Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-02-16

away the time any better chose out
another key and began to search for the
flower parlor. I found it beyond the
dining room in the same hall as the
dark parlor.
1t was. as might have expected from
the name. the brightest and most cheer
full spot had yet found in the whole
house. The air in it was even good, as
IL sunshine and breeze had not been en-
tirely denied it, yet had no sooner TAX
en- one look at its flower painted walls
and pretty furniture than felt an op-
preston could not account for. Some
thing was wrong about this room. am
not superstitious and do not believe
one particle in premonitions, but once
seized by conviction I have never
known myself to be mistaken as to its
import. Something was wrong about
this room-what 1t was my business to
find out.
Letting in more light, took closer
survey of the objects / had but dimly
seen at first. They were many and some
what contradictory in their character.
The floor was bare-the first bare floor I
had come upon-but the shades in the
windows, the chintz covered lounges
drawn up beside tables bestrewn with
books and other objects of comfort if not
luxury bespoke place in common If
not everyday use.
A faint smell Of tobacco told whose
use, and from the minute I recognized
that this was Williams sanctum my
curiosity grew unbounded and neglect
ed nothing which would be likely to at
tract the keenest eyed detective in Mr..
Gryce's force. And there were several
things there to be noted: First, that this
numbering lout of man read, but only
| ON one topic - vivisection; secondly,
that he was not reader merely, for
there were instruments in the cases
heaped up ON the tables about me, and
in one corner-I felt little sick, but l
persevered in searching out the corners
| "a glass case with certain horrors in it
which took care to note, but which it
| is not necessary for me to describe. An
| other corner was blocked up by closet
which stood out in the room in way
| to convince me it had been built in aft
| er the room was otherwise finished. AS
| I crossed over to examine the door,
| which did not appear to mo to be quite
closed, noticed ON the floor at my feet
| o huge discoloration. This was the
worst thing I had seen yet, and while /
| did not feel quite justified in giving it
a name could not but feel some regret
for the WORM eaten rags Of the drawing
room, which, after all, are moro COM
Portable things to have underfoot than
bare boards with such suggestive marks
upon them as these.
The door TO the closet was, as had
expected, slightly ajar, a fact for which
I was profoundly grateful, for, set it
down to breeding or a natural recogni-
tion of others rights, would have
found it most difficult to turn the knob
| of q closet door inspection Of which
had not been offered me.
But finding it open gave it just a
little pull and found Well, it was q
surprise-nelch moro than the sight Of
skeleton would have been-that the
whole interior was taken up by small
circular staircase such as you find in
public libraries where tho books are
piled up in tiers. 1t stretched from the
| floor where I stood to the ceiling, and
dark as it was I thought 1 detected the
outlines of a trapdoor by means Of which
communication was established with
the room above Anxious to be con-
WINGED of this, asked what detective
would do in my place. The answer came
readily enough. Mount the stairs and
feel for yourself whether there is lock
there" But my delicacy-or shall / ac-
knowledge it for once?-an instinct Of
timidity seemed to restrain me, till q
remembrance Of Mr.. Gryce's sarcastic
look which I had seen honoring lesser
occasions than these came to nerve me-
and I put foot on Tie stairs which had
last been trod-by whom shall say?
William? Let US hope by William, and
William only. ..E +
Being tall, had to mount but few
steps before reaching the ceiling. Psus-
ing for breath. for the air was close and
the stairs steep, reached up and felt
for the hinge or clasp / had every rea.
son to expect to encounter. found the
latter almost at once, and, satisfied now
that nothing but board separated me
from the room above. tried that board
with my finger and was astonished to
feel it yield AS this was discovery
wholly unexpected / drew back and
asked myself if it would be wise to pur-
sue it to the point of raising this door,
and had hardly settled the question
with myself when tho sound of voice
raised in soothing murmnr revealed
the fact that the room above was not
empty and that l would be committing
the greatest indiscretion in thus tam
pering with a means of entrance posi-
bly, under the very eye of the person
speaking.
If the voice had heard had been all
that had come to my ears, might have
ventured after moment of hesitation
to brave the displeasure of Miss Knollys
by venture which would have at once
satisfied me as to the correctness of the
suspicious which were congealing my
very blood as stood there, but another
voice-the heavy and threatening voice
of William-had broken into this muir
muir, and l knew that if l so much as
| awakened in him the least suspicion of
| nv whereabouts t yyOuld have tn dread