The Red Cloud chief., 1896-12-04

saw the other.
| drew myself up gradually. al
leaning forward, | suddenly aur
back the curtain with my left han
lhcrc was no resistance to my han
nothing to be seen beyond but q
lamp burning steadily ON the tabl
the saddle back chair. and the d.
outline OF the big chimncy-piccc.
got upon my knees. and push,
the curtain Hat against the wall.
be sure that there could 10y no pos,
bllity be anyone concealed in u
hcavy tolds-to assurc myself III,
my suspicious were utterly witho,
foundation
This end Of the room was compar,
lively light, and the saddle. ba,
chair was 50 placed Us to prcclu,
the possibility Of anyone hiding >
You'd il.
If the curtain had indeed moved.
must have been by II hand under Il
bed. IL was easier to believe that
had been mistaken in seeing the lie
movement than to suppose IA
overlooked a concealed thief when
looked under the bed to satisfy Y,
liocck 50 | let the curtain fall. an
sat down again.
My thoughts still dwclt upon II
idea of assassination. Setting asi,
the idea Of al intrigue in which lo.
was concerned. there was vet NOT
ing prcpostcrous in Van IIucck's pr
sentiment. There were cirht or tr
servants in the house. and undouh
cdly everyone Of them know of III
marvellous treasure in my kccpiu,
They would tell their friends in II
adjacent village, the Keepers. I'll
tradc,pcopic-in few days q
story would he carried about m,
made known To hundreds; ana wI
there none among them whose cupi|
lty might take practical form?
1t was quite possible that und|
this very ryOf there was one with Ill
ingenuity and daring to plan and 81
ccutc the robbery. A servant intiI
atcly acquainted with the arraunI
mcnt of the rooms and the pcculiaI
ties Of the buildi"r would probalI
know of the external means of co
munication between the day and {
oriel windows. Without this kuoJ
edge. no one, il seemed TO mo, wo,
dare To attempt the passage at nig
ana in the dark. but with Oh
knowledge, and possibly some pre-
nn- nIsu - t.n fIA f,., ,... ~ =
practicable. In that case, Ed
might actually have seer what :
had since attributed to im~aginatid
a u is sometimes discover,
by examining the effect Now VIII
@ Get had been produced by these /,
tacks' . The first had Brighten
Edith excessively; the scco
for only to second frirI
could | attribute her OF 4,
ror-had brought her father and NJ
self from our rooms. Instantly son
thing like the truth flashed UPON
mind:
To bring me from nv room was ,
very object with which an alta
upon Edith had been made.
nriddling the mystery with
Key, assumed that the thief
me close the d
upon Van llocck and RET,
to my room; that. after all,
ing me sufficient time TO ret id
bed, but not to fall into sound Sic
he had made the attack upon Edi
opening her door beforehand to u
VIDE "a speedy means Of escape a
TO allow her cry to be more
heard that, having succeed
u terrifying her, he had sped do
stairs in the left block, pas-
through the library and dining-roo
ma ascendei by the stairs in
light block about the same time nh
might be supposed to have reach
room, and that. reckon
'pon my keeping tho Great IIcsr
lnder my pillow, and leaving il tho
n my alarm upon Edith's accou
mad expected to have possess
himself OF treasure. IL what
nus assumed was the fact. then
.ccd this plan night have succeed
mt for Van Hoeck's prudent insi
nee upon my strapping the diane
o my wrist.
FRO BE CONTINUED