Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-05-29
door as the woman's figure dissolved

into darkness.
Iapplied my ear to the narrow
opening and could hear quick foot
steps along stone floor. At length
all was silent, and l entered. l felt
my way slowly but cautiously. Oc-
casionally the gallery widened some
what, but usually it was barely wide
enough for me to walk comfortably.
l struck match-I had but two, and
must be careful of them-but there
was nothing to see. Only the narrow
walls ofa secret passage! No door
to be seen? l retraced my steps, but
the entrance had vanished. There
was but the smooth stone surface!
pressed every spot in search of a Sc
cret spring, but in vain, and, after
an hour Otuseless search, Icursed my
own folly and natural curiosity for
having thus entrapped me.
struck my other match and no.
ticed that the little gallery here, at
its beginning, was widened into q
sort of vestibule large enough to
hold table and chair, and bent
off in one direction into sort of al-
cove. could not suppress an
exclamation of delight as
l discovered q short candle
on the table. Besides this candle the
table held pens, ink, paper and an
odd copper salver with a heavily
wrought rim in antique design, the
center of smooth, polished surface.
An odd ornament for this strange
place, I thought. l looked at the
pens. One had been recently used.
AS sat undecided whether to call
for help or await the return of the
habitues place for my release light
flashed upon me from a dark corner.
picked up the glittering thing-a
locket with a ieweled monogram. l
pressed the spring and disclosed n
dark, wicked, magnificently hand
some face. l knew it in an Instant
that of Alvarez Dacarro! A man
whose name a few years ago had
been on every lip, who was now re-
membered for his wickedness and
his perfidy, who was under sentence
of death, and who had despoiled
Reynold Herholfs father-in-law of
half his fortune through the strange,
magnetic influence he had acquired
over his daughter. She at one time
had wished to marry him,
but had been made to see his pertidy
before twas too late.
The locket, supposed, had been
Mrs. Herholfs, and the maid who used
this passage for her midnight meet
ing probably had stolen it.
Putting thejewel in my pocket 1 be-
gan again, with the aid of the candle,
fresh search for hidden springs. I
returned to the further end of the
gallery, as that surface was smaller
one to look over. l had passed many
times from end to end of the smooth
stone, pressing each spot separately,
before l noticed mere pin point
where the stone seemed slightly
roughened. Ipressed it. The door
swung quickly open on noiseless
hinges, and draught blew some silken
fabric across my cheek. l freed my
self from the material and looked
around me. The bright moonlight,
through large window, showed me
my ownrOOm.
went to the door. It was bolted,
as l had left it. My room, then, was
in the paneled wall, but could discov-
er no sign of a doorway, and as there
was nothing to be developed by con-
lectures l soon fell asleep.
Twice during the following day I
sought Mrs. Herholf, but was unable
to see her.
Worn out by my watch of the night
before, retired early and soon fell
into heavy sleep, from which the op-
pressive sultriness of the night reused
me. | went to the window. The
thick darkness was only the more
manifest by the brilliant flashes in
the south, which f oretold an ap-
preaching storm. l was seated by
an open window close to the tapes
tried wall.
Suddenly seemed to hear or feel a
human breath. l caught my own,
and listened with an intensity of pur-
pose which defeated it's own object.
The blood whirred in a heavily pulls
ing stream past my ears in it's round
to and from the brain. Like flash
the white, floating. illuminate figure
came and melted away at the other
end of the wall, as felt through the
tapestry curtain the contact of a
passing human figure close by me!
Now l knew what had seen had
been retlectionl No wonder it had
melted to nothingness when l seized
/ it.
waited a few seconds and then
slipping noiselessly the panel l had
learned to know last night. l en-
tered the gallery. 1t was as l ex-
pected to find it, dark and empty.
CROPPED my way slowly to the lower
end. A strong blast of wind and
the beating of rain on the wall out
side announced the arrival of the
storm.
A strong glare overhead made me
aware that light from the outer
world entered here; l now saw above