Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-06-14

slope and forded across to the north
side, the others following.
"Joyce," said he to his orderly, "dis-
mount and go in there and ring at the
door. Ask if Mr.. Lascelles is home.
If not, ask if madame has any message
she would like to send to town, or if
we can be of any service"
The soldier was gone but a moment,
and came hurrying back, a negro boy,
holding a long fold of mating over
his head to shed the rain, chasing at
his heels. It was A1phonse.
"M'sieu' not yet of return" said he,
in labored translation of his negro
French, land madame remain chez
Nine. d'HerviNy. I am alone wiz my
mudder, and she has fear
sob, it's all right, 1 fancy" said
Cram, reassuringly. "They were
caught by the storm, and wisely stayed
uptown. saw your gate open, so we
stopped to inquire. Well ride over to
Mime. d'Hervilly's and ask for them.
How came your gate open?"
mo COMMAS pas; I dunno, sare. 1t
was lock- last night
''Why, that's odd,' said Cram. Bet
ter bolt it now, or all the cattle along
the levee will be in there. You can't
lock out the water, though. Who had
the key besides Mr.. Lascelles or mad
ame?"
Nobody, sare; but there is muddy
foots all over the piazza
1.-THE devil! I'll have to look in for a
moment" A nod to Pierce brought
him too from the saddle, and the Off
GERS handed their reins to the order
lies. Then together they entered the
gate and strobe up the white shell
walk, looking curiously about them
through the dripping shrubbery.
Again that dismal howl was raised,
and Pierce, stopping with impatient
exclamation, tore half brick from
the yielding border of the walk and
sent it hurting through the trees
With his tail between his legs, the
brute darted from behind sheltering
bush, scurried away around the corner
of the house, glancing fearfully back,
then, hating at safe distance, squatted
on his launches and lifted up his
mournful voice again.
Whose dog is that?" demanded
Cram.
"M'sieu' Philippe's; he not now here.
He is de brudder to monsieur"
At the steps the captain bent and
closely examined them and the floor of
the low veranda to which they led
Both were disfigured by muddy foot
prints. Pierce would have gone still
farther in the investigation, but his
senior held up a warning hand.
1.-TWO men have been here" he NUT
tered. "They have tried the door and
tried the blinds. Where did you sleep
last night, boy?" and with the words
he turned suddenly on the negro
{" Did you hear no sound?"
''No, sare. I sleep in my bed Away
back. No, 1 hear noting,-noting.
And now the Negroes face was twitch-
ing, his eyes staring. Something in
the soldiers stern voice told him that
there was tragedy in the air.
elf this door is locked, go around
and open it from Within" said Cram,
briefly. Then, as Alphonse disap-
peared around the north side, he
stepped back to the shell walk and
followed one of its branches around
the other. An instant later Pierce
heard him call. fastening in his
wake, the youngster came upon his
captain standing under window, one
of whose blinds was hanging partly
open, water standing in pools all
around him.
"Look here" was all he said, and
pointed upward.
The sill was above the level of their
heads, but both could see that the sash
was raised. All was darkness within.
"Come with me,'' was Grams next
order, and the lieutenant followed.
Alphonse was unlocking the front
door, and now threw it open. Cram
strobe into the wide hallway straight
to a door of the east side. 1t was
locked. "Open this, Alphonse," he
said.
81 have not the key. 1t is ever with
Msieu' Lascelles. 1t is his library
Cram stepped back, gave one vigor-
Gus kick with a heavy riding-boot, and
the frai1 door flew open with crash.
For moment the darkness was such
that no object could be distinguished
within. The negro servant hung back,
trembling from some indefnable
dread. The captain, his hand on the
door-knob, stepped quickly into the
gloomy apartment, Pierce close at his
heels. A broad, fat-topped desk stood
in the center of the room. Some
shelves and books were dimly visible.
against the wall. Some of the draw
ers of the desk were open, and there
was a litter of papers on the desk, and
others were strewn in the big rattan
chair, some on the floor. Two student
lamps could be dimly distinguished,
one on the big desk, another on a lit
tie reading-table placed not far from
the south window, whose blinds, half
open, admitted almost the only light
that entered the room. With its head
near this reading-table and family
visible, bamboo lounge stretched its
length towards the southwark win
dows, where all was darkness, and
something vague and indistinguisha-
BILE lay extended upon the lounge.
Cram marched halfway across the
floor, then stopped short, glanced
down, stepped quickly to one side,
shifting his heavily-booted foot as
though to avoid some such muddy pool
as those encountered without.
''Take care" he whispered, and mo-
toned warningly to Pierce. Come
here and open these shutters, AL
phonse," were the next words. But
once again that prolonged, dismal,
mournful howl was heard under the