Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-12-15
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his room. We saw nothing more Of him
until dinner time. Then ! went in to
call him, but he was not there. He has
not been seen since"
"Perhaps he went to the squire's. /"
II went over to see Alice this morn
ing and learned that no one had seen
him since the funeral"
"Too late! Too late after all my
troubled" moaned the detective. He
leaned his head on his hands and seem.
ed almost about to weep. Virginia did
not know what to say to him; so think
ing it best to leave him to himself she
noiselessly left the room. Mr.. Barnes
remained in one position for fully ten
minutes, but suddenly he jumped up
and seemed all animation again.
"Miss Lewisl Miss Lewis" he cried
in great excitement. At the sound of
his voice Virginia came hurrying in
and was astonished at the change in his
demeanor.
"Miss Lewis" said he, speaking rap
idly, "you say that he went to his room
and has not been seen since?"
eyes, he must have come OUT
Never mind that Tell me, is it the
same room which he occupied when he
slept here on the night after the MUIR
der?"
"Yes. Thinking that he was my un-
cle's son, I gave him my uncle's room. "
"Your uncle's room? Of course. 1t is
as clear as day. During that first night
Burrows heard mysterious noises. He
came down into this mans room and
found it empty. Burrows sat by his
door all night to ask him where he had
been, and, although be did not pass him,
nevertheless in the morning the man
was in the room. Do you understand"
"Not clearly"
"It is very simplel There is secret
apartment in this house, and the MUIR
derer is at this moment concealed in it /"
"a secret rooml 1t is impossiblep
Anything else is impossible, you
mean. This is not the day of miracles,
and man cannot disappear in this way
in broad daylight.
"But how will you find it, if it ex-
ists?'
"It will be easy enough to find it if
we know that it is in existence. In the
first place, there must be way to enter
it from that room in which your uncle
slept. Come, we will 60 there first. "
Together they went to the room, and
Mr.. Barnes looked about for some sign
that would guide him Alright. After
reasoning for moment, as Burrows had
done at the Epping house, he said:
81 have it, will go straight to it.
Burrows heard this man in the secret
apartment, and Burrows was up stairs;
30 am sure that the place Of which we
are in search is above. Now what is its
exact location? 1t must be accessible to
this room, and yet the room which Bur-
rows occupied is as large as this. Now
observe that the closet III the corner
projects out into the hall. In your room
there is similar closet. On this floor,
IN the hall, between these two projec-
tions for the closets, is the little passage
leading from the main hall into the din
ing room. l have noticed that up stairs
there are no closets and, Of course, no
such passageway. Therefore the space
occupied by them below indicates where
the secret room is to be found on the
next floor"
"But how shall we get in?'
II think it will be difficult for you to
do so, for I expect that the entrance IL
through the ceiling Of the closet in this
room. I will now look. "
Mr.. Barnes opened the closet door,
and then started back as he saw the
great mastiff lying OH the floor within
The dog arose and went up to Virginia,
whining pitifully. Then he went back
into the closet, raised himself upon his
hind legs, rested his fore paws against
the wall of the closet and with head up
turned howled in q horribly suggestive
manner.
"Do you see," said Mr.. Barnes, 1.-THE
brute knows that there is something
wrong up there?" Virginia coaxed the
dog away from the closet, and the de-
tective stood on chair and examined
the ceiling. In moment he announced:
II have it. Here is the trapdoor. " A
minute later he had drawn himself up
through the aperture and disappeared.
Very soon, however, he returned, and
as he dropped to the floor he said:
"He is up there-dead! Suicide, l
suspect You must 60 at once for the
squire. Pardon my not doing so, but l
have reason for wishing to remain
with the body until it be turned over to
the coroner
Virginia gladly hurried away upon
an errand which she knew promised
the speedy release of her lover.
ToBE CONTINUED.