Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-03-04
CHAPTER WV

To-day is wet; soaking, steady down
pour that commenced at early dawn is
still rendering miserable the shrubbery
and gardens.
Vera, depressed by the melancholy OF
the day, has cast her book aside, and
with a certainty Of meeting nobody in
the empty rooms and corridors, wanders
aimlessly throughout their dreary length
and breadth. These rooms are well
known to her, and presently wearying OF
them she turns aside and rather timidly
pushes open huge, faded, baize-covered
door that leads she scarcely knows whith
er. She pushes it back and looks eagerly
inward.
1t is not an apartment, after all. A
long, low, vaulted passage reveals itself
only dimly lighted by a painted window
at the lower end. 1t appears to be a
completely bare passage, leading no
where; but presently, as she runs heI
eyes along the eastern wall, a door meets
them, an old oaken door, iron-clasped
and literally hung with cobwebs.
Curiosity grows strong within her
Catching the ancient handle of this door,
a mere brass ring sunk in the woodwork,
she pushes against it with all her might.
In vain. But not deferred, she pushes
again and again; and at the last trial of
her strength a sharp sound-a ring of
something brazen falling on a stone floor
crashes with a quick, altogether as
founding noise upon the tomblike silence
that fills the mysterious passage.
At the same moment the door gives
way, and she, unexpectedly yielding with
it, steps hurriedly forward into dark
and grewsome hole.
The poverty of the light has perhaps
dimmed her sight, because after a little
while a shadow on the opposite wall,
that resolves itself into an opening, be-
comes known to her. It is not a door,
rather heavy hempen curtain, and now,
resolutely determined to go through with
her adventure, she advances toward it,
pulls it aside, and finds herself face to
face with Gregory Dyssrts
Z He is on his knees. next that peculiar
cabinet described in an earlier chapter,
and as he lifts his head upon her en-
trance, murderous glare, as of one
hunted, desperate, comes into his curious
eyes.
The side Of the cabinet is lying wide
open, and, as he involuntarily moves, the
chink of golden coins falling one upon
another alone breaks the loud silence that
oppresses the atmosphere. In his hand
he is holding an old and yellow parch-
ment.
II am sorry" murmurs Vera, terri
fed; 81 did not know; /"
What brought you here, girl-here
where 1 believed myself safe? Go, go
there is nothing-nothing, 1 tell you
they lied to you if they told you any
thing-go, say!'
He has entirely lost his self-possession,
and is still kneeling on the floor, now
hugging now trying to hide beneath him
the paper he holds with his sinewy, ner-
vous fingers. go, go, go!'' he shrieks,
beside himself. He is in a perfect fren-
"; all dignity is gone; to the girl stand
ing trembling there it is a loathsome
sight to see this old man ON the brink of
the grave thus crouching. abased. dishon-
ored.
Il am going,' she says, family. She
is CHASTITY pale; the sight of him in his
horrible fright, cringing thus upon the
ground, has so unnerved her that she ac-
tually grasps at the curtain for support.
CTo be continued)