Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-02-27

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came down, looking dull and sleepy.
where's the boss?" he said sud-
denly.
"The what?-I do not understand
you," said the old lawyer.
"The master-the guardian of this
tomb. Where's Capel?"
"Oh," said the old lawyer. 'Pos-
sibly the fine morning may have
tempted him to take walk
Are we going to wait for Capel?''
said Arts.
I'm so hungry I feel quite
ashamed" said Katrine; ''but I think
we ought to wait"
"There is nothing to be ashamed of
in healthy young appetite, my dear
young lady," said the old lawyer. 81
have been reading in my room since
six, and I should like to begin.
don's suppose he will be long. Mr..
Capel out, Preenham?"
Il think not, sir" said the butler,
who was bringing in covered dish.
perhaps you had better tell him
that we are all assembled. He may
have oversight himself"
At the end of five minutes the old
butler was back to say that Mr.. Capel
had not answered when he knocked.
''He may be ill.," said Lydia, anxf-
olsly; and then, catching Katrine's
eye, she colored warmly.
Freeman gave Arts a meaning
look, and that gentleman followed
him.
What is it?"
"Mr. Capel hasn't been to bed all
night, sir
mot been to bed all night, Preen-
ham," said the old lawyer, who had
followed. did you let him out last
night?"
"No, sir"
"Then how can he have gone out?
I saw that the door was fastened
after you had gone to bed, and it was
still fastened when / came down at
six"
"And at seven too, sir" said the
butler.
Gle must be in the house." said
Arts. eco and look round"
''Ts Mr.. Capel ill?'' said Katrine.
mo, no, my dear, think not" said
| the old lawyer. ''I'll go, too, and see"
cit is very strange" said Katrine,
turning to Lydia, who looked ashily
pale IT hope nothing is the matter,
dear"
She seemed so calm that Lydia took
courage and returned to the break
fast-table, while followed by the old
lawyer and Preenham, Arts examined
the dining-room and study, then as
cended to the first floor, tried the
colonel's door, found it fast, and
went on into the drawing-room.
81 tried that door," he said, grimly,
because that is the chamber Of hor-
rors."
cit is locked, and the key is in my
table," said the old lawyer; and then
they searched the other rooms, find
ing Capel's watch, purse, and pocket
book, and looked at each other
bIank1y.
'He must be out" said Arts.
"No, sir; here's his hat and stick"
Arts stopped, thinking, and then
bounded up the stairs again to the
colonel's door.
"I thought So" he said. There's
something wrong here. Look" He
pointed to several holes through the
mahogany door, the mark of a saw
scoring the panels, and the reddish
! dust on the lion-skin mat. rs any
one here?" he cried, knocking. 81
say! Is any one here? Pah! Look at
that"
He uttered cry almost like wo-
man as he pointed to place where
the 1ion-skin rug did not reach, and
there, dimly seen by the gloomy light
thrown by the stained-glass window,
was little thread of blood that had
run beneath the door.
CHAPTER AXIV.
Doctor and Nurse.
The old lawyer ran from the door
with an alacity not to be expected in
/ one of his years, and returned directly
with the key that he had found in his
table.
"Give it to me-" said Arts, huskily,
and, snatching the key, he tried to in
sert it; but his hand trembled so that
he did not succeed, and the next mo-
ment he shrunk away.
Here, open that door, Freeman"
| he said.
II daren't, sir-I daren't, indeed. All,
poor young mani"
"Give me the key" said the old
lawyer, firmly, and taking it, he
tried the door, to find that the lock had
| been tempered with, so that it was
some minutes before he could get it to
move.
Hadn't I better fetch the police,
sir?" faltered the butler.
"No; STOP" said the old lawyer,
turning the handle. "There is some
one against the door,"
He pushed hard, and with some eff
fort got it open, so that he could
have squeezed in.
cit is all dark" he said. mo; it is
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