Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1912-11-15

realization struggled back TO it's own,
and he came to know things. First
was the knowledge that he was lying
fiat on his back. on q ich, il
seemed; then. that he was in the dark
IAN utter. abject darkness And final
" came an overwhelming sense Of 81
lence
For a while he lay motionless, with
not even the movement Of an ege-.asn
to indicate consciousness, wrapped IN
a delicious langUor Gradually tnls
passed and the feeble futter OF his
heart grew into steady, rhythmic
beat The keen brain was awaken
ing; he was beginning 10 remember.
What had happened2 He knew only
that in some manner a drug had been
administered TO him. bitter dose
tasting Of opium that speechiessiy,
he had fought against H. that ne mad
risen from the table in the restaurant
and that he had fallen All the rest
was blank
With eyes still closed, and nerve
less hands inert at his sides he listen
Gu LMt ullC 4iC l4AlEI NA-- 1850 1870
over in speculative mood The waiter
had administered the drug. OF course,
unless-unless il had been the courte-
Gus stranger who had replaced the
newspaper on the table, That thought
opened new fields OF conjecture Mr.
Grimm had no recollection Of ever
having seen him before. and he had
paid only the enforced attention OF
politeness 10 him. And why had the
drug been administered Vaguely
incoherenfIy. Mr. Grimm imagined
that in some way it had TO do with the
great international plot Of war n
which Miss Thorne was 50 delicate
and vital an instrument
Where was her Conjecture stopped
there. Evidently he was where the
courteous gentleman in the restaurant
wanted him to be- a prisoner? Prob
ably In danger? Long, careful at
tention to detail work in the Secret
Service had convinced Mr.. Grimm
that he was always in danger. That
was one reason-and the best-why
he had lain motionless. without so
much as lifting a finger. since that
first glimmer OF consciousness had en-
tered his brain He was probably
under scrutiny, even in the darkness,
and for the present it was desirable to
accommodate any chance watcher by
remaining apparently unconscious
And so for a long time he lay, list
ening Was there another person in
the room? Mr.. Grimm's ears were
keenl5 alive Tor the iladyertent shut
fling of a foot: or the sound of breath
ing. Nothing Even the night roar
OF the city was missing; the silence
was oppressive At last he opened his
eyes. A pail of gloom encompassed
him-a pail without one rift OF light
His fingers. moving slowly, explored
the limits of the couch wherein he
lay
Confident, at last, that wherever he
was. he was unmatched. Mr. Grimm
was on the point Of concluding that
further inaction was useless, when his
ears caught the faint grating
of metal against metal-perhaps the
insertion of a key in the lock. His
hands grew still; his eyes closed And
after a moment a door creaked slight /
" on its hinges, and a breath OF cool
air informed Mr.. Grimm that that
open door, wherever it was led to the
and freedom
There was another faint creaking /
as the door was shut Mr. Grimm's !
nerveless hands closed involuntarily, /
and his lips were set together tightly. /
Was it to be a knife thrust in the |
dark? If not-then what2 He ex-
pected the flare of q match: instead !
there was a soft thread, and the rustic I
Of skirts. woman, Mr. Grimm's I
caution was all but forgotten in his
surprise. As the steps drew nearer /
his clenched fingers loosened; he /
waited
Two hands stretched forward in the
dark. touched him simultaneously
one on the face. one on the breast A
singular thrill shot through him. but
here was not the flicker of an eye or
he twitching of a finger. The woman
lit was q wOman-seemed now to be
bending over him. then he heard her
irop on her knees beside him. and she
pressed an inQuiring ear TO his left
side. 1t was the heart test.
Thank God she breathed softly
1t was only by a masterful effort
hat Mr.. Grimm held himself limp and
merit. for strange fragrance was en-
7eloping him-a fragrance he well
Knew
The hands were fumbling at his
,reast again, and there was the sharp
,rackle of paper AT first he didn't
understand. then he knew that the
woman had pinned a paper to the
apel of his coat Finally she straight
ned UP. and took Two steps away
rom him, after which came pause
lis keenly attuned ears caught her
amt breathing. then the rustic OF her
kirts as she turned back She was
Gaming over him again-her lips
ouched his forehead. barely; again
here was a quick rustling of skirts.
-, ,io,r cracked apd-Silenpe reaD /