The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-03-02

..l,.sIost willingly / said,a and !
Eill begin by telling you my yisfofl
like modern Pharaoh, and perhaps
you may be able to expound it, o
Joseph, There may be nothing in it
Or everything, who knows?"
The next morning, after an almost
nntasted breakfast, Sir George and
Pallatti and were prosecuting a
vigorous search in the haunted wing,
but after an hour OF hunting and
poking into every hole and corner,
we came reluctantly to the conclu-
sion that there was nothing CORE
spending in the remotest degree with
the room of my vision. The case OF
stuffed birds and the dingy prints
were especially conspicuous by their
absence.
We were walking away; silent and
disappointed; Sir George and | lead
ing the way, and had nearly reached
the door which shut off the wing
from the rest of the house, when a
shout from Pallatti, who had been
following at little distance, caused
us to stop.
Eureka! Eurekar' he almost
screamed; II ought to have seen it
at glance! Come back, both of you;
we shall know all about it in five
minutes
The usually calm and impassive
Dir; Pallatti was in such violent
state of excitement that we almost
feared for his reason; but we obeyed
him and Deturned upon our steps:
Without hesitation hewent straight
into a room called the best bed
chamber, in one corner ofwhich there
still stood the great iron chest from
which the fatal title-deeds had been
extracted, and taking foot rule
from his pocket carefully measured
the wall on one side of the door-nine
feet.
Then he came out into the corri-
dor, which was panneled throughout
with dark oak from floor to ceiling,
and, measuring off nine feet from the
side of the door on the outside,
marked the place with a deep score
of his knife. Transferring his atten-
ton to the next room (known as the
blue bed chamber) hescored off seven
feet. His discovery was patent enough
now. Again applying his rule to the
space between the two scores it was
at once seen that there were eleven
feet of wall unaccounted for.
"There is a carpenter atwork close
by" painted Pallatti; "we saw him as
we came up. Run, my dear Hough-
ton, and bring him here with his
tools"
was off like q shot, and soon re-
turned with the astounded carpen-
ter, who has been shedding gimlets,
bradawls, nails and screws, and such
small articles plentifully by the way
side out of his basket in his haste.
Pallatti had already sounded the
wainscot; the rusty nails gave way
at the first wrench, and the planks
were removed, the carpenter was dis
missed, and then, with an almost in
describable feeling of awe, we stood
within the very room | knew so well.
The stuffed birds, the crazy furniture
the dingy prints-all were there, and
on the little table in the center stood
tall and furnished silver candle
stick, the candle long since devoured
by the great-grandfathers ofthe mice
who scampered into their holes as
we entered.
For two or three minutes not a
word was said, and then / sprang at
one of the prints and tried to tear it
from the wall, but Pallatti stayed
my hand.
"There is not secret spring in the
world could battle me for two min
utes," he said quietly.
With one touch of his fingers the
picture few open, and putting in his
hand he pulled out a mass Of
crumpled parchment.
A short inspection proved to Sill
George that they were the long lost
deeds, and we all saw for ourselves
that one corner was shrivelled and
stained with grease and smoke.
The next morning l found Sill
George waiting breakfast for me
alone.
"Where is Pallatti, Sir George"
asked.
''Gone." replied Str George, burst
ing out laughing. ''He said he was
afraid of your punching his head if h'
stayed"
"What on earth shall | do thai
for?' I wondered.
because he played you trick
went into your room after you were
asleep, blew out your light, stole
your matches, and hid himself in {
cupboard in the hope thatyou would
be able to give Us the benefit of ont
of your experiences, as you call them
But he told me to assure you on hi
honor that not one hint of wha
happened that night shall ever pas
from his lips"
"And l quite believe him." l sail
warmly. "Pallatti is a glorious fel
low. and although it wasn't yer,
pleasant for me at the time, the game
in this case, was well worth the alb
sence of the candle"