Daily camera., 1897-08-24
CHAPTER vi.

When we were again standing in the
main hall on the first floor, Sarah's last
remark came to me.
1--WE have been over the whole house,
have we not? What more is there to
see?" l asked
Zach, Mel! haf you forgot de place
you always wanted to go to and We
wouldn't led you, because it vas damp
and darli?"
That's so. You mean the cellar"
Yes, yes, to be sure. You vas lost
vonst, and We couldn't flint you for a
long dime. When We did, you vas
aschleep in de cellar"
We'll, come along. Let us have look
at it." l said, eagerly. The noise like a
slamming of door had seemed to
come from below. Perhaps l should
discover the cause down there.
On opening the door leading down
from the dining-room, a musty odor as
sailed my nostrils.
1t is peculiar how the sense of smell
brings back TO one old associations and
memories. ! lecollected that musty
odor perfectly, and it brought back the
days of boyhoGd more wildly than any
thing else had done.
We descended the stairway. and
found the cellar bare and empty. ]
peered into every dark nook and cor
ner, but there was nothing which could
have caused the noise.
Nothing to be seen here, Sarah"
said. Maybe we can find something
of interest in the old storeroom"
My grandfather, in his latter days,
had kept the village store and post
Office.
The house was built on the side of a
small hill, so that il was three stoxies
high on the street side and two in the
rear.
The cellar was divided into two apart
ments by a thick wall of stone. One
apartment was used for the house sup
plies. The other section was in turn
divided in two, the front facing on the
street serving as the store and post
office, the rear, Il deep, cavernous, un
derground room, having been used for
the storage of barrels of vinegar, mo-
lasses. tobacco and dried fruit.
We descended the open stairway lead
ing down to the storeroom from the
main hall The door was at the bot
tom, and at first l thought it was
locked. Upon closer examination, dis
covered that it had only become tightly
jammed by a slight settling Of the sur
rounding timbers. A few vigorous kicks
soon caused it to open, and we stepped
down into the room.
The shutters to the windows were
closed, but there was above the door
leading to the street small transom.
Through the dust and moisture-be
grimed glass few rays of light pene-
trated. producing a twilight gloom in
the apartment, but not so deep that we
were unable to see.
One of the old counters still remained,
and scattered over the floor were
few empty boxes and barrels. l thought
of the whitehaired old man whose form
had been SO Familiarity associated with
the room, and glanced over to the
corner with fancy that he was here
still. seated behind the desk
Why. where's de door gomez" Sarah
cried out, in tones of excitement.
What door, Sarah?"
mel, you know, you remember. Der
used to be door to de store cellar,
and now dere amt any"
Sarah was right. There had been a
doorway, through which had stolen
many times for the purpose of filing
my pockets with raisins and dried fruit.
There was none now The wall Of solid
masonry confronted US.
1t really seemed o matter of very
little Importance. but Sarah kept up
excited exclamations about it, until
finally stopped her.
"Why, Sarah. I don't see anything very
strange in the walling up OF cellar