Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-23
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the corridors, peering into the dark
corners. 1t was an arduous business
for | hardly realized the number OF
passages and crannies to be explored
Presently we both came 20 a stop on
simultaneous thought.
"This is really no use" said. It's
quite impossible to exhaust all the
pe satellites Of this house. And l still
adhere to my previous notion that Mrs.
| Main was hardly in sufficiently pa
citic state to judge between shadows
I'm with you there" said Sheppard
cheerfully.
Every well, then; bed" said l, and to
| bed we went. admirably tired with our
excitement and our labors.
l must have been asleep for some
! hours when awoke from dead uncon-
seriousness with the presence of some
one In the room depressing me. AL
most as l sat up heard Montgomery's
voice.
"Are you awake, Greatorex? There's
some one about the house.
l sat still, striving to dissipate the
confusion of my brain. Somewhere, far
| off | remembered that had heard this
| before But with a strenuous effort OF
the will threw off the dwindling
hands of sleep and got out of bed.
"We'll go and see,' said l. What time
Is it?"
Il don't know said Montgomery as
| lit a candle with fumbling fingers.
But my watch is over. think it's
about IL or IL
Now, young man." l said, having
| pulled on some clothes, what about
this alarm of yours?
| ut was noise-it woke me up" ex-
! planned Montgomery. Sheppard re-
lieved me at IL, and turned in, feel
! ing very sleepy. thought l slept like
log, but something gos on my nerves,
| suppose. At any rate, 1t woke me
up
my dear lad, what was it7' asked
lmpatiently.
ut came from the back of the bed"
he answered. 1T was a sound Of feet"
Something within the wallis" l ar
gued; mice, beetles"
Montgomery shook his head. Come
and listen" he pleaded.
followed him. Certainly he was
the least imaginative young man in the
world, and it puzzled me that he should
have taken this whim Perhaps it was
not fancy! Suddenly Mrs. Mains
statement, which | had doubted and
ridiculed, returned to my mind in a
flow of memory.
Montgomery room stood upon the,
back Of the castle and, like all the
rooms which were in use, faced the
park. 1t was small, square cham
Der, lined, as had been practiced
throughout the castle, with oak. Mont
gomery pointed to the pillow. MY
head was there" he explained. "Lis-
tenv'
lay down upon the bed and rested.
There's nothing to be heard" said l.
Wait" said Montgomery eagerly.
A silence ensued. Don't you hear
anything" he asked.
shook my head. "My dear boy, it
was fancy said and was raising my
head from the pillow when suddenly
slight sound struck upon my ears, and
paused In the act and in the center
Of my speech II hear something now"
I said. But it's only the patter of
rain"
Montgomery set his ear to the wall.
'That's not rain," he whispered. He
was right; it was not rain; it was the
noise of feet falling lightly upon stone.
At once took fire.
"What is behind this oak?" I asked.
'There must be some passage here"
sounded with my knuckles on the
board. Its hollow"
A careful inspection with the candle
revealed a seam in the oak, which
might mark the site Of hinges, and to-
gether we pushed firmly on the panel.
1t fell back slowly, being, as found
afterward, without lock or spring and
merely held in it's place by disuse and
dirt. Within, the light shone upon a
black hole and dark fight Of stairs
leading downward.
1--WE must see the end Of this" said
Montgomery, and hopped into the dark
ness like a frog. l followed. Below
there was now silence; the footsteps
had died away. The narrow flight in
the wall continued for some thirty
steps and brought us, as reckoned,
to the foundations Of the castle. Here
we were fetched up promptly by a
blank wall of wood-no doubt similar
encasement of oak as that in which the
panel above was set, Cropping about,
we fumbled upon latch and opened
the door quietly. The candle fared
on the walls opposite. We were in the
dark corridor leading to the treasure.
AS this discovery flashed on me
heard once more the sound that had
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