The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1921-09-29


passed through all this tense agony |
in vain.
! moved slowly, barely an inch at
a time, each advancing foot feeling |
for support, but more confident now
because Of the grasp Of my fingers on
the upper wood. The window was
closed, but dark and grimy looking,
as though the room within had been
long unOcCupied. Its very appearance
gave me courage. | balanced myself
on the precaTious footing of the stone,
Clinging tenaciously with my left hand
TO the iron hinge Of the blind, while
my right endeavorcd to raise the sash.
At first believed the window
firmly fastened dOwn-the suspicion
leaving me numb with despair But
reckless tugging looSeneu its hold,
and enabled me to shove up the sash
little by little, until finally the OPEN
ing became sufficient for me TO squeeze
through. ! felt as though / had re-
turned from the dead, the nervous re-
action SO great that ! lay for a moment
on the floor where | had fallen, un-
able TO move | knew ! was alone,
the space untenanted. the walls as
bare as in that other room from which
l had fed. / knew this, and in my
exhaustion cared to know no more
Then | staggered to my knees, and,
with opened eyes stared curiously
! about, gathering my wits together.
| There was nothing, to see but the
four walls. | tried the door, and it
opened silently, permitting me to
| glance out into narrow dark hall
way, uncarpeted. | could dimly
discern the top of a flight of stairs
leading down to the story below.
slipped out, anG closed the door softly
behind me. being plunged instantly into
funereal blackness.
groped "a way forward 4oward the
stairs, guided by a hand against the
wall, until the touch of the upper rail
assured me of my position. A narrow
strip Of carpeting-rag | took it to
be from the feeIing-eXtended down
the center of the stairs, sufficient to
muflle any footsteps and | paused
n moment listening for the slightest
noise amid the darkness beneath. All
remained still and mysterious; so that
drew forth my shoes from a coat
pocket and slipped them on
Twice the 5oards creaked omlnously
under my tread sounding terrific in
that silence, and causing me to hang
i'm suspense over the baniSter rail
holding my breath in fear Of discovery
At last I att ined the wider space at
the bottom, and sought blindly to eX-
plore my surroundings. But for the
carpet underfoOt, and small sofa
encountered in recess, ! would have
believed myself in deserted house.
knew l was on the third floor, yet
there was no curve in the banisters
showing a way to the next flight of
stairs, nor could l locate them by any
effort. As the resSlt of blindly cropping
about, l lost all sense of direction and
must have wandered into a side room
through an undraped recess, for
suddenly brought up against a table
Uttered with papers and books.
Startled by this encounter into a
realization that l was lost in a strange
house at an unholy hour Of the morn,
ing, and that the slightest misstep in
that darkness might result l., an alarm
to awaken every sleeper, for few
minutes ] did not venture to move In
any direction. Yet manifestly ! could
not remain there indefinitely, and So
blindly choosing course, set forth
feeling a way cautiously forward until
} l first ran into n chair and then struck
one hand against a side wall | fol
lowed this latter as best l could
! inspired by the thought that II con
tinueG this course long enough l must
!; attain the opening through which
had entered the room. On the way
my hands felt the outlines 4 "A CLOSED
door, and, in aimlessly cropping about
encountered a key I'm the lock. II
was so inserted as to be extracted
at the touch Of my fingers and instant
{ ly tiny ray of light shot forth
, through the vacated hole. it was such
relief I'm the heart of that darkness
as tc cause me to quickly bend dowr
and endeaver to view the scene within
II was evidently a chamber of some
size, and well furnished, rather dimly
r. Illuminated by a single shaded eIectr!,
2 globe, handsome green rug on the
z floor, and numerous pictures huns
about the walls. could perceive tn,
p ! outlines Of a bed at one side, barrel,
, within the range of the vision, ant
, opposite this an ornate dresser, witt
p three mirrors. But what my eve
roctp5 uppu yufth o,raotor iptoroet ,,,o.