CHAPTER IV
Enid’s Story
The girl on the floor rolled over and groaned. She raised her head and tried to speak, but only succeeded in making choking noises in her throat.
“Oh, you poor thing!” Madge cried, trying to lift her up. “I’ll have you free in just a minute. Who left you here like this?”
Realizing that her friend could not reply, she quickly slipped the gag from her mouth. Even then, Enid made no attempt to speak other than to murmur an incoherent, “thank goodness.” She leaned weakly against the wall and watched as Madge tried to release the ropes which bound her.
“There’s a pen knife—in the desk,” she managed, but the effort left her spent.
Madge failed to find it, but flew to the kitchen where she did locate a sharp paring knife. Quickly, she severed the ropes and helped Enid to her feet. She could not stand alone for her limbs were temporarily paralyzed from being too long in a cramped position. Madge supported her and half carried her to the bed.
“Water,” the girl pleaded.
Madge ran again to the kitchen, returning with a pitcher filled with water. Enid gulped down one glass and would have drunk another had not Madge thought it best to restrain her. She was shocked at the girl’s appearance. Her face was streaked from tears, and deathly white. Her parched lips were twisted as though from pain. The white silk dress she wore, had been torn in several places. Her reddish brown hair, usually so nicely groomed, hung in wisps about her face.
“I’ll be all right in a little while,” she insisted. “I feel better now.”
Madge had noticed that Enid’s wrists and ankles were swollen and bruised from the ropes so she searched the bathroom for bandage material. As she poured iodine into the cuts, her patient showed the first signs of returning vivacity.