Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-12-02

! s....kE ;..s.s NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
since you entered the room. What
Is it,"
1 cast Il glance at the door Should
l be able t. finish my story before
Durbin returned? I thought 1t pos
sible. and, though still upset by this
new evidence. which l could now See
was not entirely In Miss Tuttle's favor,
l spoke up with what spirit l might.
Il have just come from spending
another night in the Moore house. All
the efforts heretofore made to exhaust
Its secrets have been founded upon
theory that has brought us nowhere.
l had another In mind, and l was anx-
ious to test 1t before resting from all
further attempt to solve this riddle.
And it has not failed me-"
AS said this laid open on the table
before me the transcription Of which
l spoke. Instantly the two men bent
over it. When they looked up again,
their countenance showed not excite
ment only, but appreciation: and in the
one minute Of triumph which l then
enjoyed all that had wounded or dis
turbed me in the past was forgotten.
The major now proposed that We
should go at once to the old house. "a
family secret like this does not crop
up every day even in city so full Of
surprises as Washington. We Will
hunt for the spring under the closet
drawers and see what happens, eh?
And on our way there"-here he turned
to mel should like to hear the par
tculars concerning the little clew Just
mentioned. BY the way, Mr.. Jeffrey's
interest in this old drawing is now
explained. He knew Its diabolical
secret"
This was self evident, and my heart
was heavy for Miss Tuttle, who SEEM
ed to be SO deep in her brother in-law's
confidence.
1t grew still heavier when Durbin,
Joining us, added his incredulity to the
air Of suspicion assumed by the others.
Our first move was to 60 In q body
to the southwest chamber, take down
the picture, examine it with a mngni-
flying glass and satisfy ourselves that
the words had picked out Of its may
lines were really to be found there
This done and my veracity established.
we next proceeded to the closet where,
according to the instruction embodied
in this picture, the secret spring was
to be found by which some unknown
and devilish machinery would be re-
leased in the library below.
To my great satisfaction the active
part In this experiment was delegated
to me. Durbin continued to be mere
locker on. Drawing out the two large
drawers from their place at the end Of
this closet 1 set them aside. Then I
hunted for and found the small loop
hole which we had been told afforded
a glimpse Of the library hearthstone,
but seeing nothing through it, called
for light to be placed in the room be-
low.
I heard purbin 60 down. then the
major and, finally, the district attor.
ney. Nothing could stay their curios-
ity now, not even the possibility OF
danger. which as yet was q lurking
and mysterious one. But when q light
shot up from below and the irregular
opening before me became a loophole
through which I could catch a very
wide glimpse Of the library beneath,
found that it was not necessary for me
to warn them to keep away from the
hearth, as they were all clustered very
near the door-a precaution not alto
gether uncalled for at 60 hazardous q
moment.
Are you readyT called down.
Ready" rose In simultaneous n
Spouse from below.
Then look outy'
Reaching for the spring cleverly con-
cealed In the wall at my right vigor-
ously pressed It.
The result was instantaneous Silent
~, but with unerring certainty, some
thing small. round and deadly fell
plumb from the library ceiling to
where the settle had formerly stood
against the hearthstone. Finding moth.
ing there but vacancy to expend itself
upon, It swung about for q moment
on what looked like wire or q whip
cord. then slowly came to rest within
a foot or 60 from the floor.
A cry from the Mortified officials be-
low was what first brought me to my.
self. Withdrawing from my narrow
quarters. hastened down to them and
added one more white face to the three
I found congregated in the doorway.
In the diabolical ingenuity we had seen
displayed crime had reached its acme,
and the cup Of human depravity SEEM
ed full.
When We had regained In some meas
ure our self possession we all ad-
vanced for a closer look at the muir
derous object dangling before US. We
found It to- be heavy leaden weight
painted on its lower end to match the
bosses Of stucco work which appeared
ut regular intervals in the ornamental
ton Of the ceiling. When drawn up
into place-that is. when occupying the
hole from which it now hung suspend
ed-the portion left to protrude would
evidently bear SO smAN a proportion
to its real bulk as to justify any eye
in believing 1t to be the mate, and the
harmless mate, Of all the others.
1T hangs just where the settle
Stood" observed Durbin significantly.
And just at the point where the
cushions invite rest, as the colonel so
suggestively puts it in his strange puz-
zle Of a confession" added the dis
trict attorney.
Replace the old seat" ordered the
major, land let US make sure of this"
Ready hands at once grasped 1t and,
with some effort, own, drew it care
fully back into position.
You seer Quoth Durbin.
We did.
"Devilish!s came from the majors
lips. Then with a glance at the ball,
which. pushed aside by the seat, now
hung over its edge a foot or 80 from
the floor. he added briskly: THE ball
has fallen to the full length of the
cord. If 1t were drawn up a little"-
WATT" eagerly interposed- LET
me see what can do with it."
And dashed back upstairs and into
the closet Of THE Colonel's Own"