The Dickinson press., 1894-04-21
p buSba2d'SS
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BY FLORENCE WARDEN.

ClS VI a. NlNV WAbUSAS "AAAAN sAAS oOsAS AA~
wore was evidently a cast-0ff one Of
Dukes and was great deal too short
in the waist and sleeves. He was a
tall. lean man, with II STOPPING, sham
bling figure and sOdden, mean face.
His manners were those Of the most
offensive type Of poor relation, alter
natcly servile and familiar. Duke ac-
corded him a half-tilerant, half-insolent
patronage. but the rest, with the excep-
Iion of Cicely, ignored him as far US
they could. Radstock. who had q great
deal more astuteness than any one
present gave him credit for, observed a
discreet sobriety in his enjoyment OF
the wines. though he gazetl with loving
eyes on the decantcrs. In servile grati-
tuie. or the semblance Of 1t, he echoed
all Dke's REMARKS but directed his con-
yersatiOn chiefly to Cicely. In whose
gentle courtesy lie found 4 refuge from
the coldness of the rest.
But, although she listened to the un-
welcome guest with patience. and an-
swcred him with kindness, Cicely was
absorbed all the time in watching her
husband, who, under the influence Of
the wine, was growing more and more
excited, more reckless in uianner, loud
or in tolk The young vile fingered at
the table, unwilling to lose sight of him
ard full Of vague uneasiness. Leonard
Harvey noticed the anxious look on her
face, and ne and Algy became resolute-
ly slow in emptying their glasses.
why, you drink nothing. either Of
you!" cried Duke, impatient at their
moderation Here, Ratlstock, can't
you set them an example! Or have you
all an idea that there is something bet
ter in the cellar than anything l have
offered yOu?"
NO, indeed, Mr.. Bcrrington; moth
ing In any gentlcman's cellar could be
better than what you have put before
us, I'm sure"
"There you're wrong. Uncle Joseph.
There's some wine in my cellar COM
pared to which what we've been drink
ing is us tenpenny claret to Chateau
Latitte. You Know" he went on,turning
to Hurst, 'that bought this house, just
as it stood, from the son of Il winc-mer-
chants who had built it out Of the pill
ferings of lifetime Well. the young
fool hadn't taken the trouble to go into
the details Of his inheritance. and
have had the benefit of his neglect. In
the cellar. the designing of which had
evidently been a Labor Of love to the old
boy,I discovered, not long ago. row of
secret bins where the ex-wine merchant
must have buried his heart. 1t was the
strangest find in the world. I was try
ing to poke into a rat-hole behind one
of the bins. and came upon a padlick-
ell door. Quite exciting, eh? But moth
ing romantic inside; only bin after bin
of choice wine in Il small rOom."
won't you let us have a peep at your
mysterious chamber, DukeY' asked
Minna, who wanted to relieve Cicely's
anxiety by getting her husband away
from the table. I'VE are a little in
ciined TO be sceptical about treasure
trove."
"Comc along, then, all Of You. You
shall sample my discovery, and If I've
overrated 1t give you leave to smash
every bottle.
He sprang up from his chair, found
the cellar-key after momentary forget
fulness where he had put it, and led the
way downstairs. The rest all followed.
The cellars Of Dial House, had evident
ly, as Duke said, been a hobby Of the
builder. They extended under the
ground for some distance.
1t was gewsome after the soft lights
and the scent of flowers they had left
in the dining room. The spiders had
spun their webs from wall to wall in
the dark corners, and these, thickly
hung with dust, yelled the dark hooks
before which they We're suspended, and
| gave an uncanHy suggestion of there
being unexplored vaults and passages
behind. AS they approached the fur
ther extremity Of the range of cellars,
Duke, trying to turn up the last gas-jet
| with unstead,' fingers, put out the light
altogether
"Never mind" he said, with bolster
GUS laugh, II can find my way in the
dark"
However the next moment crash Of
broken glass was heard, and he uttered
a sharp exclamation of pain and impa-
tience
Duke you have hurt YOURSELF" cried
Cicely's voice In agony.
A stealthy figure passed the rest, half
seen in the Obscurity. Hurst struck a
wax vesta and lit the gas. He was so
quick that the stealthy figure was seen
to be RadstOck, who was discovered
with his hand on bottle of wine. He
withdrew his larcenous fingers quickly.
but not before q litter had been raised
at his expense.
And there came into his drink -sodden
face an evil look of baffled cunning as
the clerk retreated again into the back
ground.
Duke, who had not noticed this incl
dent, was revealed by the light leaning
against narrow, padlocked door, with
his blood-stained handkerchief twisted
round his wrist. On his face was an
expression for which the accident
scarcely accounted. The flush of excite
ment had left his cheeks, the exhilara.
tion brought by the wine had died out
of his eyes, which We're fixed, and a
CLASSY stare as of dead man, on the
group In front of him. Cicely uttered a
cry and sprang forward.
He started, ns If interrupted when he
had thought himself alone.
Nothing" he said shortly. II broke
bottle and cut myself. It is nothing
at all to make fuss about"
Pushing her back almost roughly, he
turned, fitted into the paddock a key
which he carried, and flung open with
an effort the narrow door. 1t creaked
on rusty hinges a solid bit Of wood,
bound and studded with iron.
Here" said he, "is my treasure.
house. Walk up, ladies and gentlemen;
walk up;"
But they had all been so unpleasant
ly impressed by the look they had
caught ON his face that there was q
pause, and for moment no one came
forward. AS he repeated his invitation.
ratttling his keys, Algy Hurst came up,
struck another vesta and looked in. He
stepped back with an exclamation.
by Jovc, Berringtonw he muttered,
hastily. "you might have warned fel-
low! Or did you intend to treat me to a
broken neck?"
At thes words the rest of the party
pressed forward, and peeping curiously
through the little door, saw n tiny
chamber, some eight feet square, the
floor of which was about three beet be-
low that on which they were standing.
Three sides of this lower cellar were
stocked with wine from ceiling to floor.
The fourth side. wall of plain brick.
was bare except for large iron hook
L. -