Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-17


ing when she had queer feeling of 2
hand being laid upon her shoulder
and so vivid was the impression thai
she Jumped to her feet. wheeling sud
denly around. Nobody in sight.
I'm getting jumpy," she sroldeG
herself. "Ill have 10 get fresh gril
or I'll get as crazy as poor Aubrey
Winston, She took mp a glass OF
water. Again the queer feeling of a
RESTRAIN lining hand. Anne trembled from
head to foot.
I'm having premonitions, she was
thinking rapidly, something is wrong
with this food, | mustn't eat o,
drink, I'm sure I'm locked in here
a prisoner and shaking violently
she leaned back in her chair. over
come with the horror of her position
After a time she was calm enough
to face her predicament and climbing
the winding stairs. crept along the
gallery. trying each door Stealthily
They were locked. and careful in
vestigation of their keyholes produced
nothing Only blackness met the eye
Again she descended to the door
through which she had entered and
began to call. but with no better re
suit. And now thirst was getting the
"
more she took the glass in her hand
but this time something strange hap.
pened. Her grasp was not secure
her hand shook. The glass fell to the
floor and broke i'm a dozen pieces. the
noise of it's contact with the boards
making her jump,
Well" she surveyed the disaster,
that ends that"
do of a
old-fashioned. handicapped wash
stand doomed within the far shadows.
There was a china toilet set up on
it, and the pitcher contained water
muddy looking stuff. 1t had a nasty
brackish taste. still it was water. and
Anne drank from the nose Of the
pitcher, deeply, thankfully, and felt
better. Then examining the tray OF
supper more closely she picked out 4
roll with a hard crust.
There can't be much wrong will
this" she assured herself. and break
ing it open ate the inside, leaving the
crust untouched. There was I
banana, too. and an orange. both with
unbroken skins. and these she de
voured eagerly and was content with
her meal.
AL ISdSt l. "UIi oldl We DCLOl y INV -
ing" she thought. and then wondered
about the rest of the food. "Wha;
will the man think if I don't eat?
wonder if I hadn't better hide the
stuff, but where?"
She examined the bed. but there
was no mattress. merely thin cot
ton blanket spread over a wire spring
but against the wall stood an ole
chest of drawers. Anne considered
Should she put the food into one Of
those?
Why hide IT. anyway? She wa.
making a mountain out OF A molehill
There really wasn't the slightest ren
son to think that she was a. prisoner
or that her supper had been tampereC
with,
THE hectic life of the last few days
has made me ridiculously suspicious,
she was telling herself presently, I'm
imagining all sorts Of impossible ca
lamities. things I'll laugh at tomor
row. The thing to do is to go TO bet
and let Victor take care Of the rest
He'll send the cable and get hold q
Chris. Anne Norris, you're a silly
incompetent girl"'
Her self assurance. however. wa:
not whole hearted, for although sh'
quilt over her. she did not undress
And in spite Of being dead tired sleel
would not come. for the strange shad
ows haunted her, and she feared t.
put out the lamp.
Twice she rose and called into tn,
passageway with no better result thar
on the previous occasions, and finally
without being able to explain her &C
tion she pulled out one Of the doors q
the chest and after taking care t.
bring knife and fork in contact witt
the food. to show that they had beer
used she dumped the contents Of TIL
plate into the back of the chest
against its wall, replacing the drawer
They'll never look there" she sail
triumphantly. Now il that stun wa
| doped, I'll be supposed to be asleel
and I'd better see that 1 am! 1t mus
be nearly morning now. but I won
know when it comes. Those heaV.
| shutters will keep out the light"
She fell asleep at length. her wris
bag tucked under her for safe keeping
| Mercifullv she did not dream, whicl
| proves that Anne, after all, was a gir
| Of iron nerve
The sound of something moving Il
/ the rom, stealthy footsteps, reused he
/ finally. telegraphing an immediat
! warning so that she did not stir, bu
! l0v listening, eyes closed, while tn
| events of the night before, he weir
| surroundings returned TO memory, re
/ viving her fears.
The noise continued. and peerinj
! through lowered lids she ventured t
! open her eyes the least bit TIL
noise came from Pedro, she discovere
when he came within range Of he
! limited vision. He was sweeping VI
! the debris of her shattered drinkin
glass. There was no one else in tn
room. Anne decided, and soon n
gathered NJ the tray and disappeare
through the door. where he was ev
IDENTITY met by some one, for Ann
! heard whispers coming from that d
/ rcctiOn.
Was il Victor? Anne stified an in
pulse to jump up and see for herself
She might be supposed to be asleeI
1t was best to wait
The sounds receded, stiffness q.
scended. but Anne saw that her doc
was open and feared to move. Ho,
long must she lie there, inactive
What could she do next?
After another hour her patience wa
| exhausted II must be nearly moo
by this time, yet her room was sti
tightly closed. Another lamp equal
dim. had replaced the one Of tn
night before.
The whole atmosphere Of the plac
was even more unpleasant than IL ha
been upon het arrival, and hot as