Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-20
HREHlEmTHEHHHHHHHEEE gIREHHFREHHInEHIFEHHHHBIH

When the men stopped hammering
where would I be? In a pool of water,
told myself, or in an underground dun
geon with rats scampering about and
Shiny creatures in the corners; or per-
haps would find myself in some ancient
crypt where my bones would mix with
the long forgotten bones of other young
women-dead because. like me, they had
been willful and stubborn, unreasonably
tmpulsive and impatient Of conventions
and restraint, and very headstrog in their
! love affairs
So my dazed mind tangled itself up
as I reviewed all Of the reasons for all
of the steps by which l had arrived at
my horrible state. The reasons seemed
so silly-the steps seemed so inevitable.
It wasn't logical. I felt a sudden sym
pathy with criminals. All prisoners rea-
soned, 1 supposed, very much as I was
doing.
At last felt sure that my cell had de-
scended by successive Jerks and slides so
far that its ceiling was many feet be-
low the level of the floor OF the secret
chamber, where my would be rescuers
were so futilely employed.
1t seemed to me that the noise which
they made must arouse the dead in the
vaults under the pavement Of the church.
Again a whispered anwser to my cries
was waited to me from below and I
shuddered. 1t seemed a ghostly wall!
When the expected finally did happen,
when the door above me fell in, it
dropped to the top OF my little cage.
broke through the ceiling, crashed close
to me- and bruised my hand in its fall
didn't mind that, however. I was glad
that it had made hole in the roof of my
closet.
AS soon as it had fallen, all noises
ceased for me. My consciousness left me
just as I was trying to imagine what
would be the fate of the three good
friends whom had left behind In that
secret chamber
Would they-could They're enticed into
horrible traps as easily, as thoughtlessly,
as I had been?
Suddenly the .dream-voice of my hus-
band-the voice I had heard above my
own screaming-became a reality
you are not dead? For Gods sake
say something! Are you, still alive?
Speak to mel"
The voice thrilled me but couldn't
speak. Fingers moved gently across my
face. They fingered on my eyelids, and
crept to the edge of my hair. .Bob's fin
gersi I knew the soft touch OF them and
loved it as well as I knew and loved the
sound of Bob's voice
~ would know the touch Of your hands
even If I were dead" 1 had declared to
him, fondIy, a thousand times since our
marriage. At that momentous midnight,
New Year. 1920, 1 wondered If I were
not dead in truth And rescued-by some
miracle OF love-too late!
1T is you, Jane. One word-just one
word" my husband pleaded.
I opened my eyes and realized that we
ry11 fod IN Oh 1Yr4n 4 orlrr DIT
what cared I for the light? I was alive
and Bob was breathing close to met
could hear him could feel his breath
on my facet
"Bobl Bobl" I whispered His fin
gers still smoothed the coils of my hair
as If so he felt most sure Of me in the
darkness.
"You! Jane! Darllng" he sobbed as
he gathered me into his arms. "Your
screaming paralyzed me, Jane. I thought
that must be crazy. 1t was unthinkable
that you should be thrown into this same
hole-with me. Vengeance! 1 pray u
God to give me-
i"Sh- sh-sh-' I whispered, putting a
finger across his lips. Were together
dearest. We share the same dangers. IF
we are not to live together, we will have
the Joy Of dying together. What more
can fate grant US, darltng?"
He put his face tight. to my own for an
answer. I chung to my husband as II
our reunion did not, of itself, need ex-
planning. And 1t did not for the time.
"Where are, we Bob?" I asked
I'm a subceIlar-an ancient dungeon. I
was PUT down here and left to die And
you, darling How did you come here?"
ITO Be COntinued).
Copyright, 1920, by the Newspaper
Enterprise association.