Of DEATH Her
dress, which was Of dark wool, showed
that she bad changed her garments
for this trip. I had seen her at dinner,
and It's was not the gown she had
worn then-the gown In which she
had confronted me during those few
iptolerable minutes when | could not
meet her eyes. Nothing spoke of the
dinner party or of her having been
dragged here unaware, but all Of pre-
vious intent and generalization. Surely
hope was getting uppermost IL l had
dreamed the marks
But, mol There they were. unmistak-
able and damning, Just where the
breath struggles up. I put my own
thumbs on these two dark spots to see
If, when What was TIA lightning
stroke or a call of fate which one
must answer while sense remainsf l
felt my head pulled around by some
unseen force from behind and met
staring into mine through the glass Of
the window a pair of burning eyes.
Or vas 1t fantasyf For in another mo-
ment they were gone. But the posi-
bility of a person having seen me In
this position before the dead was
enough to startle me to my feet, and,
though In another instant 1 became
convinced that l had been the victim
Of h~allucination, 1 nevertheless made
haste to cross to the window and take
a look through its dismal panes. A
gale of binding snow was sweeping
past, making all things indisdnguish-
able, but the absence OF balcony out
side was ~reassuring, and / stepped has
tily back, asking myself for the first
time what I should do and where /
should now go to Insure myself from
being called as a witness to the awful
occurrence which had just taken place
In this house. Something l must do to
save myself the anguish and Carmel
the danger of my testimony in this
matter. She must eve know, the
world must never know, that I had
seen her here.
/ could not be the death Of two WON
en- The loss Of one weighed heavily
enough upon my conscience. I would
fly the place-I would leave this
CHASTITY find to tell its own story. The
night was stormy, the hour late, the
spot a remote one and the road to 1t
but little used. l could easily escape,
and when the morrow came But II
was the present I must think Of now
this hour, this moment. How came
to stay so long2 In feverish haste I 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 flight, was halfway
across the floor when my feet were
stayed-I wonder my reason was moi
unseated-by a sudden and tremendous
attack on the great door below, min.
gled with loud cries to open which raI
laundering through the house, calling
up innumerable echoes from its dead
and hidden
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, 1 blew out the candle and softly
made my way into the hall. I had
remembered the window opening over
a shed at the head Of the kitchen
staircase. I could reach 1t from this
rear hall by just a turn or two, and
once ON that shed a short leap would
land me o. the ground, after which
could easily trust to the storm to con
ceal my fight 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.
I had no reason to think that I was
being sought or that my presence In
this building wss Y g suspected II
might well be that the police were
even ignorant Of the tragedy awaiting
them across the threshold of the dool
they seemed intent on b~attering down
The CLEAN of a candle burning In this
closed up house or Y the tale told
by the rising smoke may have drawn
them from the road to investigate.
With a spring I reached the window
by which I hoped to escape and quick.
ly raised 1t. A torrent of snow swept
in. covering my face and breast in
a moment. 1t, did something more
it 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. l could commit no greater
folly than to fee by tho rear fields
while such a witness to my presence
remained in full view In front. With
the sensation of a trapped animal
reclosed the window and cast about
for a safe corner where / could lie
concealed until I learned what had
brought these men here and how
much I really had to fear from their
presence.
I 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; 1t was
too low and steady to suit me. l had
rather have heard drunken cries or q
burst Of wild hilarity than these stern
and p%urposeful whispers. Men Of res
oiution could have but one errand here.
My doom was closing round me. !
could only put of the fatal moment.
NJ IA - 49, - IL 4ht1 fha- 30