The Lamar register., 1920-06-09
Saw Him Sink Slowly to the Floor at
Her Feet

Saw Him Sink Slowly to the Floor at
Her Feet
ping the ammunition belt and revolver
about her waist, she stole on tiptoe to
the doorway and peered out; the ST.
lent. cavernous passage was empty.
Lithely, like young panther, she
slipped out of the cell and began max
ing down the passageway to a spot of
light which she judged to be its open
ing. She had scarcely gone ten feet,
however. before she stopped short
somewhere in the dark she heard
voice.
What was to be done? Her temples
throbbed as the voices sounded nearer
Then II came home to her-why not try
one of the other cellsi Suiting action
to the thought. she stepped quietly
from the niche in the wall, moved
nolselessly along its surface, and came
at length to another dungeon similar
TO the one she had occupied. except
that II had no window In its oaken
door. Fumbling with the bunch of
keys. she took the first one around
which her fingers fell and thrust 1t
hurriedly into the lock. She strug-
gled with it-turning II first TO the
left and then TO the right. The foot
steps were sounding nearer and near
er every minute. the voices were grow.
ing louder.
Frantic. she gave the key final des-
perate twist. and as a sigh of relief
escaped her lips the door swung open.
Slipping through the aperture. she
closed It softly after her and, painting
from excitement and her exertlons,
turned and faced the recesses Of her
hiding-place.
II was black. pitch-black, except for
n long ray of light that struggled in be-
tween the heavy door and its casing,
but as Stella Donovan stood there In
the gloom she was aware that she was
not the only occupant of the cell. She
crouched back. grlpped in the hands of
another fear. but the next moment her
alarm was lessened somewhat by the
sound of soft. well-modulated voice.
"who's thatf" 1t said family.
Then followed the repeated scratch
ing of q wet match, a fame of yellow
]
to a short tallow candle. and In the
aura of Its sickly flame Stella Dono-
van saw the face OF a man with long,
unkempt beard and feverish eyes that
stared at her as though she were an
apparition.
As her eyes became more accus-
toned to the light she saw that the
stranger was a man OF approximately
thirty. of good robust health. His hair
was sandy Of color and thin. and his
beard, which was of the same hue, had
evidently gone untrimmed for days,
perhaps weeks; yet for all Of his un-
kempt appearance, for all the strange
ness OF his presence there. he was q
gentleman. that was plain. And as
she scrutinlzed him Miss Donovan
thought she beheld a mild similarity in
the contour of the mans head, the
shape of his face, the lines Of his body.
to the man who several weeks be-
fore. she had seen lying dead upon the
J floor of his rooms In the Waldron
/ apartments.
"My Godl" he cried in high voice.
IL thought l was seeing things. You
are really woman-and alivef''
/ Miss Donovan hesitated a moment
( before she answered, wondering
whether TO tell him of her narrow es-
cape. This she decided to do.
'Alive, but only by luck" she said
In friendly voice. and then recounted
the insults of Cateras, her struggle
with him, and capture of his cartridge
belt and revolver and how finally she
had left him bound and gagged In the
adjoining cell. The man listened at
tentively. though his mind seemed
slow 70 grasp d tails.
ha '7e,sied. unable to clear
,ny axe you here? Surely
.-T aue OF this gang OF out
pii-,ner. That is true OF