Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-02-07

black press. A large chimney, with
sculptured mantel and on open hearth,
faced the door. A screen shut off the
washstand, which stood to The left OF
the oriel. A broad settle with a va
lance, and covered with a stuff similar
to the hangings of the bed, ran round
the three-sided recess formed by the
window-curtains of the same kind
shut off this recess. A corner cabinet,
with folding doors in the lower part,
fitted the angle of the walls to the
right; between this and the door was
deep, wide, and long chest, and above
it large mirror. An escritoire, some
high backed chairs, and second ia
ble. completed the furniture. There
was\,no door but the one opening upon
the co,-ridor, and no window save the
oriel.
In the early part of the night had
described tbe>Se particulars to Van
Hoeck. at his N1quest, and he had
made me examiner Sne press the orc
chest, the hangings o&>the pea ana SET,
ties; everything, in fact, Ssi'len mlgn'
afford a hiding-place to Lola OF an
other.
| had even gone down upon my
knees, and looked under the bed, TO
appease his anxiety. And yet now
vague uneasiness Possessed ne as |
raised the lamp shade, and looked
round the room. The dark oak
wainscot, the sombre hangings, the
painted ceiling overhead, absorbed
the light; there was a black void on
the opposite side of the bed, where
the light from the lamp was inter-
copied by the curtains; | could not
see even the outline of the great
press.
| readjusted the shade, turned the
wicker higher, and, half-undressed,
threw myself upon the bed | was
not afraid--in strength / was
match for any natural foe, and | did
not believe in the existence of any
other-yet ! felt myself infected with
Van Hoeck's presentiment Of impend-
ing calamity.
Van Hoeck's theory, of Lola's com
plcity in the plot to steal the dia-
mond, had been upset by the fact that
| was watching her asleep at my door
at the very time Edith believed she
saw the girl looking through her
blinds; but this had in no wise
ferrous appearance was connected
with the scheme to rob US.
Are a mans convictions to be lin
tied to his senses he asked. "You
are convinced that cloud is rising in
the horizon because you see it, but am
| to deny its existence because | have
no sight? Are you justified, then, in
declaring that we are not nenaced by
(. L IL. Il.
because you have not my faculty of
provision? You who can not deny,
prescience to a bee, the presentiment
of coming storm to cattle, tell me that
my conviction is nothing. 1t is only
by conviction that we live. What
saves us from destruction but the
conviction that, by stepping into an
abyss, we must fall ? | tell you to
look about you; we are or the edge
of an abyss. There are signs to
strike the dullest intelligence. Your
turn will Gomez
had hung my watch in the pocket
upon the hanging at the head of the
bed; its lively ticking sounded strange
ly out of keeping with the gloom and
of the surroundings. The
shaded light gave funeral aspect
to the bed-hangings; the baldaquin
over my head might have been cata
falque for the dead. ! wondered how
many men had ended their days on
this bed since those hangings had been
put up. Would Van Hoeck's PRESENT.
ment be fulfilled? Should be found
there in the morning dead?
1t was well suited for a murder
that bed, with its pall-like hangings
to conceal the lurking murderer.
Tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac, tic~tac.
My ear had become so familiar to
the brisk movement of my watch that
he slightest sound was audible above
t. And a sound slight indeed heard.
To my mind, dwelling then upon as
sassins, it sounded like the drawing |
IF dagger from its sheath.
Turning my head toward the side |
rom which the sound seerled to |
proceed, fancied | saw the heavy |
.urtain move; it was between me and |
he lamp. The movement was as
slight as the sound. If it was a fact |
hat heard one, it was fact that
aw the other.
| drew myself up gradually, and
Gaming forward, ! SUDDENLY flung
Jack the curtain with my eft hand.
'her was no resistance to my hand;
lothing to be seen beyond but the
amp burning steadily on the table,
he saddle-back chair, and the dim
utline of the big chimney-piece.
| got upon my knees, and pushed
he curtain fiat against the wall, to
e sure that there could by no posi-
ility be any one concealed in the
eavy folds-to assure myself that my
uspicion was utterly without fOunda-
ion.
This end of the room was compar-
lively light, and the saddle-back
hair was so placed as TO preclude
he possibility of any one hiding be-
ond it.
If the curtain had indeed moved,
/ must have been by a hand from
nder the bed. 1t was easier to be-
eve that | had been mistaken in
eeing the slight movement than TO
oppose that | had overlooked con-
called thief when ! looked under The
ed TO satisfy Van Hoeck; so / let the
urtain fall and lay down again.
My thoughts still dwelt upon the
lea of assassination. Setting aside
he idea of an intrigue in which
l. A / I