Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-05

out the unbarring of doors and considerable
risk of detection. 1t was better, II he
could, to have his helpmate inside the
house. But whom could he ask? This
girl had been devoted to him. A man al
ways finds 1t hard to realize that he may
have finally lost a womRn's love, however
badly he may have treated her. He would
try by a few attentions to make his peace
with the girl Howells, and then would en-
gage her as his accomplice. Together they
would come at night to the cellar, and
their united force would suffice to raise
the stone. So far could follow their ac-
tons as II had actually seen them.
But for two Of them and one a woman,
It must have been heavy work the raising
of that stone. A burly Sussex policeman
and l had found it no light job. What
would they do to assist them? Probably
what 1 should have done myself. 1 rose
and examined carefully the different billets
of wodd which were scattered round the
floor. Almost at once 1 came upon what
I expected One piece. about three feet
in length, had a very marked indentation
at one end, while several were flattened
at the side as if they had been compressed
by some considerable weight. Evidently,
as they had dragged the stone up they
chink. until at last, when the opening was
large enough to crawl through, they would
hold it open by a billet placed lengthwise
which might very well become indented
at the lower end, since the whole weight
of the stone would press It down on to the
edge of this other slab. So far I was still
on safe ground.
"And now how was to proceed to recon-
struct this midnight drama? Clearly, only
one could ht into the hole, and that one
was Brunton. The girl must have waited
above. Brunton then unlocked the box.
handed up the contents presumably-since
they were not TO be found-and then-and
then what happened?
What smouldering fire Of vengeance had
suddenly sprang into flame in this passion
ate Celtic womans soul when she saw
the man who had wronged her-wronged
her. perhaps, far more than we suspected
in her power? Was IL chance that the
wood had slipped, and that the stone had
shut Brunton into what had become his
sepulchre? Had she only been guilty Of
silence as to his fate? Or had some sudden
blow from her hand dashed the slab crash
ing down into its placer BE that as it
might. 1 seemed TO see that woman's
figure still clutching at her treasure trove
and flying wildly up the winding stair.
with her ears ringing perhaps with muffied
screams from behind her and with the
drumming OF frenzied hands against the
slab Of stone which was choking her faith
less lovers life out
Here was the secret Of her blanched face
her shaken nerves, her peals Of hystericsl
laughter on the next morning. But what
had been in the box? What had she done
with that? OF course, It must have been
the old metal and pebbles which my client
had dragged from the mere. She had
thrown them In there at the first opportun-
ity TO remove the last trace OF her crime
For twenty minutes I had sat motion
less. thinking the matter out Musgravs
sim stood with very pale face, swinginl
his lantern and peering down into the hole
These are coins OF Charles the First.
said he. holding out the few which hat
been in the box; you see We were right II
fixing out date for the Ritual
" We may hnd something else Of Charles
the First cried as the probable meaning