Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-02-25
Copyright, 1899, by Herbert s. Stone & Co.
CHAPTER XIV.-CoNT1xUED.

N5IlEAI En- al N.-CONIlNIED
OF the existence of this room no one
but Hall and his man lubbock had
any suspicion, the entrance to it being
very cunningly contrived. In most
houses of the sort, where the space
under the roof has been utilized as
loft for the storage of lumber-or pos
sibly for the placing of a Cistern-ac-
cess to this loft is generally betokened
by small trap-door in the ceiling,
either of the landing or of an upper
apartment. In Halls house there was
no such trap-door and the unbroken
stretch of whitewashed, but evidently
ancient, plaster on the ceilings of the
best possible answer to an inquiry
whether the house had an additional
chamber, or even a lath and plaster
floored loft under the roof
But had any one opened the very
ordinary-loolling cupboard in Halls
bedroom, and pressed in a particular
way one of the pegs upon which clothes
were hanging, pushing one hand at the
same time against the top of the cup
bOcllhs JldI pGISOu MOulu nave DGen
surprised TO find that the cupboard
top opened upwards on hinges, and
that by letting down a rope ladder that
had been tossed backward ready for
use he could Chamber easily into a
chamber, the existence of which he
would never otherwise have suspected.
The rooms of Heath Cottage were all
small, but by pulling down the central
partition in the space under the roof
Hall had improvised one apartment
that stretched the entire length and
width of the house. Around the sides,
where, owing to the slope of the roof,
it was not possible to stand upright,
low and luxurious lounges, resembling
eastern diVans, were arranged; and in
the center of the room was a billiard
table, upon which-in spite of the fact
that it had been brought thither in
parts, and put together by Hall and
his man-one could play a surprisingly
good and true game. The sides of the
apartment were draped with lengths of
gorgeously colored and superbly
worked Indian fabric, which, following
the line of the roof, were caught to-
gether, tentwise, overhead, whence
hung several eXquisitely wrought
eastern lamps, that threw soft but
sufficient light upon the table below.
A more bizarre, but at the same time
more cosy, apartment | have never
seen in all my wanderings. Curious
and out OF place as the billiard table
looked amid it's oriental surroundings,
it served to vile away agreeably many
an hour which might otherwise have
hung heavily on our hands; for to the
prophets upper chamber" as our host
styled the room, my colleagues and
myself were confined during our stay
with him.
"Well, gentlemen" he said, when he
came up to apprise us of the constable s
visit, will you be surprised to hear
that that polite man the superintend-
ent of the Marlborough police has sent
round specially to inquire about your
health?"
Number Six, who was in the act of
playing ball and had not noticed
Number Two's entrance, missed the
stroke badly and let the cue fall rat
tllnS upon the hoor as he turned round
TO face the newcomer
God forgive us!" he gasped. you
don't mean to say we're found out?"
God may forgive you, but l won't,
If you cut the cloth of my table," was
the answer. Found out? No, and
never will be, if you'll only refrain
from throwing cues about in that silly
way. The constable merely called to
know whether | had seen any suspi-
cious characters about. You are safe
enough here. 1t would take a cleverer
man than any one they've got in the
Marlborough force to find out this
ROOM"
You seem to have poor opinion of
the local constabulary," l said.