Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-07-05
By Arnold Fredericks

n
there was nothing that he could do
At least the man would not discover
the hidden coin for some time. The
box had been nearly full Of cigars,
and 1t was small and square and sew
eral inches deep. He was certain that
he had thrust the coin to the bottom.
The woman, handsome blond
creature of rather hard and sensual
type, went up to her companion and
said something to him in low voice.
He seemed alarmed by her words, but
she laughed at his fears.
Don't be a fool" Dumas heard
her say as she went toward the open
window at the front of the room.
"The fellows on to you. You'll
never be safe as long as he is after
you. Believe me, it's the only way"
She began to close the windows.
Dumas wondered what she was
planning to do. 1t was some little
time before he found out. The man
called to her sharply, and they pres
emily began to take various papers
and letters from the desk, as well as
from his pockets, and make a little
pile of them on the tiled hearth.
In moment the man had touched
match to the pile, and a little while
later it had crumbled to ashes.
Then it was that Dumas realized
the fate that was in store for made
moiselle and himself. The woman de-
liberately shut the door leading to
the adjoining bedroom, turned on the
three gas-jets which,, though not in
use, formed the upper part of the
chandelier, and then with her COM
panion passed out into the little hall
and closed the door after her. Bound
and gagged, unable to summon help
in any way, it was apparently the
fate of the two in the room to be SLOW
ly asphyXiated by the now rapidly
escaping gas.
The situation seemed to NJ. Dumas
frightful one, and quite hopeless as
well. He sat in a large armchair, his
hands so tightly bound as to be i'm
movable, his legs from the knee down
wrapped about with piece of clothes
line, and so securely fastened that he
could not move them a fraction of an
inch. He glanced over at Mile. Mer-
cier, and saw that she was in the
same situation.
Already Dumas could smell the es-
Gaping gas as it poured out from the
three open gas-jets and disseminated
itself throughout the room. The hor-
rified expression on the face of the
young French girl showed him that
she, too, realized the danger of their
position.
The nauseating smell of the gas in
creased. On account of the napkin,
which, in the form of gag, had been
forced into his mouth, Dumas was
obliged to breathe heavily through his
nose. Already he could feel the irri-
| tation caused by the gas in his nos
trils, and the taste of it in the back
of his throat almost suffocated him.
He struggled violently, vainly en-.
| deavoring to release his hands, his
feet, but to no purpose. Those two
who had fastened his bonds were evil
IDENTIFY no novices at the game. His
wrists became raw and bleeding from
| his efforts to release them, but it was
all to no purpose. The cords held
| firm.
He was, in his excitement, even un.
conscious of the pain. Nothing, in
fact, mattered except the realization
of their danger, the necessity OF
prompt action of some sort, if it was
to be averted.
Suddenly the telephone-herl began
to ring - loudly - insistently. Some
one below was calling the apartment
some help, no doubt-so near, and
| yet so far away.
| With supreme effort he rose to his
feet, but found himself unable to make
the smallest step. He lurched for
ward, blindly, toward the telephone
instrument on the wall, and fell head
long, dragging the cover from the
table as he did so. The contents O.
the table crashed to the ground, ant
he heard a glass bowl which had stood
upon it shiver to pieces on the floor.
Slowly. and with great effort, he be
gan to drag himself toward the side O.
the room. With his elbows and knees
he managed to make fair progress.
The telephone-bell still continued tt
ring-he prayed to God that it would
not stop until he could get to it.
At last he managed to reach the
wall and with a mighty effort raiset
himself upon his knees. The pungent
acrid taste OF the gas begai. to blu
his senses. He felt his head begiI