Cheyenne record. (Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne County, Colo.) 1913-19??, 1920-04-08

Nhiy "uoh ooSh . AooA
as to do 1t! could and did, how
ever. give George my letters to mail.
One thing was now clear to meas
long as I stayed In the fiat was COM
paratively safe-I must make my main
play that Billy had got my letter or
that somebody would call. Though Of
course George would say was out
he was paid for that by monsieur.
In this manner of living-afraid to
go out and being unable to communi-
cate even with the grocer-two days
wore away; to be exact, from Tues
day night to Friday morning. And
they were enlivened by some interest
ing experiences. On the second night
1 was awakened by the sound Of
latchkey working at my front door. ]
tiptoed into the hall and listened.
can't say was frightened. The chain
bolt was on and the only way 1t could
be got of was by first shutting the
door tight-vhich meant 1t could not
be worked back with wire. l had
seen to that when the locksmith put
It in.
Nothing came Of this attempt to fit
Q key to my new lock, and I got COM
fort out of the thought that it proved
monsieur regarded the fire escape as
much too public for his performances.
had given George my letters to
mail on Wednesday morning. but as
Thursday wore away and Billy didn't
come I saw what was In for-1 was
to be starved into leaving the fiat.
was already weak for want Of food:
I suppose my belief In imminent star
va:ion had something to do with 1t.
but as q matter Of fact had had moth
ing that could be called square meal
since Monday, night at the restaurant.
and I hadn't eaten much then-1 was
too excited over my encounter with
monsieur. Oh, how wished I'd eaten
that egg Mrs Jimmson boiled for me-
1t might have saved my life! Yes.
was weak with hunger, and by Sunday
night there would not be q mouthful
In the house to eat. 1t was now Thurs
day evening.
That night monsieur picked the new
Yale lock on the front door!
How long he'd been working Mt 1t
before 1 woke up I can't say. and
WlKul never nave hho"h IL ~ aH "A A'S
hadn't accidentally dropped his bunch
Of keys on the tiled floor. Their
tinkling awoke me. l knew on the in
slant what it was and lay perfectly
still while I felt him listening for
sound from me to show that was
awake. should say I lay there fif-
teen minutes before he went on with
his job.
Softly I crept out Of bed. I tiptoed
through the hall and placed myself
back Of the door where he could not
see me should he get 1t open.
We stood thus possibly Ave minutes,
his work lighted by the hall gas yet.
I In total darkness, while keys slid
into the lock. slid out and clicked
against the bunch he had in his hand.
1t was a large bunch. judging from the
sound.
The sixth key did it The Yale lock
turned once-twice. He withdrew the
key and I heard him taking 1t OF the
ring and dropping the bunch into his
pocket He put the key once more In
the lock and tried again to make sure.
1t was not till then that he unlocked
the lower lock-the one he kept me
prisoner with. He'd never once given
ME the chance to pop out on him till
he was ready to pop in on me!
And now he was ready. The key
turned-the door handle turned. A.
strip Of light showed over his head
and slowly widened. The chain-holt
slid and slid, almost noiselessly. along
its socket. Then 1t stopped.
think he hadn't noticed 1t at first
he had turned the gas low and as he
stood he cut of the light. When the
door suddenly stopped he moved aside
to see what was hampering him. l
saw the glitter Of the brass chain. He
saw 1t too. Then darkness again. and
I felt rather than saw his fingers come
through the crack and feel the chain.
Next came the whole hand and
worked at the chain-but the farther
he pushed 1t back the tighter closed
the door 1t was meant to be that
way. but he didn't yet know 1t!
He barred his arm and thrust 1t
through the crack and felt along the
slot to the hole In the end. This was
my chance to give him one with the
hairbrush-but I didn't. Truth to tell.
I was too paralyzed with excitement
I had my chance and let 1t 90.
did nothing-said nothinS-scarce-
ly breathed the whole time he was
there And to this day don't know
II I could have bettered the situation
by doing anything but what 1 did
nothing.
He wasted very little time on the