The daily gazette., 1877-02-07
Behind the Iron Door &:
A FRAGMENT.
BY j. G. A.

AS they closed the door, Uncle Peter
halt wheeled his chair toward Nora,
threw his cheroot out of the window and
said:
"Come, now, little girl, tell me all
about yourself. You look lonesome"
Whereupon Nora, taken by surprise,
burst out crying, and when her tears
were dried, opened all her poor, aching
orphan heart to this blunt, kind new
friend, telling him exactly as he had
phrased it, "all about herself"
From that moment the two were
friends, and after a week the st. Icons
would have eaten their poor little kins-
woman alive, OF at least turned her out
Of their house, but that they found that
Uncle Peter, who, sercnely unconscious
of their malicious hints, their innuendos
and elaborate plots, went placidly on his
own way, continuing to make it also
Nora's way as much as possible.
About this time Nora made discovery
and found treasure. The first was when
one day in coming down stairs she heard
step in the lower hall, and looking over
the banister saw Uncle Peter some dis
tance below her.
'The man in the boat" gasped Nora.
sitting down upon the stairs quite faint.
Before she recovered, Uncle Peter had
left the house, and when she saw him
again he was lying fast asleep upon asofa
in the music room.
Nora came and stood beside him, look
ing down with wonder, doubt and per-
haps suspicion.
II must know, and L will know" NUT
tered she. And at that moment the
sleeper moved uneaSily, threw an arm
over his head and turned over. A bunch
of keys fell from his pocket and jingled
to the floor. Nora flushed scarlet, picked
them up, and stood a moment hesitating.
Then she crept from the room, and only
pausing to snatch her hat and the boat
key, flew from the house, her heart pant
ing like hunted deer, her cheeks fam
ing with shame at her own errand. But
| the doubt burning in her breast must be
| quieted at any cost, or how could she an
swer the question she felt sure this man
so soon would ask?
Without a moments pause for refiec-
| ton, except to ascertain that the tide was
nearly high, she unlocked the boat, push
| ed it out, leaped in, and in ten minutes
| lay beneath her own tower window,
with the mysterious door close upon her.
Another moment and she had secured
| the painter of the Nautilus to the iron
ring, and standing upon the little fore
deck, found herself upon level with the
| tiny keyhole of the iron door. As fast as
her trembling fingers would allow, she
| tried the keys upon the stolen ring found
none that would fit until, at the very last
1 wards, slipped in, turned, and the door
swung silently back, showing a deep
cave or cellar behind.
Nora peered in. The whole interior
| was filled with bales, boxes, kegs and va
rious packages.
" may as well finish now have be-
gum" Isaid Nora, desperately. And as
the boat rose upon tenth wave she step
ed over the threshold and into the cave
she did so. The door yielded to her touch,
swung together as smoothly as it had
swung upon, and closed with low, oily
| click, like a smothered laugh.
80 dear, dear, what shall do now?
| And it serves me just right, tool" gasped
Nora, sinking to the tground and hiding
her face in her hands, lest she should see
the darkness which surrounded her like
a visible wall.
How long an interval thus passed must
forever remain uncertain, Nora persist
ling that it was hours, and circumstances
suggesting that it could have been no
more than minutes, But the next event
is by no means uncertain for Nora al
ways declared that it was the most awful
of her life, and the most vividly remem-
bered.
In the dense darkness and gloomy 81
lence of the cavern hand was laid heavi-
ly upon her shoulder, and stern and
hollow voice commanded:
"Stand up, girl, and look at me"
| Gasplng with terror, Nora obeyed, and
opeuing her dazed eyes, encountered the
glare of a lantern and the piercing regards
of Uncle Peter, who stood sternly con-
fronting her. With wild cry, she clung
about his neck, sobbing:
.'Oh, take me away! Take me out of
this place and then kill me, if you
choosew
Uncle Peter grimly smiled, but Olsen.
gagged the clinging arms.
"Ilill YOU as Bluebeard did his too Gu
rious wives 2" he asked. "Well, but
what are you doing here ."
"Forgive me, forgive but saw you
: that night that you came so often with
,, the boat, and / wanted to know what
you were doing here. l wouldn't have
have cared if-ff-you hadn't been"
Likely to be your husband. do yor
mean?" asked Uncle Peter, coolly. Ano
Nora, with sudden flash of her native
audacity, murmured, eyes"
"Well, my dear, in that case you wer,
quite right, although i think it woulC
have been rather better if you had asked
the explanation of me. The simple trutl
lis that I am a free trader between tn,
East Indies and these United States, ant
{ store my goods in these vaults beneatl
lmy late brothers house, just as he dit