Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-04
A EDWARDS STAIRS

our score will be paid l shall not miss
you, Beatrice; and | shall not miss myself
afterward.'
81 was afraid that he would hear me
shiver.
"'Mercy!' she screamed in low whisper.
Mercy
"'Be quiet! he commanded
"She was quiet, very quiet 1t was | who
almost screamed. | held myself for fear my
trembling should be audible.
what was | to do? What could | do?
If could have got straight over him, might
have dropped chair or heavy box on his
head. thought of that; but he stood, not
under the balcony, but at the foot of the
stairs. If went down he would shoot me as
well as her. I knew | ought to go and be
shot; but the thought of the revolver seemed
to paralvze me, and could not move. dug
my nails into my flesh; but that did not
make me move My senses seemed asleep
l did not even hear what they said for
time, though | saw that they were speak1ng
but at last her voice broke in upon me, as if
l had suddenly awoke.
az am SO young! she pleaded. So
young! l don't want to die! don't
want-to-die!'
T SUPPOSE nobody is such a coward that
nothing will stir him to risk his wretched
life Her piteous voice stirred me. L de-
cided that | would go to her, If threw my
self down the stairs, just to be shot, but
wanted to save her forced myself to think.
at was now nine minutes to two. At the
end of those nine minutes she was to die. II
| could not save her, | must die too. | must
find some weapon and 60 down stealthily
and trv to catch him unawares. Even if he
heard me and turned my way, she would
have a chance to escape while he killed me.
She was nearly as quick as he. | looked
round and saw some golf clubs standing in
corner of the corridor. l crept to them and
selected one. l took off my slippers to walk
quietly over the thick carpet, hoping to sur
prise him from behind, as he stood back to
| the stairs. l thought it all out, to the ac-
compartment of her pleading for life. Her
voice seemed to draw me toward her, and
nv fears seemed to draw me back. Her
voice prevailed slowly, very slowly. If had
not been a coward, l must have run to her.
| There were only six minutes left, when l
came to the top of the stairs.
"You will think me coward of towards.
| fingered there for a whole minute. My
! limbs would not move l tried to picture
myself rushing on him and striking him
down before he turned; but another picture
always came in my mind instead. l imagined
betraying look on her face, or perhaps she
screamed at the sight of me, and then he
turned, and the revolver blazed l tried to
picture myself missed and rushing on and
| Telling him; but instead l saw the four aces
blotted out one after the other-snip- snip
snip snip! counted the steps,-twenty-
four: ten to the turning, and fourteen be-
vond. | feel as if l shall go on counting
| them for the rest of my life-a coward
stairs
@'Five minutes more, he said, and then
| DEATH
death! took one step down the stairs;
then counted Twenty-three more!
"'Death! she repeated and shivered: She
| had sunk into a chair and her face was in her
hands That was why she did not see me.
IL took another step-twenty-two more!
| If she did not look up and scream, he would
not be likely to see me till | turned the cor
ner, at any rate. Twenty-onc!
death! The word seemed to reecho in
nv mind and to freeze me still | couldnt
move She gave faint sob, and that sent
me step forward. Twenty! Nineteen!
heard my own step even on the soft carpet.
If he should hear!
"Have you anything more to say? he
asked. Under cover of his voice | took an
other step.
3sC;,,o mo n clapce che hepped inst 2