Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-07-04

5.r
that had driven her here. Yet this
fact did not In any way lessen the act
as proof Of her confidence
You say the assassin is still here
in this housed" questioned. Are
you sure?"
No, not sure. but have every
reason to believe SO. One OF the serv-
ants caught q glimpse Of him. and 4
have seen that which has aroused my
own suspicious. have not dreamed
this, but actually believe there Is
some presence in this house seeking
evil. This house was built in time OF
feud and In a feud country. Judge
Dunn was then on the bench and had
made many dangerous enemies by his
decisions. He always was a man to
arouse animosity by his arbitrary
manner and abrupt speech. AS girl
heard this house contained a hidden,
room and secret passages so. arranged
as to facilitate escape in time OF peril
or attack Calvert Dunn has confessed
as much. but he and his father alone
know the secret. 1t would be useless
to question the judge"
where is he now?"
Where you saw him last, occupy.
Ing his chair in the library. his body
perfectly helpless. his mind apparently
as active as ever. but more bitter than
before because OF his physical weak
ness. do not think he has slept for
two nights or that he has uttered
word except to curse the servants who
brought him food
1 had the full picture Of the situa.
don clearly before me now-the super
stitious. unwilling darkies. knowing
just enough to be frightened at their
own shadows: the characterless and
colorless Lucille. suffering from
headache and locked safely away with.
In her own room: that vtndlctive old
man. seated helpless in his chair. his
strange eyes glaring out across the
library table. and Jean Denslow left
alone in the big house tc cope with
its mystery. the night shadows clos
ing in. lnstinctively extended by
hand, and In the sudden response of
comradeship she slipped her own into
my grasp. 4
I'll believe am actually afraid"
she confessed. This Is SO different
from real danger-this-this haunted
feeling" q T @
do not recall what said, but |
know retained her hand In mine and
must have spoken words OF enceur-
agement. tor when we emerged from
that dark hole of a cellar into the mar.
row hallway. already lighted BY a
hanging lamp, her eyes were smiling
and the clasp Of her fingers had grown
firm.
III shall want weapons. Miss Denss,
low | said. as we stood looking up
and down the main hall. .'for whoever
this visitant may prove he will be Of
flesh and blood and not impervtous to
a bullet. You can trust me armed2"
"Oh. yes; I will get your own re-
volvers. They are left in the library"
She was back In a moment. and I
snapped the belt about my waist. feel
ing renewed confidence as I found
both weapons still loaded.
Lamp in hand. l explored every
nook and corner. peering under furni-
ture and into closet recesses, until ab-
solutely convinced that not even q
rat could have escaped my scrutiny.
Having thus completed the lower door.
not even forgetting to test the walls in
hope of thus locating the secret room.
was for following the same course
above, had not she begged me to de.
sist, her voice trembling. her face pa
thetic as she pleaded. Through the
partially opened door l caught q
glimpse Of the Judge at the library ia
BILE. his head bowed forward as ii he
slept. but did not venture to enter
the room.
Miss Denslow." said at last. stand.
ing ut the foot of the stairs. '.if 1t is
true that any one IL hiding in tile
house. as you suspect. the fellow must
be the murderer of Lieutenant Ma
varTe. Naturally ] wish to make that
man prisoner. Are you willing to sit
here in the dark. thus helping me TO
draw him into the trap:''
Her eyes lifted to mine in single
searching glance.
Yes" she said quietly. II know 1
am nervous. strangely SO. yet am not
afraid
blew out the light. placed two
chairs back in the denser shadow I'M.
derneath the circular staircase and
made her sit down in the one nearest
the wall. Her hand was cold. tremb.
ling as ! touched 1t. and I whispered
Il few words of courage into her ear.
but she made no effort to respond
Perhaps we had been sitting thus for
ten minutes. In stiffness so profound
as to be painful. when l felt the girls
hand steal, along the arm Of my chair
and press my sleeve The movement.
unconsciously made perhaps. was .elo.
quent of her distress Of mind. and.
obeying the first impulse. ! ciasped her
fingers within my own. we sat thus
in the dark. like two lovers. listening
intently. neither venturing to speak
Was she right or wrong in her sus-