The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-07-07

quiring glance ut me.
"Oh, yes. 1 hope TO have absolute
rest and peace, at any rate" replied.
somewhat hesitatingly. for my sojourn
at the old house had certainly not oe-
gun restfully. had slept but little the
night before.
Nothing about the arrangements I
have made for your comfort to prevent
it, is there? ?" he asked.
NO. You have done well. / want to
ask you, before / forget it, why did you
have the cellar off of the old store
room walled up?"
fnce. and, as he did not seem to COM
prehend my question, went on more
explicitly:
There were two doorways. one lead
ing to the storeroom and the other
leading to the outside. Both these door
ways have been built up with solid
masonryto correspondent the founda-
ton walls. l simply ask out of curios-
ity what your reasons were for having
1t done--not that / have any objection" !"
My question was a simple enough
one. Mr.. Sonntag seemed to think it
necessary to ponder over it, however.
LET me see. The cellar you have
reference to is directly under the room
you proposed in your letter of instruc-
ton to me to occupy" he finally said.
"Yes, and there used to be two doors
to-"
"And they have been built up?" he
broke in.
"Yes. Do you not know about it?" !
asked, in surprise.
NO." he replied, shortly.
"Then you did not have ii done?"
Certainly not. had nothing to do
with it. Know nothing about it." he
answered, decidedly. "If they are
built up, it has been done within six
weeks. For when received your letter
announcing your intention 70 occupy
the house for time, went all through
the place, and those doorways were not
built up then. / even went into that
cellar. It was damp. musty hole. and
intended to call your attention to it
and ask what you wished done about it."
"Well, that's strange! Who could
have done It'll" exclaimed, thoroughly
perplexed. "How did you get into the
storeroom? had to kick open the door.
"Oh, I had key to the outside door,
and got in that way. HIM! 1t is, as you
say, very strange. indeed. But resume
your seat, Mr.. Conway"
Again the thought occurred to me
that / had met Mr.. Sonntag, or at least
seen him, somewhere before.
did ever meet you?" asked, voic-
ing my thought.
He glanced quickly at me, and then
smiled as he said: Look like some one
you know, do 1? One often meets peo.
pie who put them in mind of some one
else. Now, regarding this cellar affair
Is there anyone you know who is in.
terested in your property?" he asked
in brisk, business-like manner.
mo one" I replied. II am the last
of my race-a lonely man, and one
who is sick at heart, was about to
add"
Mr.. Sonntag's face became serious
and thought there was touch of pity
on it.
"Cheer up, Mr.. Conway. The tables
will turn some day, and you will for
get the time OF trouble and desponden,
cy," the old lawyer said, cheerily and
hopefully; perhaps sooner than you
have any idea of. Now, them" he con.
tinued, returning to his brisk, business
like manner, "some one has walled uI
those doorways. Who was it, and fol
what purpose? If it was done with the
idea of hiding-place, what was the
thing to be hidden? Something which
was never again to be reproduced, evi
IDENTIFY, or the room would not have
been wholly sealed. Perhaps there was
a secret entrance provided. But then
why should your property have beer
selected? Were you alone when the
discovery was made?'
mo, sir. A woman who used to act
as nurse girl when l was a young one
was with me, and also Mrs. Snyder, the
widow who takes care of the house."
"Yes, I know. l believe the ole
widow can be relied upon to say moth
ing about the circumstances If she il
told not to. How about the other, your
old nurse?"
"She would do anything possible fol
me. l was her idol when child, anc
now devotion for me seems to have
been augmented in proportion to my
stature. Sarah is wholly trustworthy
and if requested her not to mention
the matter she would have her tongue
cut out rather than breathe a WORD
of it,"
That's good. The discovery had bes
be kept secret" the old lawyer said, re
flectively.
There is another thing Iwish to men
tion, though perhaps it is hardly wortl
dwelling upon. Mrs. Snyder think,
there is something strange about tn,
house. And she has so succeeded il
impressing my old nurse with the ide,
that Sarah is quite concerned about m,
staying. She seems to be imbued will
an ineSplicable fear that something
harmful threatens me-"
Indeed! What do you mean wher
you say there is something strange
You mean mysterious?" the old lawyer
asked, in the manner he would hayx
used in cross-exomining witness.
"Yes; Mrs. Snyder claims to hav,
seen mysterious lights at night, an,
heard strange noises"
Mr.. Sonntag's eyes lost their shrewt
expression for few moments; he re
lapsed into deep thought.
lro BE Continued