Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-02-13


three and lubbock and [ are the only
living souls who knew about this
room. What cause the police have for
suspecting me. and what they've come
Tor, can't think. But. whatever they
have Got To know. they don't know
about this room, and if we keep per-
fectly still, the chances are, after
they've satisfied themselves that no
one Is in the house, that they'll go
away again. And if they do find us
out, and it comes to fighting, so much
the worse for them. We're five to
two, and after all the risks we've run.
we're not going to be taken by a
couple of Tarborough bobbies.'
They're coming upstairs now, sir"
fnterpolated lubbock warningly. 1--WE
must be very quiet when they're in your
room below, for believe left the cup-
board door open, and when that's SO.
the sound of what is being said or done
In that room comes up surprisingly
clear. Number Seven, you're nearest
to the trapdoor that opens into the
cupboard. Would you mind standing
on 1t, In case they should happen to
try If it pushed up?"
l tptoed to the spot indicated. and
took M my position as desired. The
pext moment We heard the two search
ers enter the room below.
This is the last room, Stocker.' -
said = voice, "and now I think we've
pretty well satisfied ourselves that no
one is In the house. All the same,
Of
Hall Is a gentleman-every one knows
that-and directly he hears who the
william is that he's been employing as
servant, and what he's wanted for,
he'll be only too glad to assist us to
make the arrest"
There can't be any doubt about
that, sergeant" was the reply, "and
lucky for him too that he hasn't been
murdered in his bed before this with
that fellow about the place. How SO
pleasant-spoken a gentleman as Mr..
Hall could a-got imposed upon to take
such a devil in his service 1 can't
think. A forged character done IL, I
expect That lubbock d stick at
nothing. Fancy him being the man
who is wanted for those murders, and
all the country a-wondering who II
was as done it, and crying out against
the police for not finding out This
ought to mean promotion for You, SER
geant, when you've made the arrest,
and shouldn't be surprised IL Mr.. Hall
came down with something handsome
as WELL"
An exclamation from the sergeant
checked the voluble Stocler.
Some ones been a-writing in this
room, and not very long ago." ex-
planned the officer excitedly. '"The
blot on this sheet of paper amt dry.
See, I can smear 1t easy with my
finger. l don't like the look of this,
Stocl1er."
mo more don't I, sergeant" was the
answer.
Its very suspicious about those two
doors both being fastened on the in
side. The windows was all bolted,
too, as we know, because we tried 'em.
And ii the doors was fastened on the
inside and the windows too. it looks
as III them as fastened 'em must be in
The house too. Ay, Stocker?"
1t does that, sir" acquiesced the
sdmiring Stocker. by Jiggins, what
headpiece you've gotl"
Stocker. I'm going to see this thing
sareugk-that's what I'm going TO do
Hush! what's that?"
"Cistern in the roof a-gurglinr 7
think, sir. That's what il sounded
like"
Perhaps So Why, there it is again.
it is most extraordinary noisel"
IL certainly was. Even to us over
head who saw it coming-if one NAV
be permitted to speak of seeing" a
noise come-and knew to what IL was
attributable, the sound seemed weird
and unearthly; but to those VINO heard
he noise without knowing its origin.
the effect must have been mysterious
IN the extreme. The day was, as /
nave already said, windy, and when
Hubbock's eye was applied to the open
spy-hole in the roof, it was apparently
struck by squall." So at least we
assumed from the red and watery as
pect which the organ in question pre-
sented when he returned to his seat.
Ihat, however, was an infection which
the rest of us could have borne with
becoming resignation; but when GER
tain hideous distortions of the pa
tents face apprised us of the approach
or seizure which we hoped at first
might mean only sudden death or a
mt, but which we were alarmed to see
developing into a sneeZe, we felt tha;
the situation was becoming-in a di-