Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1899-09-15


stairs. The eirf can watch here. BY
JOVe, yes. every door IL lockedr'
| pulled out my bunch of keys to try
them. We were standing In the pas
sage below, the candlestick shaking in
Mrs Varneys hand. ...i
"None of mine ft, | know" she
brenthed, nervously. But do make
haste slr--couldnt they. ImprIson us
for doing thls?. There, that key
looks eXnctly like the breakfast parlor
one--thls door; le me try It, sir. No.
II doesn't quite turn. o, and there's
the door Of the big cellar where we
keep hearing the digging and knock
ing noises"
had forgotten that. Flinging open
the door, | peered down into the black
ness. "lland me that lamp-well soon
know" | said. and the constable fol
lowed me down the wooden steps.
Mind the coalsw came madam's
shaky voice down. %, be quick The
cellar runs out under the street. 1t
sounded as II they. go. Mercy, It's
the Winstons. come backl Out with
the light, sir-don't move, for heavens
snke"
We were half way across the damp.
black space; her voice merged into
half scream SO thrlllingly, that on the
out and grlpped the cOnstables arm.
There was the sound of heavy door
slammed to, and then heavy footsteps
and deeD voices in the passage over
head.
We had no search warrnnt-and
there might be mistake, after NIL
Resides, to disclose ourselves mi~ht
mean bad half hour for Mrs. Varney
If not for uS.
The cellar door had evidently been
closed, as no light came down, and the
sounds were muffied. Finally | con.
cluded that the best thing In the cir
cumstances would be TO tind some In
eliminating evidence II possible, and
get away without being seen-if pos
sble again. | felt for my matchbox,
and rellt the candle.
There were no signs OF any excava-
lions whatever that we could discover.
! went cautiously back to the steps
and pushed. II gave me quite little
thrill TO find the door immovable. Tho
constable looked rather pale In the
candleIight.
"Qucer's the word, slrr' he whisper
ed. 81 don't half like II. Just
thought OF the cOal-shoot. and there's
something on 1.-THE plate won't SHIFT.
They know we're down here, mark my
-'sh that's II cart stopping outside!
Mr.. Glrdlestoh"' They're clearing on
For tiihe we stood' III sor' o'
s'upeInc'oh, 'icii' III HP"sH' VI '"E''
| made dash NJ mat door deter
mlheh 10 chhhce AWNING CScleNs
II resisted our united strain: clearly.
we were pushing against some weigh
| ty object.
Let them CO., | painted Mt last
| eve must have them sooner or later
shell come down ana i"i us out the
moment they turn thelr nhcks
Useless they've done Tor hcr! ne
whispered IT TOOK something '"
rrighteh mat woman sir
Aud almost simultnneously-shhll |
ever forget itf-there came iniI IN
the Scnrrylng overhead, ana thcn
voice. thlrk WIN nervous Uhughter'
lust ont side that door
"Er-mlnd the Goals!
1t was Mrs Varneys voice. The han
door banged there was SOUND OF
cart rumbling away, ana then-utier.
significant silence.
"Your luncheon" ] gasped. "Noh
haven't onef Up win some or th's
coal; aim high ana splinter that door.
II have them yet"
The top hinge shve--h panel SHAT
tered; In two minutes we were clam
herring across n heavy wrlnglnG ma
chine that had been wedg"d between
the door and projection cf the wall.
The place was. save for one or two
rooms, practically dcstltul" OF rurnl-
tIre--ciearly enough II hhd been rent
ed more for nefarlous than for do
nestle purposes. Ten minutes inter
we painted into the police station, AMI
had sent All the available men, with
flying over Camden Town.
Then ] started back Tor home.
would get rid OF the CRIME ana coal
dust, and then take cab straight to
Scotland YARD.
] got to the door ana pulled out my
keys. MY keys! They are not mine
with gasp | stood and realized that
that clever creature. asking to try
them, had handed me back her own
loudly before the door opened AMI
showed me my wife's face as white
az n sheet
"You, JIMMY o. thank heaven!
We haven't dared to mover
"W-what do you mean pin the
merest whisper.
1--WE were sitting In the Kitchen, not
half an hour ago ana we thonght W"
heard some one moving ADout up mere
creeping up anu uowh stairs,
screAheu ou' Sonetn,ns, hnu 'nnc
shys sne ne",u ,"Is Ioor an, MN; w.
cou''n s,'' ','nu y, iVo' na u'" ~
y ,, N"'' ""'" q" ''"''" wv
III Wns,o,rs snror, lilo mailman
IN ,ha bodropn' t.hi" had lain nv
nresentatIon vnId watch and chain
that I would not have Iost for n FOR.
time. One Lakeland [ staggered bact.
fairly crushed. They had walked in
with my own key while I wns foolinS
at the station.
And M II this second humliating
blow was not enough to permanently
kill any mans good opinion Of him
self, on the looking glass frame was
pinned scrap OF piper bearing this
master stroke OF irony:
Mind the coalsV'