Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-07

whelming conviction took possession of the
man; his master was following himl But 1t
| was not a living master, but dead One-the
| poiseless ghost of Mr.. Girdlestone.
Marian could not help shuddering; and
| her tremulous notes showed how
| deeply all that John WestcOtt had
been relating affected her. The
Young man noticed this, and waited while
| she tried to overcome her emotion. He
| then rose from his chair, and taking from
| his pocket the document which he had an
| hour ago discovered in Mr.. Girdlestone's
desk, approached Marian and pointed out
the words written at the foot: "For the key
to the secret strong-room, wherein will be
found so bags of hard cash, look behind the
golden lamp"
"And now, said he, 'I will steal quietly
into the dining room and get the lantern" d"
Marian looked up with an expression al
most of awe. "Have you the hardihood-
all alone-to make this search?"
Westcott smiled "I'm not afraid when
I've a good light. And was not the lamp Lit
by you''-Marian dropped her eyes-'.lit for
this very expedition? 1t was my unele's
wish. Besides" he went on, 'is not the
KEY which has been hanging there all these
years the key to the secret strong room?"
Westcott steps into the dining hall and
glances at Mr.. Carter, who is sleeping
soundly. Marian looks over her shoulder,
but never ceases playing. She sees West
colt detach the lantern; and as he comes
quickly back with the softest tread, he stops
and touches panel near the fireplace. His
lips convey these words to the girl, for his
voice does not reach her: ''This is the way"
Marian whispers back distressfully: IF
he wakes"
"stop playing; it will warn me. But tell
him nothing"
The girl glances toward the clock on the
mantei-shelf. "I shall count the minutes.
Shall you soon be back?"
Westsott looks at his watch: "In 10 min
utes''
$50 quickly as thatI But it will be Like
10 hours to me-"
He approaches the wall and presses upon
the panel, which yields to his hand. He
glances back at Marian, and their eyes meet.
His heart is beating fast, but her encourag
ing looks makes it beat the faster. West
colt stoops down and steps into an open
space in the wall. A cold, damp draught
rushes into the room. The music trembles,
as if an icy wind had caught the keys. For
a moment the lantern glimmers; and Marian
sees the light moving away. John West
colt and the Golden Lamp have disappeared.
Holding up the lantern and peeriug down.
ward, John Westcott found himself at the
head of a flight of brick steps. These steps
were incommodiOusly narrow, being built
up between the outer and inner walls of the
old mansion. It was impossible, with such
broad shoulders as Westcott's, to descend
otherwise than obliquely. The sensation
was not agreeable; less so, even, than being
lowered into well, for rope is something;
here the connecting link with the outer
world was, as it were, completely cut of;
even the sound of Marian's piano having
gradually died out. Or had she stopped
playing? thought Westcott Had Mr.. Car
ter awoke?
Although the chilling draught Of air was
lessened when the panel was closed, the
cold, damp atmosphere, and that peculiar
mustiness which clings to vaults and such
like underground places, became more per-
ceptibie at every step; and these steps
seemed endless. Yet he had proposed to
return in ten minutes Was it possible to
complete this expedition in search of his old
uncle's gold in so short a time? 1t scarcely
seemed probable. And yet Westcott did not
despair. The encouraging look which Marian
had given him inspired confidence in his
purpose. If he had acted impulsively, the
motive had been good one. His prompt
decision was stimulated by keen desire to
save his uncle's firm from ruin; in truth, he
had been seized with an underlined sense of
apprehension when first encountering the
Indian servant in his travels. The man had
told him, in rambling way, that Mr.. Cir
dlestone's death might prove serious blow
to the business; and he had implored his
'tyoung MASTER" as he had called Westcott
for he had known him when boy-to