The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-04

library, thinking it best TO mount guard
over his treasure, secure as he could not but
deem it, 50 long as there were strange men
in the house
Being, however, impatient to be at the
promised port, he heard the men depart
mid way ia their work with no small i'm
patience.
! He had, IN fact, half mind to exert the
authority vested In him TO make them wait
for their drink till they had lodged the safe,
but he was doubtful whethsr that au-
thority allowed him to contradict the baro-
nets previously given orders.
! While he elaborated the men took them
selves of. He therefore exercised his pa
tieuoe by prying curiouslY about the
| library.
"a aue place this is" he said to himself.
envtouslY, remembering his none too luxu-
rious home; land Sir Lawrence, poor tel
low. caa't enjoy it properly, though to be
sure it is better for him to BE- rich than
| poor in his condition. l wouldn't mind
being In his shoes, though not with such de-
formities, from which be will never be free
on this side OF the grave"
The old gentleman little guessed the meta
morphosis which those few moments in the
| railway carriage had suficed to effect, or
that at that very moment his deformed
host was not more than half a dozen yards
| from him.
He did, 10 fact, hear q slight noise in the
hall, but on going to the door Of the library
and looking out could see no one-only the
giant safe, standing up like solid rock in
the center.
Entirely passing over the circumstance
indeed, never again recalling 1.-THE old
gentleman returned into the room and ten
minutes or so later the men came back and
plsted their work This part of it was
| tolerably easy, consisting in merely rolling
the safe upon a trolley into the library and
SuF Zee
the wall.
This done they departed for good, leaving
with Mr.. Haviland, the butler, who took an
interest in the safe, and fingered IN the room
long enough to cause suspicion later to rest
upon him for want of any other object and
indeed in a way which, but for his masters
knowledge of the real facts Of the case. must
have ended at least in his losing his place.
At length, however, dismissing him in
virtue of bis new authority, Nj Haviland
prepared 20 transfer his treasures from one
hiding place to another.
1t now occurred to him for the first time
be was not in possession Of the key.
be accordingly rang the bell, and asked
II the men had left it. Being answered in
the negative he sent Wilson 90 try to over
take them. But they had already vanished,
and, as the warehouse was at the extreme
end Of the city, aud il was nearly if not
quite closing time, it was useless to try to
IollOW LneIn Clltner.
Thus the only pleasure Mr.. Haviland
found he was likely to derive from the safe
was from the contemplation of its gigantic
proportions. The door appeared locked. 1T
had Oeen so when the safe had left the ware
house, and was now fastened within bv
grip and screw, another cunning artifce
Of Mons. le Rat.
Mr.. Haviland was not a little disap-
pointed at this defeat OF his plans. but
already assured Of the safety of the picture
cupboard and Of the secrecy with which the
whole affair had been attended, took the
matter far more lightly THAI he would
other wise have done.
He decided that the best course to pursue
considering the port waiting for him in the
dining room, was to see that the windows
and shutters of the library we're well
secured, and, locking the door, leave the
rest. g., the safety Of the money-to prov
idence.
Poor man, he little guessed thot the one
fault in all these precautions was that he
was locking IN with his treasure the very
danger from which he felt 30 safe. In
truth, the old gentleman reokoned without
has host, But he would have been more
than a conjurer to have even dreamed that
that gentleman was what-that is to say.
who he was-the Rat.
fro BE CONTINUED