The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-07-04

- proof Of her confidence.
~iou say the Assassin i sttll here
- this house:" ] questioned Are
yoa sure:'
mo, not sure. but have every
reason 10 believe SO. One Of the serv-
ants caught a glimpse Of him. and
have seen that which has aroused my
evn suspicious. I have not dreamed
this. but I actually believe there is
some presence In this house seeking
evil, This house was built in time of
fe0d and In u feud country. Judge
Dunn was then on tbs bench and had
made many dangerous enemies BY his
decisions. He always was . man to
arouse animosity by his arbitrary
nanner and abrupt speech. As a girl
] heard this house contained q hidden
room and secret passages so arranged
a. TO facilitate escape IN time OF peril
o. attack Calvert Dunn has confessed
as much. but he and bis father alone
know the secret 1t would be useless
TO question the judge"
"Where Is he nowT"
Where you saw him last. occupy.
ins his chair In the library. his body
perfectly helpless. bis 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"
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 eharacterless and
cOlorless Lucille. suffering from n
headache and locked safely away with
In her own room: that vindictive old
man. seated helpless IN his chair. his
strange eyes gIartng out across the
library table. and Jean Denslow left
alone in the big house to cope with
its mystery. the night shadows clos
ing in. Instinctvely I extended by
hand. and In the sudden response OF
comrndeship she slipped her own into
my grasp.
III believe ! am actually afraid"
she confessed. This Is so different
from real danger-this-this haunted
feeling"
do not recall what ! said. but
know | retained her hand In mine and
must have spoken words OF encour-
n-ement. for when we emerged from
that dark hole Of cellar into the mar.
row hallway. already lighted by a
banging lamp. her eyes were smiling
ana the clasp Of her fingers had grown
nrin.
Il shall want weapons. Miss Dens-
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 impervious to
u bullet. You can trust me armed?"
"Oh. yes: will get your own re-
vovers. They are left in the library"
She was back III moment. and
snapped the belt nbout my waist, feel
ing renewed confidence as I found
both weapons still Ioaded.
Lump in hand. ! explored every
nook and corner. peering under furni.
ture and into closet recesses. until alb
soluteIy convinced that not even a
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-
.tr 81 fo0a a.
thetic as she pleaded. Through the
partially opened door caught a
glimpse Of the judge at the library ta-
BILE. his head bowed forward us tr he
slept. but did not venture to enter
the room.
Miss Dens!ow." said at last. stand.
ing ut the foot Of the stairs. ''if 1t is
true that any one Is hiding In the
house. ns yon suspect the fellow must
be the murderer Of Lieutenant Ma.
varre Naturally wish to make that
man prisoner. Are you willing to sit
here in the dark. thus helping me to
draw him into the trapT'
Her eyes lifted to mine in single
searching glance
"Yes." she said quietly. Il know |
an nervous. strangely so. yet ! am not
afraid"
blew out the light placed two
chairs back in the denser shadow un.
derneath the circular staircase and
made her sit down in the one nearest
the wall Her hand was cold. tremb'
ling as I touched 1t. and ! whispered
a few words of courage into her ear.
but she made no effort to respond
Perhaps we had been sitting thus for
ten minutes. in a stiffness so profound
as to be- painful. when felt the girls
hand steal along the arm Of my chair
and press my sleeve The movement.
unconsciousiy made perhaps. was eo-
quent of her distress Of mind. and.
obeying the first impulse l clasped 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-
picionY Had overstrained nerves caus-
krnr ~