Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-03-03
ILL. The TRAP


Ill. THE TRAP.
The binding p-ismatic glare that
filed all space dwindled slowly to a
hands breadth of particolored flame,
its UnunderouS roar to a sustained
snore: overhead the sertorous gas jet
by fits and starts hissed and spat an
grily.
She had no means of knowing how
long it had been burning; that is to
say, how long she had been insensible; ;
but it was long enough, at all events,
for the atmosphere of that stuffy hole
to have grown sickening with heat
and it's aggravation of the native
stencil.
Her mouth and throat once more
were parched. The drink brought her
by Inez had served only to render her
thirst more intense: matter of spite
full calculation, in all likelihood: even
though diluted, alcohol in any form
is no quencher of thirst, rather the
contrary. Inez had not, however,
reckoned with its stimulating proper
ties: Priscilla was no less unhappy in
body and mind, on recovering from
her swoon, but she felt stronger, bet
ter able to think and to work out
thought in action.
At present, however, two considera-
tions dominated all others: her need
of water; the necessity somehow to
escape from that place of terror and
abomination.
She got up, unsteadily enough,
padded to the door, and listened there
with an ear to the joint between door
and jamb.
Hearing what she believed to be a
rumor of distant voices, nothing else
she laid hold of the knob and turned
it cautiously. A thrill shot through
her heart when the door opened 4:
Whether by design or inadvertence,
Inez had neglected to lock it!
A peering reconnaissance showed
nothing but gloom Immediately beyond
the door. Trembling, the girl opened ii
wide. The light from the gas jet then
revealed length of malodorOus hall
way. broken by two more doors, both
closed. At its far end it turned off at
right angle. What lay beyond was
unguessable: there was no light.
The air of the hallway was heavy
with that subtle, sickly smell, alluring
and appalling the breath of
death. She had smelt it be
fore, somewhere, at some time indef-
mite. At length she knew it
the reek of opium smoke in the den
of Sing Ho, to which sheer Leo.
nora-had gone that night ESQ long
ago. y to meet Charlie the Coke.
She advanced one unshod, timid
foot across the threshold, faltered
took another step and closed the door
behind her, shutting herself out into
fully on, feeling her way with hands
that brushed the walls.
She drew near to the farther door
The voices became more definite
Seemingly several persons were clos
eted in that room, all talking at once
i
came to her, was entertained and es
tablished as an idea fixed, that if she
could only win past that door, the rest
would be easy, an unhindered way OF
escape would open out to her.
She was within two PAGES of sue
cess when an especially violent wran'
gle ended in harsh rasping of chair
legs on a bare, rough floor; and in a
sudden lull heavy heels thumped
! toward the door. The girl shrank
back, instinctively fiattening herself
to the wall to one side of the door.
| This last was thrown open, letting
out a flood of gaslight and choking
gust of air heavy laden with tobacco
smoke. A man came out, turning
! toward Prisciila's recent prison. Blind
ed by the transition from light to
darkness, he stopped and, curSing, put
out a hand toward the wall. 1t touched
Priscilla's shoulder. She WINGED with
stified cry of fright. Instantly the
hand closed cruelty on her shoulder
| its owner uttered an exclamation of
mingled wrath and satisfaction, and
with one rufiianly swing sent her stag
gering into the room.
Somehow she escaped a tumble,
righted herself, stood cringing, blink
| ing, trembling.
The door closed with a bang. The
time of all pretensions to polish, an
accents Of the Nut, destitute for the
nounced:
"Here she is now! Caught her just
in time-tryin' to do a sneak. Who
left the door unlocked on her? You,
InezT
Coolly the voice of Inez replied
''Maybe 1 did don't remember"
On careless Of you"
"Ah, shut up. What difference does
it make? She didn't get away, did
sheP She couldn't, not in a thousand
years, without we let her."
| CTO BE CONTINUED.)