Year: 1869

several corners ushered me into room in which
there was no window. He left lamp with me,
and telling me that he would return or send some
breakfast to me, he departed, locking the door be-
hind him. .~ ....


What followed seems to me now like hideous
dream. As the detectives footsteps receded be-
yond hearing, cold shiver passed through me as
|if I were being shut out from the world and had
taken my last look of the,sun This feeling tried
to cast off as being without foundation, since /
would certainly be released within few hours.
But ever and anon an agouyzing gloom would come
across my soul as listened to catch the noises
which I knew the traffic of the city beginning for
the day must be causing, and failed to hear the
slightest murmur of voice or the faintest roll of
wheel. As time rolled on and nine o'clock ap-
preached, became impatient for the detective 8
return; but nine o'clock came and went, and yet
he did not make his appearance. At first had
seated myself on the bench which I found in the
room but my impatience had soon caused me to
pace from end to end of the apartment, chafng in
spirit at the disgrace which my employers suspi-
cion had brought upon me.


Eleven o'clock passed away, and yet no release.
The ticking of my watch alone broke the intense
stiffness around me, and the watch continued its
sharp click, till I knew that the afternoon had
passed and that night was closing upon the city.
Night had come, but it had brought with it no
prospect 6f escape from the solitary cellar in which
I was confined. For time my anxiety about the
result prevented me from feeling hunger and thirst,
but by degrees these two enemies attacked me with
full vigor I had eaten nothing since my usual
dinner hour of the previous day, the illness which
had attacked me having made me think nothing Of
supper, and the haste with which left Providence
in the morning having precluded the possibility OF
my eating anything then. But hunger and thirst
were alike forgotten for the time as the night rolled
away and another morning found me still a
prisoner. The lamp still burnt, but the fame was
wanting and another hour would leave me in dark
ness.


I took the lamp and with it examined every
corner of the room, that might ascertain whether
there was any way of escape. But, though |
found no crevice by which I might effect egress,
made discovery which sent an appalling thrill OF
terror through my heart. In sort of cupboard l
found three or four oaves of bread and large pit
cher of water. As soon as I found them, terri
bic suspicion struck me that had been inveigled
to this den by some clever scoundrel who had
known of my having the money, and he and his
accomplice had locked me up here to prevent my
giving information of the robbery. They had left
me little food to prevent my dying for some days;
but whether they had made any arrangement for
my final release, was, of course, unknown to me.
Probably not, for dead men tell no tales" and
possibly they had hoped for my death, though they
had made compromise with conscience by leaving
me what would keep me in life for time.


These thoughts passed through my mind with
the speed and overwhelming force of thunder:
bolt. What if I should never escape! Andif this
should happen, not only would lose my life, but
nv good name would also be destroyed; for my
employers would never doubt that had fled with
the money The sickening terror that came over
me unnamed me for time; but after short
prayer for support, shouted for help at the pitch
of my voice, and hammered with my hand at the
door. After had made as much noise as I could


for several minutes stopped to listen, but all was
silent as the grave At intervals, I repeated my
endeavors to make myself heard, but no reply
came to my calls, nor did any sound indicate that
I had succeeded in drawing attention to my place
of confinement. Faint and weary, again be:
thought me of the food, and cropping my way to the
place where it had been left, (for my light was
now gone,) I ate and drank ravenousy.


For days and nights the weary, terrible captivity
continued. How time was passed l could not tell.
I had no light to let me see my watch. l called
for help till grew hoarse from the continual shout,
ing. I battered the door with my .lutched fists
till the skin was peeled off them in fakes. prayed
for help till my heart was weary with the unan,
swered cry, Lord, help and deliver me-" In
vain did I shout; in vain did wildly rush against
the upyielding door; in vain did l send up my cry
to heaven. No help came, and 1 was almost
tempted to curse God and die. At last there came
time when consciousness departed from me- and
at the darkest hour, when hope had given way
with me- and prayer which I thought unanswered
was heard, and the help of which had despaired,
arrived.


When I had recovered consciousness, l was ly,
ing on q sofa in a handsomely furnished room.
There were three persons around the sofa, two
gentlemen, one Of whom was doctor, and young
lady. The lustrous eyes of the latter were filled
with tears and, though she did not know that
heard her. she muttered words of deepest and most
earnest sympathy. had again shut my eyes after
a single glance at those bright orbs Of hers, anc
now again I opened them, much to the satisfac
ton of the Esculapius, who had been laboring tc
restore me to life. After little I was able to sci
up, and the doctor, seeing that I was very weak
asked the other gentleman if he could give me
glass of wine. Scarcely had he uttered the re
quest, when my fair friend bounded from the room
and presently returned with some sherry. The
wine revived me so much that I was again able tt
sneak, and to thank them for their kindness. Ma
turally enough, they inquired how l had come tt
be in the cellar, and at once told them my story


"You have to thank God, my friend, said the
gentleman, 'that my daughter there is gifted with
the faculty of acute hearing. Two days ago she
returned from the country, where she had beer
visiting, and on going into the yard behind the
house, yesterday morning, she heard voice as
down in the bowels of the earth, calling for help
She listened for little without being able to dis


tinguish from what direction the noise proceeded
and presently the sounds ceased. This morning
she heard them again, and after little hesitation
decided that they came from the cellars Of tht