The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-03-30
CHAPTER III
The Slippers

Inc SlipPcTS
For one instant all five of us, Pc
Ger and the three clerks and l, were
paralyZed; then with one accord we
plunged down the main aisle, Peter in
the lead, when out from the law-book
alcove dashed the girl in the long
black fur cape. Her face was CHASTITY,
her eyes wide with terror. Next Sec
ond, she and Peter both came to
halt so violent that she nearly lost
her balance. Stumbling heavily, she
clutched at table, shrieked: Keep
it, Keep it for me-" and crashed to
the floor in a faint.
Peter rushed around the table to
her; Mr.. Dibdin gave a loud whoop
for Mr.. Riggs, and dashed toward the
law-book alcove. At that moment the
elevator cleared the second floor in its
descent, bringing down Mr.. Case. He
at once helped Peter carry the girl 10
his private Office. l snatched up my
telephone and summoned Miss Wilkes.
Then / turned down the aisle again to
see if could be of any further use in.
the rear, but I went on tiptoe and
only little way; in hush that had
succeeded the confusion with awful
suddenness, Mr.. Dibdin and Mr.. Riggs
were carrying the limp figure of the
old white-bearded gentleman out of
the alcove. His right side was toward
me, his right hand dripping with blood.
AT this moment Ulysses came rushing
open-mouthed down the rear gallery
stairs, full on the scene.
"Hey, there! Watch the shipping
room door until l get an ambulance !"I
shouted Mr.. Riggs to him, making off
to telephone.
Ulysses Obediently disappeared. l
turned and hurried down the narrow
right-hand aisle along the wall, past
the shipping-room door. toward Mr..
Cases office. Again / was where con-
fusion prevailed.
Mr.. Case was not there On the
threshold, Peter was fidgeting distract
edly.. Inside, the unconscious girl lay
on an old leather lounge. As darted
into the office, through which the
frosty air was pouring from window
some one had actually thought of
opening. Peter stopped me.
Constance" he whispered, "that's
that girl '
His face was blanched, his hands
twitching; he was the image of real
fright, far beyond anything / could
account for. Badly startled myself,
II did manage to grasp that fact" l
retorted tartly. sect some water,
quick, and then go away!'
He vanished, closing the door.
went over to the girl. Her hat of soft
crimson ribbon had fallen off, revealing
shining black hair above clear-cut,
small, regular features of unusual dis
tinction and beauty. Her lips were
blue in the chilly air. Her cape was
slipping to the floor; and as | picked
1t up to wrap around her, consterna-
ton halted me. With her well-tailored
black cloth dress. she wore black sat
I'm bedroom slippers!
Whatever could have brought her TO
Darrow's so attired? All the events
Of that crowded morning flashed
through my throbbing brain; Ulysses
premonition of disaster-absurd, was
it-Peter's narrative; tn rcappear-
ance. from our law-book alcove, of
this leading personality in those
strange adventures in Richmond with
an old law book and its unique treas
ure among prints, Colfax bookplate
Then / heard murmurs outside the
door, Following my first instinct,
flung the cape over the helpless girl
and tucked it tightly around her feet.
The door opened, and Miss Wilkes
appeared with the water, and a bottle
of smelling salts. but her admirable
efforts to bring the girl to proved
wholly unavailing. When changing in
the street announced the ambulance
we summoned the surgeon; after a
hasty examination. he decided he
would take the girl. as well as the old
gentleman, TO the hospital.
So the ambulance sped away, leav-
ing our establishment in the limp con-
dition naturally resulting from the
succession of exciting events detailed
by this ungarnished record. Gossiping
groups stood watching policeman
taking down stories from eyewitness
es. but I saw Peter nowhere. ! learned
that the old gentlemans injury was a
severe slash across the right wrist
The doctor thought that at his adj
vanced age the shock had at once
overcome him, preventing an Outcry.
He had been unconscious some time
when the alarm was given.
OF course the fainting girl came In
for endless curiosity, directed chiefly
at me. But even had wanted to talk,
knew just two facts about her:
namely, that Peter had seen her at
the Richmond auction, and that she
had had on black satin bedroom slip
pers; and these facts decided to sup
press for the present time at least.