Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-08

| ana the moor became much Qfier. The roof,
| however. did not rise with the floor, and
| presently they came to a place where they
had to stoop to advance at all. Fifty yards
| or slow, crouching advance brought them
| through this. and then the gallery sloped
downward again. until suddenly II opened
| Into great chamber OF almost circular
| form.
The center OF the chamber was a lake OF
black water. still and dead looking. Open
| ings OF eight other galleries besides the
one they had come by showed at irregular
| intervals round the walls. and as far as
| they could Judge, each OF them might be
explored; for the waters of the central pool
nowhere reached quite to the walls.
But perhaps they do when the tide Is
| up, said Eustace. I'VE mustn't let our
| selves be cut of. l vote explore this
chamber thoroughly today, find out the
| easiest way to enter the different galleries,
note what the tide does. and leave the ex-
| plorln8 or the galleries themselves till to-
| morrow"
Mary was looking at a little pocket
compass;
| she said. The others don't lead in the
| direction We want"
Well take those two first, Of course"
| Eustace agreed But II we draw them
blank we'll try the others too. There's
no knowing what twists and turns they
may take when were once inside them"
| Very WELL" said Mary.
They carried out this program and for
| three days they found nothing They ex-
plored the central chamber and two OF
l
labor which 1t Is necessary to record was
that by the end of the third day they
had returned to their old footing on easy
camaraderie. A. stiffness between a man
and a woman can hardly survive the con-
| tinual contact Of hand with hand as the
man helps the woman over the rough
places. And this is true of life, as we'll
| as of mere cave hunting. Those three
days in the caves made them chums
| again; and Eustace, at least. did not
think that the time SO spent was wasted.
mans secret-which they had guessed
| that the caves held-was still undiscov-
cred From time to time Eustace won
dered what Harvey was doing, and mar
| veled that as yet there had been no sign
| from him.
On the fourth day they made a dis
covery. They had penetrated a short
distance into one Of the galleries. and
| found themselves stopped by heap Of
fallen stone. They were about to turn
back when Eustace exclaimed suddenly:
| That isn't fallen stone! It's WALL
roughly built, but built!'
! He pulled away some Of the stones.
They had been put together without ce-
| ment, and came away easily. In half an
| hour he had made opening large
| enough for him to pass through.
Beyond the wall there was a closed
about twenty feet each way. Eustace
| flashed his lamp into the corners. The
chamber was empty
He stopped down and picked up small
| object from the floor.
But 1t was not always empty" he
said in low voice. That is a human
| TOOTH and there are others beside it. And
| see! little further of there are more
| a little heap of them
Mary was clinging to his arm. and he
felt her tremble. For the first time in
| four days a sudden fear of the caves
| and their darkness gripped her.
What does 1t mean, EustaceT she
| whispered.
tHa nf bo al ND &c in
dictated" he answered. I'VE know now
| why the young monk never returned. He
| was walled up here with the partner of
| his sim Time has rotted their bones to
| dust; but these teeth remain to tell what
| the punishment was that the angry alb
| bot smeted out to the sinners"
| Mary shivered again, and said hur-
riedIy::
Let us go away! 1t is horrible! We
| will go home"
| Eustace led her away at once. He saw
that she was really frightened. Though
the tragedy centuries old. the evil
| dences of it, discovered thus, were grue-
some; and the girl had received a shock.
| On the way home she was unusually ST.
| lent and Eustace knew that her imagi-
| nation was busy with the details of that
| far-off drama of horror.
| On their return to the abbey they were
told that Harvey Wiseman was waiting
| for them. Eustace laughed, and uncon-
| sciously drew himself up. as though to
| brace his muscles for a struggle.
1
| study. He received them with his CUSTOM
airy smile, but It seemed to both that there
| was less of apology and more of the mali
| cious triumph in the smile than usual.
Il have been pointing out to your moth
! err he said to Mary, that these expedi-
/ tons are injudicious. Susan. l am sorry to
| say does not agree with me-.
! Possibly does not even admit your right
| to interfere" said Eustace. dryly.
Harvey turned to him with a grin, and
ctt1 n
kept his eyes on the young mans face.
Your mother, curiously enough. sees no
| harm in her daughter spending whole days
| in cave hunting with total stranger"
"A total stranger! cried Mary. Harvey,
what do you mean?'
| Harvey still smiled, and Lady Holland
| broke out:
| "Eustace he says that you are not my
| Eustace frowned and looked Harvey
straight in the eyes.
NO" he said. He is not mad. He is
| merely fighting his battle with any weapons
| that offer, and is in too great hurry to
| have time to test them first. This one may
I break in his hand
! II think not" said Harvey. IT have
| letter here from the admiralty. Oh yes.
/ wrote to them first; ii was necessary
! and l think that you will admit that II is
| strong weapon. They tell me that they
| have official knowledge that Sir Eustace
4. Holland died in Oporto on the 10th of Au-
! gust and consequently that the person in
Morayshire whom l mention under that
| name cannot be Sir Eustace. They do no.
use the word impostor, but that Is what
| they mean. Now, SIR he added. las my
cousin, Sir Eustace Holland, is dead, and
| as am the sole male representative OF the
| family perhaps even you will admit my
| right 10 interfere. ] have already taken the
| liberty of advising Lady Holland to refuse
| further hospitality to fraudulent adven-
turer.'
/ The young man shrugged his shoulders.
| THAT is foolish" he said, contemptu-
| ously, since. in your hearing Lady Hol-
| land claims the adventurer her son.
| oh" said Harvey, you have grit, be-
| lieve; and, OF course, l don't expect you to
| admit anything. But 1 have a proof to
| propose which will probably convince even
my kinswoman My cousin Eustace had,
| as we all know a full-rigged ship tattooed
T, on his left forearm. You have only to roll
up your sleeve"
A curious CLEAN came into the young
mans eyes.
| II refuse to do So" he said.
| Harvey laughed; but before he could say
more Mary spoke.