The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-01-29

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a key to my new lock- and got COM
fort eout 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 saw what l was in for--I was
to be starved into leaving the fiat. /
was already weak for want of food;
/ suppose my belief in imminent star
walton had something to do with 1t.
but as matter Of fact / had had moth
ing that could be called square meal
since Monday night at the restaurant.
and hadn't eaten much them was
| too excited over my encounter with
monsieur. Oh how / wished I'd eaten
that egg Mrs. Jimmson boiled for me--
it might have saved my life! Yes, |
was weak with hunger, and by Sunday
night there would not be a 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 at 1t
before ! woke up + can't say. and /
| might never have known it at all If he
hadn't accidentally dropped his bunch
of keys on the tiled floor. Their
tinkling awoke me. knew on the in
slant what it was and lay perfectly
still while / felt him listening for a
sound from me to show that was
awake. should say lay there fif-
teen minutes before he went on with
his job.
Softly crept out of bed. tiptoed
through the hall and placed myself
back of the door where he could not
see me should he get it open.
We stood thus possibly five minutes.
his work lighted by the hall gas jet,
I in total darkness, while keys slid
| into the lock, slid out and clicked
against the bunch he had in his hand.
1t was large bunch, judging from the
sound.
The sixth key did it. The Yale lock
turned once--twice. He withdrew the
key and heard him taking it off 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 mel
And now he was ready. The key
tnrned--the door handle turned. A
strip of light showed over his head
and slowly widened. The chain-bolt
slid and slid, almost noiselessly, along
its socket. Then it stopped.
think he hadn't noticed it at first
he had turned the gas low and as he
stood he cut off the light. When the
door suddenly stopped he moved aside
to see what was hampering him. /
saw the glitter of the brass chain. He
saw 1t too. Then darkness again, and
/ 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 it back the tighter closed
the door. 1t was meant to be that
way, but he didn't yet know it!
He barred his arm and thrust it
| 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 didn't. Truth to tell,
/ was too paralyzed with excitement.
] had my chance and let it go.
I did nothing said nothing scarce
ly breathed the whole time he was
there. And to this day don't know
if could have bettered the situation
by doing anything but what I did
nothing.
He wasted very little time on the
chain. It took him not more than
two minutes to learn that he couldn't
| get the bolt out at the end of the
slot without first shutting the door
which meant it couldn't be got out ex-
cept from tho inside. He withdrew
his hand. There was dead pause in
which he seemed to be considering
what to do next. Then he closed the
door and locked me in again. i did
not hear him leave-only, when the
door closed on him all was silent. He
probably crept up and down the stairs
in gum shoes. And with my teeth
chattering / asked myself my now ia
| vorite question, "What next?n i was
to have it answered in a way didn't
! expect.