The St. Johns herald., 1921-12-22


 there in uncertainty: must learn the truth-assure myself that I had not passed through all this tense agony in vain.
 l moved slowly, barely an inch at 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. l balanced myself on the precariOus footing of the stone, clhging tenaciOusly with my left hand to the iron hinge of the blind, while my right endeavOred to raise the sash. At first l believed the window firmly fastened dOwn-the suspicion leaving me numb with despair. But reckless tugging lOOsened 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. 1 felt as though I had re- turned from the dead, the nervous re- action so great that lay for a moment on the floor where I had fallen, un- able to move. l knew I was alone, the space untenanted, the walls as bare as in that other room from which I had fled. I knew this, and in my exhaustion cared to know no more.
 Then l staggered to my knees, and, with opened eyes stared curiOusly about, gathering my wits together. There was nothing to see but the four walls. I tried the door, and it opened silently, permitting me to glance out into a narrow dark hall way, uncarpeted. I could dimly discern the top of flight of stairs leading down to the story below. I slipped out, and closed the door softly behind me- being plunged instantly into funereal blackneSs.
 grOped way forward toward the stairs, guided by hand against the wall, until the touch of the upper rail assured me of my position. A narrow strip of carpeting-rag I took 1t to be from the feeling-extended down the center of the stairs, sufficient to mufle any footsteps, and I paused a moment listening for the slightest noise amid the darkness beneath. All remained still and mysterious; so that I drew forth my shoes from coat pocket and slipped them on.
 Twice the 5oards creaked ominously under my tread sounding terrific in that silence, and causing me to hang in suspense over the banister rail, holding my breath in fear of discovery. At last I attained the wider space at the bottom, and sought blindly to ex- plOre my surroundings. But for the carpet underfoot, and a small sofa encountered in a recess, I would have believed myself in a deserted house. I knew I was on the third floor, yet there was no curve in the banisters, showing a way to the next flight of stairs, nor could locate them by any effort. As the result of blindly grOping about, lost all sense of direction and must have wandered into a side room through an undraped recess, for suddenly brought up against a table, filtered with papers and books.
 Startled by this encounter into a realization that was lost in a strange house at an unholy hour of the morn ing, and that the slightest misstep in that darkness might result i;i an alarm to awaken every sleeper, for a few minutes 1 did not venture to move in any direction. Yet manifestly I could not remain there indefinitely, and so, blindly choosing course, set forth, feeling way cautiously forward until first ran into chair, and then struck one hand against a side wall. I fol- 1 lowed this latter as best I could, | inspired by the thought that if con- tinued this course long enough I must l attain the opening through which I | had entered the room. On the way | my hands felt the outlines Jf closed | door, and, in aimlessly groping about, encountered a key in the lock. It | was so inserted as to be extracted | at the touch of my fingers and instant ly a tiny ray of light shot forth through the vacated hole. It was such a relief in the heart of that darkness | as to cause me to quickly bend down and endeaver to view the scene within.
 It was evidently a chamber of some size, and we'll furnished, rather dimly illuminated by a single shaded electric globe, a handsome green rug on the floor, and numerous pictures hung about the walls. I could perceive the outlines of bed at one side, barely within the range of the vision, and opposite this an ornate dresser, with three mirrors. But what my eyes