The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1906-03-21

and deadly foe. and l began to doubt |
CT hostiiities unless, indeed, we broke
our silent compact and called in the
assistance of the law. We had de-
cded to discard Williams from our So
ciety. He was too hazardous an ally. !
and we could not hope to circumvent |
the police a second time. AS it WAS. |
saw that some suspicious We're breed |
ing in the sergeant's mind. l suppose |
we took too lightly what was bruited |
about the country for Il great ''selsa |
ton The st01ming Of the castle even
in the distorted narrative which VIII |
liams had delivered to his friends |
sounded remarkable in so dull and IN
eventful a place as that countryside. |
Pieces of rumor concerning it crept
into the London papers subsequently, |
and we were most unwillingly become !
the figures in u tragic and heroic ad |
venture.
We resolved despite the promised |
respite to pretermit no one of the pre- |
cautions. and Montgomery mounted |
"
AS Sheppard and l sat over our wine |
we were interrupted by Mrs. Main. |
who had been greatly stirred by the |
visit of Il justice. She came oStensibly
with a question, but i'll reality TO
breathe the air of our central excite
ment.
Il am to give Williams his supper
tonight, as last night, sir?" she asked. !
| told her No" and her wits wan-
dered 10 the events of the day without |
more ado.
But presently she came back. Then |
I'm not to prepare supper for VII
liams. SIR"
Williams will not be sleeping here
tonight" l replied. He left 1T the
usual hour-6 O'Clock"
Her face wore blank look. - of
one struggling with parpleGity, and. as
Stunning that she had fears on her own
account to combat, l went on. You
see. we shall be perfectly safe with
the police looking after u.s.
"Oh, Lord, sir, 'tisn't that she made
answer, as though deprecating my re-
fection on her courage but Williams
isn't gone, sir
But he is said Sheppard Il saw
him myself two hours ago halfway to
Llanellan.'
Mrs. Main looked her incredulity. II
it wasn't his back | saw no more than
two blessed minutes ago, / put it to
you, whose was it, sir?''
Where was this?" l asked
Il was leaving the kitchen for the
pantry, sir just preparatory with
some dishes like, and. the blinds being
down against the window that faces
the courtyard, | see Williams shadow
-leastways what l took to be Viii
liams'-pasS across the blind. sir"
1T couldn't be Williams" said
after Il pause. Williams has never
been i'll the castle since o'clock, and,
besides, the drawbridge is up"
Did you see his face?' asked Shep-
pard.
NO, sir; it was on the blind like, but
happening to have a question to put to
him l just drops the dishes on the
sideboard. ana l run to the door, but
when I'd got it open Williams was
gone"
1T was not Williams" l repeated
testify.
What l took to be Williams. sir"
corrected Mrs. Main, with gentle OBJ
stinacy.
Did you hear any sound of foot
steps,
NO, sir, but then I was making
noise with the dishes like, and Viii
liamS walks very gentle"
"Oh, we'll" l murmured at length,
you must have been deceived. and if
Williams was here he has gone since.
and at any rate he won't want his
supper
When the housekeeper had retired |
found Sheppard watching me. What
do You make of it, Ned?"
Il make nothing" | answered. Its
practically impossible for any one to
get into the castle. We have had the
bridge up nearly all day, but-you
know my old adage. that it's better to
be sure than sorry-we may as well
have look around
Taking a candle we made a tour of
the castle rooms and investigated all
the corridors. peering into the dark
corners 1t was an arlu0us business,
for hardly realized the number o.
Passages and crannies to be explored.
Presently we both came TO a stop on
simultaneous thought
This is really no use" I said ITS
quite impossible to exhaust all tbs
possibilities of this house And | still
adhere to my previous notion that Mrs