The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-01-30

struck shudderingly on my ear. fol-
/ lowed 10y the renewal OF the step and
the almost immediate appearance on
the stairs OF a beautiful young girl OF
/ seventeen holding a candle In one
hand and shielding her left cheek
with The other.
Nothing could have prepared me
for nm encounter with this woman
anywhere that night after what had
passed between us and the wreck
she had made or my life. Bet here.
IN place so remote and desolate
hae hesltated 10 enter It myself,
what was | to Think How was
10 reconcile so Uncomfortable a fact
with what I knew or her I'm thS past.
with what l hoped from her IN the
future!
IL was evident that some grisly fear
some staring horror, had met her In
this strange retreat. Simple grief
speaks with a different language from
that which | read In her distorted
features and tottering. slowly creep
Anb lOi w nll uulJDCACu dOONC
She had escaped me to run upon
what? My lips refused to ask. my
limbs refused 10 move. ami if
breathPd M all did so with such
ilercenes~ Of restraint that her eyes
never turned my way. not even when
she hoi renched the lowest step and
paused for a moment there, oscillat-
ing in pain or, uncertainty. Her face
was turned more fully toward me.
and had just begun to discern
something I'm IL besides its tragic
beauty when she made a quick move
and blew out the candle she held.
Then there came crash. followed
by the sound OF flying feet She had
flung the candlestick out OF her hand
and was hurriedly crossing the hall.
I thought she was coming my way
and instinctively drew back against
the wall. But she stopped far short
Of me. and l heard her cropping about,
then give a sudden spring toward
the front door. 1t opened. and the
wind soughed In. | felt the chill of
snow upon my face and realized the
tempest. Then all was quiet and
dark again. She had slid quickly out.
aud the door had swung to behind
her.
Another instant and heard the
click of the key as IL turned In the
lock. heard it and made no outcry.
such the spell. such the bewilderment,
OF my faculties! Then felt all lesser
emotions give way to an anxiety
which demanded immediate action. for
the girl had gone out without wraps
OF covering for her head. and my ex-
periehce Of the evening had told me
how cold it was. l must follow and
find her and rescue her II possible
from the snow.
Throwing myself against the door.
shook it violently. 1t was immovable.
Then | few 10 the windows. Their
fastenings yielded readily enough, but
not the windows themselves. One had
3 broken cord. another seemed glued
10 its frame. and was still struggling
with the latter when | heard a sound
which lifted the hair on my head
and turned my whole attention back
10 what lay behind and above me.
There was still some one in the house.
TO find Carmel Cumberland alone in
this desolation was a mystifying dis
covery TO which l had found IL hard
enough TO reconcile myself. But, Car
mel here in company with an IN
known another at the very moment
when / had expected the fruition OF
my own joy-ah, that was 10 open
hell's door I'm my breast. q possibility
too intolerable to remain unsettled
for an instant
Leaving the window. / CROPPED my
way along the wall until l reached
the rack where the mans coat and
hat had hung. Nothing now hung
from the rack. The wall was free
from end to end. She had taken
these articles of male apparel with
her; she bad not gone forth into the
driving snow unprotected. but
did not know what to think. The
cropping she had done had been in
this direction. She was searching for
this hat and coat "a mans hat. a
derby. ms had been careful to as
sure myself at the FIRST handlingl. and
in them she bad gone home as she
had probably come. and there was no
man In the case. or II there were
The doubt drove me TO the staircase
began my wary ascent. 1 had not
the slightest fear. l was too full Of
cold rage for that
The arrangement OF rooms on the
second floor was well known TO me.
/ understood every nook and corner
and could fnd my way about the
whole place without light. | took
but one precaution. that of slipping of
my shoes at the foot of the stairs. l
wished to surprise the intruder. was
willing 10 resort TO any expedient TO
accomplish this. The matches | car
ried In my pocket would make this
possible IL once heard him breathing.
l held my own breath as | stole softly
up and waited for an instant at the
top OF the stairs to listen. There was
an awesome silence everywhere. and
was hesitating whether TO attack the
front rooms first or TO follow up a
certain narrow ball leading TO a rear
staircase when / remembered the thin
oR Lob