Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-08-26
CHAPTER VII (Continued).


ping his eyes, possibly to hide their
curious twinkle. But what do you
mean about finding something in the
wall behind that old picture? I've
never heard
But though he spoke quickly and
shouted the last words after me at the
top of his voice, l was by this time
too far away to respond save by q du-
bious smile and a semipatronizing wave
Of the hand. Not until l was nearly
out Of earshot did I venture to shout
back the following words:
"I'll be back In an hour II anything
happens, II the boys annoy you or any
one attempts to enter the old house,
telephone to the station or summon
the officer at the corner. I don't be-
lieve any harm will come from leav-
ing the place to itself for awhile"
Then walked around the block.
When arrived in front again it was
quite dark. So was the house, but
there was light in the library. I felt
assured that I should find Uncle Da-
vid there, and did. When after a
noiseless entrance and a careful ad-
vance through the hall l threw open
the door beyond the gilded pillars it
was to see the tall figure of this old
man mounted upon the chair I had left
there peering up at the nail from
which I 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 1 placed
upon this evidence Of his daring and
unappeasable curiosity, and he con-
fronted me with an enviable air of
dignity, whereupon managed to say:
Really, Mr.. Moore, I'm glad to see
you here. 1t Is quite natural for you tc
wish to learn by any means in your
power what that picture concealed.
came back because I suddenly remem.
bered that I had forgotten to rehang
it."
. 1nvoluntarily he glanced again at the
wall overhead. which was az bare as
his hand save for the nail he had al
ready examined.
1T 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'
I 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 to
its place. Or perhaps you prefer to
have it down rather than up? It isn't
much Of an ornament"
He scrutinized me darkly from over
his shoulder, wary CLEAN showing
itself in his shrewd old eyes. and the
idea crossed me that the moment
might possess more significance than
appeared. But I did not step back
ward nor give evidence in any way
that I had even thought of danger. I
simply laid my hand on the picture
and looked up at him for orders.
He promptly signified that he wished
It hung, adding as I hesitated these
words: 1.-The pictures in this house are
supposed,fo stay on the walls where
they belong. There is traditional su-
perstiti0n against removing them"
I Immediately lifted the print from
the floor. No doubt he had me at a
disadvantage, If evil was in his heart,
and my position ON the hearth was as
dangerous as previous events had
proved it to be. But it would not do
to show the white feather at moment
when bis fate, IL not my own, hung In
the balance; SO, motioning him to step
down, put foot on the chair and raised
the picture aloft to hang It. As I did
SO he moved over to the huge settle of
his ancestors and. crossing his arms
over its back, surveyed me with
smile rather imagined than saw.
Suddenly. as I strained to put the
cord over-the,nail, he called out:
Look out! You'll fallr'
If he had intended to give me a start
In payment for my previous rebuff he
did not succeed. for my nerves had
grown steady and my arm firm at the
glimpse had caught Of the shelf be-
low me. The fine brown powder had
scattered there had been displaced In
five distinct spots, and not by my fin
gers. I had preferred to risk the loss
Of my balance rather than rest my
hand on the shelf, but he had taken no
such precautiOn. The clew l so anx-
1ously desired and for which I had so
recklessly worked was obtained.
But when, half an hour later, found
an opportunity Of measuring these
marks and comparing them with those
upstairs l did not enjoy the full tri-
umph I had promised myself, for the
two Impressions utterly failed to coin
eide, thus proving that whoever the
person was who had been in this house
with Mrs. jeffrey on the evening she
died it was not her Uncle David.
CHAPTER VIII.
- EFT me repeat. The person who