The Portland daily press., 1895-11-06
turned half round leaving a black vault

suddenly and extinguished my light.
At last l lighted my candle, and shad-
ing the flame with my hand from the
draft looked into the blackness at my
feet. I saw flight of worn steps winding
downward, and from below sounded the
hoarse laugh of Gustaye.
AT last | reached tho bottom. Before
me was an archway, still hung with dusty,
tattefed fragments of what had once been
heavy portieres. Round tho arch 1 could
distinguish an inscription in high, blood
red letters. Slowly deciphered it, "Fait
ce que voudras." I.shuddered!
| pushed on and stood at last in vast,
vaulted hall. BY my dim light L saw a
great table where lay musty remnants of
a long dead orgie. Masks and tattered,
moldy dominoes were scattered about in
wild profusion, chairs overset and pushed
back. Apparently sudden interruption
had broken up the feast
Then a CHASTITY imitation of a human
voice struck my ear. 1t was Gustave.
To kiss with the maid when the mistress is
kind,
Believe me. you always are loath, sir;
But if the maids fairest the oath doesn It bind,
Or-you may if you like it, kiss both, sir.
This, then, was the meaning of his wish
to constantly roam about the cellars. He
had enjoyed many revel in this horrible
hall, and he could not believe that the
good old time was dead forever.
Suddenly the sound of footsteps and
hoarse voices approaching struck my ears.
Who was coming, and on what dark er-
rand, to that dreadful place?
I seized one of the moldy dominoes
which were scattered about, wrapped it
round me- concealed Gustave in it under
my arm, blew out my light and crept be-
meath the great table just in time. A
rough voice cried
"Aye, here the place is, just as Cart
wright thought. There's room enough for
stuff here to blow up all London. The
chief will be pleased at this"
And then to my Mortified ears was re-
vealed a plot, sheltered under the sacred
names of liberty and freedom, plot which
showed the ingenuity of satan himself.
lay still as death. Mercifully at last
the tension became too great, and I
tainted
When came to myself, all was dark and
still again. I crept out from the table
and struck match This reused Gustave,
who apparently had been sleeping off his
excitement, and unhesitatingly he futter-
ed tc the ground and hoped through the
right archway.
Exhausted as was, I instantly went to
Scotland Yard and told them what 1 had
heard. England was saved from disaster
which would have brought her enemies
flocking like vultures around her, and the
world from crime which would have
stained the book of fate with record
black as death.
quickly recovered my usual strength
but yet awoke next morning with pre-
sentiment of misfortune foreboding of
evil Too well was this justified.
The excitement of visiting his old haunt
had proved too much for Gustave. The
parrot was dead; my occupation was gone
The police searched the whole of the un-
derground part of the square The origin
of it was, SO far as can be discovered, as
follows:
Many years ago the now half deserted
square was fashionable center in Lon
don, and a certain noble earl, famed in
history for his fearful deeds and his wild
life, inhabited great house which formed
one side of it. Under the square, SO said
rumor, he excavated great subterranean
hail.
Enough that the tradition of the place
still fingered, ana on mis- return from
Italy, Rockford heard of it, 1t touched his
whimsical Imagination, and he bought the
house subsequently rented by the mother
of Nine. Lebrun, or Mile, as she should
rather have been called.
The anarchists had found the hall
through one of their members telling
when they were looking for some safe
place to store their explosives, that he re-
membered his father. who had been a
mason, had told him that as lad he had
been employed in mending flight of stone
steps in house in the square, which steps
led to great subterranean hall.
The house indicated was to let, they
took it, and but for the wonderful chances
of Gustave on that night escaping to the
cellars, and of my accidentally treading
on the secret spring of the turning stone
their designs would in time have been &C.
complished. STRAND Magazine.