Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-27
The Daily Story
PARIS LANDMARK-BY F A. MITCHELL.
copyrighted. Associated Literary

succeeded IN putting out the ore.
But n new terror was in store for
him. One-half an inch Of the caRdle
remained. and when it burned away he
would besin darkneSs-in darkness with
that horrible thing on the bed! He re-
uewed his search. but was so agitated
that he would not have been likely to
detect a concealed opening if one were
before him. Round and round the room
he went, the candle ever burning lower.
Thinking there might be an opening in
the wall behind the bed. he endeavored
to move it. but it was so heavy that 1t
resisted his efforts. Then despair gave
him strength for one concentrated push,
and he moved it far enough to thrust
the now Pickering candle behind it
Alas, there was nothing but a 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 it was solid oak. he
turned from 1t to the trap, remember
ing that If all else failed he could
keep up a continued hammering on
the panel. so that in case a 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
its socket. An irresistible fascination
drew the prisoners eyes to the be-
jeweled corpse on the bed. Hideous as
1t was, il was the last connecting link
between him and humanity Then he
covered his eyes with his hands, that
he should not see the candles last
flicker. and when he removed them
he was In total darkness
The horror of that moment was
never to he forgotten. But hope never
dies. and hope inspires action. Feel
ing the way to the panel, he sat down
beside it and began q rapping, which
he resolved TO renew every few min
utes. Hours went by and no response.
/ He did not expect a responsible 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 It
might not be put in order at all, I'M
! less he reported the matter at the of
fice of the hotel Remembering his
watch, he remembe red as we'll that he
could not see it An, but he could
feel Having wound it, he removed
the glass from its face and felt, light
" as possible. for the hands.
1t had been about o'clock In the
evening when he entered the room,
and the hands now indicated g. BE
had been there an hour. 1t seemed
twenty four hours. After all, there
would be no sse 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 a spring
|, that would open it. He had nothing to
tap with, but thought of the heel OF
his boot and. taking it off, held 1t by
the toe and began his work, pursuing
it Systematically in order that he
might not go over the same ground
more than once He first tapped al
around the edge of the trap for a dis
lance of three feet, as nearly as he
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 bach
turned to the trap, when he heard
something behind him drop. Turning
he felt current Of cold air coming VI
through the floor and saw squar,
place triae lighter than the res
where the trap bad been. IL haG
opened, swinging downward.
Kneeling beside the opening. Went
worth explored with his hands anC
feet narrow winding steps. Withou
, needing where they led to he descend
, ed. The fight was long one and al
dark at one point AZ another Finally
when he reached the bottom he fOunC
himself standing on wood, but Their,
! were rotted parts, and, stamping on it
he easily broke it away
; He believed he was over sewer
! and he was Indeed. he could see into i
and that it was nearly empty. Drop
ping down on to the stones which
formed the tube, he went toward
light some distance from him. TIL
! light also came toward him. 1t was
? lantern in the hands Of a sewer tender
That is the end Of the story so far a
. WentWorth's escape Is concerned. bu
not the explanation OF the cause Of hl
? imprisonment. He reported his expe
5 rience to the authorities. and the his
torical society had the room examines
/ and the record Of the bniIding looke
up. All they could find out about
was that il had been built in the THU
I teenth century ana during the reign 0
I Louis XIV. when private revenge occu
| pied the place OF law, had gained tn
reputation of being a place where cel
@ tain persons 0DuOXi Ous TO certain Othe
= persons Of power were put out Of tn
r way. But who the woman vas who's
4 body Wentworth found there was ney
q er learned Doubtless she was the las
g, OF "A number Of persons who had bee
e., starved in that room.