Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-04-08
NUMBER ID

that he would not have been likely to
detect q concealed opening II one were
! before him. Round and round the room
he went. the candle ever burning lower.
Thinking there might he an opening In
the wall behind the bed. he endeavored
to move II, but 1t was so heavy that II
resisted his efforts. Then despair gave
him strength for one concentrated push.
and he moved 1t far enough to thrust
the now hi,kering candle behind 1t
Alas, there was nothing but bare
wall!
His only hope now lay between the
panel by which he had entered and the
trap in the corner. He kicked upon
the former. but 1t was solid oak. He
| turned from 1t to the trap, remember
Ing that II all else failed he could
keep up continued hammering on
| the panel. so that In case n servant
entered his room she would hear him.
Once more he scrutiniZed every point
| In the outline Of the trap. but as be-
fore he failed to see any indication OF
the fastening.
And now the candle began to fare In
It's socket. IN irresistible fascination
drew the pr :Oner's eyes to the be-
| iewcled CORPSE on the bed HideOus rs
It was. 1t was the last connecting link
between him and humanity. Then lie
covered his eyes with his hands, that
he should not see the candles last
flicker. and when lie removed them
he was IN total darkness
The horror Of that moment was
never to lie forgotten. But hope never
dies. and hope inspires action. Feel
ing the WY to the panel. lie sat down
beside it and began II rapplng. which
he resolved to renew every few min
utes. Hours went by and no response.
He did not expect Il response he only
hoped for one. Unfortunately his
room would not be put In order by the
servant till the following morning. and
the servants were so busy that 1t
might not he put In order ut ALL un-
less he reported the matter at the Of
flee Of the hotel Remembering his
watch. he remembered rs well that be
could not see 1t. All. but he could
feel. Having wound It. he removed
the glass from it's face and felt. light
ly as possible. for the hands.
It had been about o'clock IN the
evening when he entered the room.
and the hands now indicated 6. He
had been there an hour. 1t seemed
twenty. four hours After all. there
would be no use keeping up the rap
ping. since no one would be likely to
enter the adjoining room till the next
morning.
He resolved that he would spend
some time while waiting In tapping
all about the trapdoor in the floor In
the hope that he might strike spring
that would open it. He had nothing TO
tan with, but thought OF the heel or
his boot and. taking 1t of. held 1t by
the toe and began his work. pursuing
1t Systematically In order that he
might not go over the same ground
more than once. He first tapped all
around the edge Of the trap for dis
lance Of three feet. as nearly as ne
could tell In the dark This occupied
an hour. Then he began work on the
wall beside the trap. He was tapping
at point as high as his head, his back
turned to the trap. when be heard
something behind him drop. Turning,
he felt current of cold air coming up
through the floor and saw square
place trife lighter than the rest
where the trap had been. 1t had
opened. swinging downward.
Kneeling beside the opening. Went
worth explored with his hands and
feet narrow winding steps. Without
needing where they led to he descend
ed. The flight was long one and as
dark at one point as another. Finally
when he reached the bottom he found
himself standing on wood. but there
were rotted parts. and. stamping on 1t.
be easily broke 1t away.
He De!lpved ne was over sewer
and he was. Indeed. he could see into II
md that II was nearly empty. Drop
ping down on TO the stones which
formed the tube. he went toward
light some distance from him. The
light also came toward him. II was n
Ian. rp iu the hands Of n sewer tender.
That Is the esd Of the story so far rs
Wentworth'S escape Is concerned. but
not the explanation Of the cause of his
imprisonment. he reported his eXpc
rieace to tie authorities and the his
torical society had the room examined
and the record 0f the building looked
IN. All they could fnd out about il
was that IL had been built I'm the thir-
teenth century and during the reign OF
Louis XIV. when private revenge occu-
pied the place Of law. had gained the
reputation Of being Il place where GER
tain persons obnoxious TO certain other
persons Of power were put out OF the
way. But who the woman was whose
body Wentworth found there was new
er learned. Doubtless she was the last
Of number OF persons who had been
starved In that room.