Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-02-14

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He might not have left the room
He might be hidden there at that
very mOmenti
What was more easy, being in the
room, than to conceal himself in it
The curtain that masked the Oriel
the great chest, the settle, the press
were all suggestive of that course
The fellow might be under the very
bed / was lying upon!
The movement | had seen in the
curtain, the sound similar TO the
drawing Of a blade from it's sheath
(which might well have been caused
by the movement of the heavy val
ance of the bed, strengthened the
suspicion. Was he lying there wait
ing for the sound of my heavy
breathing to assure him that ! slept -?
There was scarcely the necessity
to wait for that, for what resistance
could !, lying upon my back there,
make against a foe springing out OF
the dark upon me?
1 thought of the clasp-knife Van
Hoeck had given me, and, stretch
ing out my hand, l felt for it where
I had stuck it--between the mattress
and the bedstead. ] could not find
it.
Pushing hack the curtains so that
the nght from the lamp fell upon the
edge of the bedstead, assured my
self that it was not where ] had left
it. 1t must have slipped thrOugh-Or
been drawn out
The latter suppositiOn explained
the sound and movement ] had heard
and seen. Yet it might have made
that sound in slipping thrOugh-its
fall upon the floor deadened by the
carpet or its point sticking in the
boards; but / fancied the hOrn-han-
die was too wide to allow Of its
slipping through.
To satisfy myself at once upon this
Oint, leapt out of bed, resolved to
Crike q match and look under the va
lance. ] stood for q moment stupe-
fed; the box of vestas was gone from
the table where | was certain ] had
laid them.
They must have been taken while ]
lay screened by the bed-curtains.
1 glanced over my shoulder.
The folds Of the curtain against
the bed were not the same as when
l pushed them back 20 the wall; one
fold stood out at an angle; and
as slowly turning round, ] looked
more closely, / saw against the dark
oak PANEL of the wall, about an
inch or so from the edge of the cur
tain, the bright point Of knife
blade.
Now, indeed, there was no longer
any doubt. The man who had come
to rob was there TO murder me. Had
| stopped but another moment on
the bed he might have knitted me.
What was | to do? / had him
standing there behind the curtain at a
certain advantage.
Should l spring upon him and
strange him against the wall in the
, folds of the curtain?
i 1t was not a sure victory for me,
and a partial one might in the end be
fatal. The thick stuff would prevent
my getting a firm grip of him, and
his right hand, the one that held the
knife, was free. My chance was too
small, the danger too great to justify
that attack, though the muscles OF
my arms and fingers were strung up
to make the tempting effort.
Keeping my eye upon the curtain |
drew back TO the foot of the bed. To
get to, the door ! must cross the
room, and inevitably be seen by the
murderous rascal as he stood there on
the inner side of the bed-curtain; and
arrived at the door ] must turn the
key twice, and the handle as well, be-
fore ne overlook me. On the other
hand he had to discover the start ]
had of him.
The chances were pretty equal, and !
~ etermined to save myself by flight |
ratntr. than risk the fatal result of
the unequal encounter.
I made my way noiselessly in a
straight line down the room until |
I got opposite the door, then / made
a rush for it across the open space |
got to the door, and with furious /
haste CROPPED about for the key--it |
was gonel
I grasped the handle. in the hope
that / might be able to tear the lock /
off; the screw mad been taken out, and !
the knob slid off the spindle in my /
hand. ] was lost.
II astonishes me now to think with |
what CELEBRITY and adroitness these
precautions against my escape had /
been made.
The man had not rushed after me;
there was no desperate pursuit of
that kind; he knew ! was trapped.
Only as ] turned my eyes back to
the place where he stood, ! perceived 7
that the light was dying out.
There was but a narrow rim of blue
flame above the wick; it faded away,
and all was dark
There are degrees Of darkness; this
seemed TO be the last degree. felt
as If ] was sunk ia lake of pitch.
If / called for help, it was not GER
tain that the heavy-sleeping Judge
would hear me-. Possibly Sir Ed
must was yet awake, bat / thought
of Edith. and besides ] knew that
before assistance could come, before
the door could he burst, all would
be over.
Probably my foe was already, ap-
preaching me; my cry would be
the signal for him TO spring upon me.
No, my only chance of escape was
in maintaining silence, and keeping
him ia ignorance of my position. If
accident brought us into contact, |
trusted to my physical strength and
- f.,-ly 80 no q match for him and