The Weiser semi-weekly signal. (Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho) 1904-1911, 1904-07-16

the door beyond the gilded pillars 1t
was to see the tall figure of this old
man mounted upon the chair had left
there peering up at the nail from
which / had so lately lifted the pic
ture. He started as / presented myself
and almost fell from the chair. But
the careless laugh l uttered assured |
him of the little Importance / placed
upon this evidence of his daring and |
unappeasable curiosity, and he con-
fronted me with an enviable air CT
dignity, whereupon I managed to say:
Really. Mr.. Moore, I'm glad to see
you here. 1t is quite natural for you to
wish to learn by any means in your
power what that picture concealed.
came back because suddenly remem-
bered that I had forgotten to rehang
it."
Involuntariy he glanced again at the
wall overhead, which was as bare as
his hand save for the nail he had al
ready examined.
at has concealed nothing" he re-
torted. You can see yourself that the
wall is bare and that it rings as sound
as any chimney piece ever made"
Here he struck it heavily with his fist.
what did you imagine that you had
foundT
smiled shrugged my shoulders In
tantalizing repetition of my former
action upon a like occasion and then
answered brusquely:
II did not come back to betray police
, secrets, but to restore this picture t.
, its place. Or perhaps you prefer t
, have it down rather than up? 1t ism
much of an ornament"
= He scrutinized me darkly from owe
! his shoulder, wary CLEAN Showing
|, itself in his shrewd old eyes, and tn
q idea crossed me that the ,momen
4 might possess more significance tina
a appeared. But I did not step back
q ward nor give evidence in any wa
II that l had even thought of danger.
= simply laid my hand on the pictur
= and looked up at him for orders.
He promptly signified that he wishe
n it hung, adding as l hesitated tines
N words: 1.-The pictures in this house al
supposed to stay on the walls whel
10 they belong. There is traditional
10 perstition against removing them"
~ / Immediately lifted the print fro
= the floor No doubt he had me at
81 disadvantage, If evil was in his heal
and my position on the hearth was
:. dangerous as previous events hi
~ proved 1t to be. But it would not
"a to show the white feather at nome
when his fate, If not my own, hung
nc the balance; so, motioning him to ST
m down, put foot on the chair and rails
~ the picture aloft to hang it. AS l
SO he moved over to the huge settle
,.b his ancestors and, crossing his ar
Cd over its back, surveyed me with
smile rather imagined than saw.
Suddenly, as 1 strained to put
cord over the nail, he called out;
Look out! You'll fallw
If he had intended to give me ST
: in payment for my previous rebuh
did not succeed, for my nerves
grown steady and my arm firm at
glimpse 1 had caught of the shelf
i low me. The fine brown. powder
y scattered there had been displaced
h five distinct spots, and not by my
am gers. I had preferred to risk the
NM of nv balance rather than rest
WI hand on the shelf, but he had takei
such precaution. The clew SO
/ iously desired and for which 1 ha'
y recklessly worked was obtained.
But when, half an hour later, 10
an opportunity of measuring 9
marks and comparing them with :
upstairs 1 did not enjoy the run
umph 1 had promised myself for
two Impressions utterly failed to
eide. thus proving that whoever
person was who had been in this b
sion- with Mrs. jeffrey on the evening
ging died it was not her Uncle David
ened emo Nm co,rrNrEn