Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-08
Angeles picture.

Angelo nau George before MIN III MS stuulo
while painting this picture; of that | am GER
tain. But how came George TO be there! he
would never of his own free will consent to pose
as an artists model-of that, too, I am certain.
George, on account of his fine athletic figure,
was invegled into Angeles studio; and in order
to produce state requisite for the artists con-
cepton, he was compelled to drink some drug
which subdued his natural powers, and gave him
every appearance of death. And since Angelo
could never by his own strength overpower
George, it is clear he must have had others to
help him in this plot. That silver-hared old
man, Mateo NIarito, may have been one; and
perhaps that mysterious veiled lady another.
As l thought of the old mans awful death I
,nuttered, ut will not be well for Angelo if
George should find him out"
Too impatient to await the return of the Raro-
net, with the constable and the warrant, de-
termned to make my way to the tower, and
force from the artist explanation of the mys-
terry that overhung Georges fate.
With final glance at the painted image of
my brothers face, whose mournful eyes and
mute lips seemed appealing to me for justice, l
left the gallery, and hurrying the lawn
reached the tower, bare-hcaded, brcathess and
evcited
angelo" I cried, hammering at the door, ri
want you. Something really important. I know
you are inside. Open the door. won't go away
until I've seen you. Angelo, do you hear?"
Then remembering that I had the key of the
tower with me, thrust it into the keyhoe and
turned the lock- I hesitated before actually op.
ening the door, thinking that the artist might
be ready on the other side to offer armed re-
sistance to me or to anyone who should invade
his sanctum by force.
T}ut M yoiCn sound of anu lind Cd ,oa
and venturing to peep inside found to my sur
prise that the room was unoccupied
1t was evident that the artist had been in the
studio since our afternoon visit, for the lamp
was alight. All this I noticed at glance, and
then eagrely approached the easel.
The picture was representation of the Fla
Wan Amphitheatre in the days of its wicked old
glory. The galleries were crowded with specta
tors, and in the expression of the various coun-
tenances ample scope was given for the display
of the artists skill. Every character typical of
the times was represented.
A magnificent lion was standing proudly erect,
his flaming eyes fixed on something beneath his
forepaws, That something was nothing; or, to
be less paradoxical what was to be. there was
not yet painted. The picture was in an unfinish
cd state, and the dying martyr not yet out
lined upon the canvas.
] was puzzled to find the work in so unfinished
a state, for Angelo himself had said that most
of the details I now beheld had been painted
before he came to the Abbey. Some characters
at the foot of the canvas in one corner attracted
my notice, and bending low saw that they gave
the title of the picture and the name of the art
st Prompted by the appearance of the letters,
[ drew my fore6nger heavily over them, and as
[ had expected, they were Immediately converted
into a long smear.
The paint was wet, proof that it had been
but recently laid on. My action had completely
effaced the title of the picture, but not before
had read it. That title was "Modestus, the
Christian Martyr"
"Modestus!" This was singular. 1t was only
this very morning that the artist had called it
"Modesta" Why this sudden change of title?
Was he going to represent man, and not a
maiden, as the martyr?
A short dagger was the next object that en-
gagged my attention, double-edged and pointed
weapon. Taking it up for closer inspection,
saw a red stain on it. The dagger seemed famil-
lar to me, and I now remembered to have seen
its painted image in "The Fall of Caesar"
BY the side of this poniard was a curious arti-
Gle representing a lions paw with claws project
ing out. The paw was of ivory exquistely carv-
ed the claws were of bright steel. I could not
help connecting this curious object with the
lion in the picture the easel, yet utterly failed
to perceive the links of the connection. As
could not conjecture what its use was, / began
to examine the next object to it. small cut
glass phal containing some dark liquid.
Removing the stopper, / applied my nostrils to
the orifce An extremely fragrant odor arose
SO pungent, however, that it caused my eyes to
water, and set me coughing for several seconds
p At this point I sank into chair for a strange
drowsiness stealing over me. | could not
account for it at the time, but ] know now that
it was due to the volatility of the liquid which
was operating on my mind with stupefying ef-
feet.
Scarcely knowing what 7 was doing, I lifted
up a pul'ple-bound volume from the table and
turning mechanically to the first page. found
fresh surprise in the title of the work, Silverdae
Abeby It's History and Antiquities.
Why, here was the very book that had disap-
peared from the library, the book whose loss had
so much fretted the Baronet The contents of
the book were not printed, but written with
pen, in "a hand beautifully clear and flowing. This
manuscript, according to Sir Hugh, had been
compiled by an eminent archaeologist but there
was at the end addendum of a few pages
which were evidently not by the hand that had
penned the body of the work. | recognized the
Grabbed characters to be those of Sir Hughs pre-
decessor, whose autograph had seen.
This addendum contained matter that the last
Baronet for obvious reasons would not wish to
be generally known. 1t gave account of GER
tain secret panels, hidden corridors and subter-
ranean chambers, made in the days of the Com
monwealth when loyalty to the House of Stuart
meant confiscation and death.
The present Baronet had never read the book
and was ignorant of the existence of these Sc
crct rooms in which his Royalist ancestors had
been wont TO take refuge from the search of the