The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-28

her lips, and she only whispered: ''rak
me with you, dear Arthur. Let me shar
with you any danger or mystery. vii
show you that 7 am my fathers child
brave and strong"
"Can trust you. Laura? Think well be
fore you decide"
"Try me-only try me-"
"Come, then; but remember what I tel
you. No matter what you may see or hear
you must neither move nor speak. VII
you promise that?'
eyes, faithfully"
Taking her hand, they threaded the darl
passages leading to the blue room withou
even so much of noise as the echo of thei
footsteps. At the door they paused for
moment. Then Arthur gently opened i
and led his sister within. The curtain
were looped back, and emitted enough o
| moonlight to render every object dimll
visible. Everything remained as it hac
4! been left upon the morning of their father,
death
| Arthur crossed the room with his sister
and they took their places behind the heavy
damask curtains which hung from the ole
fashioned high post bedstead. For at least
| a quarter of an hour they watched, anG
| silence reigned supreme about the house
so much SO, that the beating of their own
hearts appeared audible as they crouched
| in their place of concealment.
Still they remained motionless, and
| Laura was fast becoming more composed
and treasured by the perfect quiet, when
| suddenly the peculiar rum bling sound be-
gan again, and, to the CONSERVATION OF
| the watchers, they saw one of the large
square panels in the Wainscoting slide
from it position and reveal a dark cavity
beyond. Scarcely breathing they awaited
the result, expecting to see some terrible
shape appear. Arthur grasped his revolver
more firmlyand his sister chung to him for
support
But nothing presented itself to their
strained vision, and in few moments after
the panel slid back as IL over huge rollers.
propelled by an invisible hand, and explain
ing the peculiar sound that had so alarmed
them and which had appeared like the
moving of heavy furniture. The panel
continued to move backward and forward
at intervals for some time. Then it re-
manned motion.ess, and though the brother
and sister relaxed not their vigilance for
even a single moment nothing came to
alarm them, and now, holding the key of
the mystery, they determined upon an
early investigation.
To all appearances that particular Dor
ton of the wainscoting was the same as the
rest-a solid wall. But upon sounding it
gave forth hollow noise, and finally, af-
ter many attempts with the point of his
knife, Arthur had the satisfaction Of see
Gov hot l. 1
fingers. Then he could easily force it far
enough back land without making any
considerable noise) to admit his body, and
on looking within he distinctly saw mar
row, dark passage, and rude stone steps
leading to regions below.
They proceeded down a long, winding
stone staircase, that appeared to conduct
them far beneath the old house, and en-
tered a passage half choked up by fallen
stones and dirt. It's direction was to the
north for some distance, and then abruptly
turned toward the sea and terminated in a
huge cavern. 1t was tenantless, though
with plain marks of having been recently
occupied.
A dirty pack of cards was scattered over
rude table with several pieces of false
money and the remnants Of feast There
were couple of benches, few broken
chairs, pile of casks at one end contain
ing liquors, burglars instruments, and
dies for casting false coin, scattered in
random confusion-all pointing to the con-
clusion that the cave was the haunt of
burglars and coiners.
Laura chung tremblingly to her brother,
and whispered, with white lips, ooh, Ar
thur, what a dreadful place! Let ua hasten
back before the wretches who congregate
here come and surprise u.s."
Never fear sister. 1t is, as I fancied, the
rendezvous of gang of outlaws who only
spend their nights here in roting and fol-
lowing their unlawful calling The sliding
panel creating the mysterious sounds they
imagined would be attributed to the |
and so brighten away any
persons who came to occupy the house !
and leave them unmoiested. But come, |
we have seen enough"
The return was swiftly made, the panel |
replaced, and Laura retreated to her own |
room to obtain the rest she greatly stood |
IN need of. Her brother rode to the next |
town and made arrangements with the |
authorities to have a force on hand at |
midnight. Long before that hour they APP
oeared in little squads and were silently !
admitted and conducted to the blue room,
young Rivers standing in the secret panel |
md waiting for it to be moved
Presently it slid back with a heavy
'umbling noise and Arthur sprang
through the opening, collared some one
Who attempted TO give a signal, choked
lin into silence, dragged him forth and
evealed the face of the little old gardener!
lie was Instantly gagged and bound, and
Arthsr, accompanied by the body of armed
hen, descended to the cavern, surprised
he entire band of desperadoes, and quickly
scorted them to prison through an open
NJ by way of the sea.
In due time they were tried and SEN
enced to long years of punishment, the
Id gardener included. The red house was
roubled no more by mysterious sounds,
nd even the housekeeper and two maids
ad to give up their ideas of ghosts and a
aunted chant Der.
Some years later, and upon her wedding
ay, Arthur presented to his sister the
roperty, and her honeymoon was passed
here. 1t is now an occasional resort for
er London friends; but, Notwithstanding
be secret staircase has been walled up and
he sliding panel secured, Laura cannot be
lduced TO occupy the blue room for a
Ingle night. II contains, as it ever will
be mystery of her fathers death-Courier-
ournal.
A Favorable Impression.
Amy-Papa do YOU know ANYTHING of | {