Daily camera., 1897-08-27

reason of the old widow S taclturn man.
ner was soon explained.
After pouring my coffee, she watched
me in silence for, some time. But 81
lence was not the widows forte, and, as
l was busy with my own speculations,
she was compelled to begin.
81 guess you ton't like my cookin','
she said
Indeed l do; the proof lies in the
quantity | find room for. You are an
excellent cook"
The old woman's face relaxed some
what under my praise.
"Vell, bud you ton't come rite away
when id is retty," she continued, ''und
[ fought maybe you not like de cook
in"
81 beg your pardon, Mrs. Snyder. l
did oversleep. I'll be more punctual
in future"
$50 you schleep ofer. yourself? What
for?" she inquired
"Oh, | was up rather late the even
ing before" | remarked, inditferently,
for l knew questions relating to the
strange things which had come under
her observation were trembling on her
lips.
"You remember our discovery of the
walledup cellar?" I continued, Mr..
Sonntag's suggestion regarding the
wisdom of secrecy coming to mind.
She nodded, and her old eyes bright
ened expectantly.
at is advisable to keep the matter a
secret" l continued. you have not
mentioned it to anyone, have you?"
"Ach, no."
Then please do not, for the present"
She promised compliance with my re-
quest.
AS the cellar was the next mystery l
determined to turn my attention to,
my breakfast, harnessed the horse in
the buggy, and drove off toward Sarah's
house.
If l had the necessary tools it would
not be difficult matter to cut the floor
of my bedroom.
Sarah greeted me effusively The
good soul seemed to have a constant
fear that each time she saw me would
ue the last.
Can you let me have saw, chisel
and hammer" asked.
Zach, yes. Bud What for, Nel?"
81 am going to find out what is in that
cellar" / answered.
How you ged in?"
by cutting through the floor" ----
dat will be hard work, Mel. De tim
ber under de floor is awful thick"
81 know that. But | have plenty of
time, and so will be able eventually to
get through"
The tools were produced, and l start
ed homeward, Sarah sending after me
an earnest appeal for carefulness and
the avoidance of danger.
| intended to commence the task of
getting into the sealed apartment i'm
upon my arrival home. The
thought that danger of some kind
might lurk in the cellar would not deter
me. And the pistol-shot had heard the
last night seemed to indicate that there
might be a degree peril in the work.
[ did not like the idea of the dank,
odors ascending into my sleep
ing apartment, but | could easily re-
move to one of the spacious chambers
upstairs, and thus escape them.
On arriving at the house, l took the
tools into my room. l looked over the
floor, and, after quite time debating
where the hole should be made, deter
mined to begin over in one corner. Be
fore | had time to commence opera
tions, a loud knock sounded on the
front door.
Hastily showing the tools under the
bed, l went out through the hall and
opened the door. My visitor was Mr..
Sonntag.
CHAPTER Y.
l ushered the old lawyer into the
room After few commonplace re-
marks he said: THAT walling-up of
those cellar doorways has made quite
an impression on me. Suppose we
have look at them"
l was very willing. Together we de-
scendcd the stairs to the storeroom.
Mr.. Sonntag examined the place
where the door had been, minutely
as though he expected to find in the
stones OF the wall some intimation OF
what was on the inside. He even went
SO far as to scratch off patches of the
whitewash.
''It is rather dark here" he finally
said, glancing around.
Perhaps the door can be opened" l
suggested.
81 have the key with me, but maybe
it would be best not to use it. Give me
few matches"
l handed him all had with me, and
he, by the light afforded, examined
closely the places where he had
scratched off the whitewash.
While watching him, the thought
again occurred to me that had seen or
met him previous to my arrival at Nell
sonville.
"Do you know it seems as though /
had seen you before?" said.
Yes, SO you remarked during your
y