The Washington times., 1906-07-22


were on related subjects pertaining 10
the French chateaux.
In the last volume ] found "a sheet Of
white notepaper no larger .fr4n my
hand, forgotten Jookmark as
sumed. and hIlf-crumpIcd 30 i'm mv
fingers before J noticed the lines Of "A
pencil sketch or one side of
carried IL % the table and spread f.
our.
u was not the bit Of idle pcuciIIng IL
h1d appeared 10 be al first sight 4
scale had evidently been followed and
ihe Hines drawn with p ruler. With such
rIiies ms grandfather had 90 doubt
amused himself. There was "A I9rg
e"rrldor indicated. but Of this Z could
'Eake nothing. ] studied il for several
minutes. thinking il might have boon
tentative sketch ~ some part .f fl-.
house lu turning IL about under tho
candelabrum j saw that FRA several
places the glaze had been ruHn.8 f-,r,
the paper bv an eraser. and This nigl.8
nv curiosity ! brought uagrfrvfr-
6lass 30 bear upon the sketch. Tho
drawing has been made with u had
pencil and the eraser had removed rre
lead. but a well-dcdned imprint r--
NAMED
was able 70 make out Tire lett--s
y. W = 10 ca reference clearly
enough q points o: the compass and
q distance. The word ravlne was
scrawled over a rough outline of q
doorway or opening OF some sort. and
then the phrase:
THE DOOR OF REWILDERMEST
Now ! am rather an imaginative per-
son. that is why engineering cap
tured my fancy. IL was through his
trying 20 make an architect "a per-
son who quarreis with women about
their kitchen sinksJ 0f boy who
wanted TO he an engineer that my
graudfdther and failed 10 hlt 90 or.
From boyhOod 1 have never seen a
great bridge or watched a locomotive
climb a difficult hillside without a
thrill; and a lighthouse stiII seems
10 me quite the finest monument
man can build for himself Ny grand
fathers devotion 10 old churches and
medieval houses always struck me
as trifiing and unworthy Of a grown
man. And fate was busy with my
affairs that night. for. instead az
lighting my pipe with the little
sketch. I was strangely impeued 10
study il seriously.
7 drew for myself rough outlines of
the interior Of Glenarm House as it
had appeared 70 me. and then I tried
10 reconcile the little sketch with every
part Of II.
The Door OF BewiIdermont' was the
charm that held me. The phrase was
in itself a lure The man who had
built a presposterous house iu the
woods Of Ina.ana, and called ir 1.-The
House of q Thousand Candles Was
quite capable Of other whsms; and as
7 bent over this scrap OF paper iu rhe
candle-lighted library Il occurred tot r
that possibly 7 had not done Justice
20 my grandfather genius. Ny curl
0sity was thoroughly aroused as - the
hidden corners Of the queer old house.
round which the wind shriekcd tor-
mentingly.
went 10 my room. put on my cordsI-
roy coat for IT'S greater warmth in
goiHg arough the cold halls. took
candle and went below. one o'clock
in the morning is not the most cheer
ing hour for exploring the dark Tee
cesses Of a strange house, but I had
resolved 10 have "a look az the rayiue-
opening. and determine. If possible.
whether iy bore any relation 10 The
Door Of BewiIderWsHt."
All was quiet iu tire great cellar. only
here and there al area window ratified
dolorous!y. ] carried "a taprliEe with
me and made measurements OF the
length and depth Of the corridor and
OF the chambers that Were SCI on
from H. These figures ] entered iu my
notebook for further use. and sat
down on an empty uail-keg 10 reflect
The place was certainly substantial:
The candle al m feet burned steadily
with no hint Of draft; but I saw no
solution OF my problem. All the doors
along the corridor We're open, OF Weld
cd readily 10 my hand. 7 was losing
sleep for nothing, my EraudfErhers
sketch was meaningless. ana J rose
and picked Up my candle. yawu.uE.
Then a curious thing happened The
candle. whose thin fame had risen VIZ
waveringly. sputtered and went out as
a sudden gust swept the corridor
had left nothing open behind me.
and the outer doors OF the aausg Wers
always locked and barred. But some
one had gained iuEreSs 20 the cellar
by an opening of which ] Anew
nothing
faced the stairway that led Up 70
the hack hail Of the house. when 10
nay aStoul~hmeut steps sounded behind
me and. turning ] saw. coming TO-
ward me a man carrying lantern
marked his careless step. a- was uu-
dnuh;odly on familiar ground As l
watched him he paused lifted tEe Ian
tern 10 a Ievcl with his eyes and he
gan sounding the wall with "a hammer.
Hero. undoubtedlv. was my friend
AIorgan-3Eau There was the same
periodicity in the beat on the wall
that ] had heard in nay own rooms. lie
began AZ the top and went metHudical-
" q -he floor. ! leaned against The
wall where I stood and watched the
lantern slowly coming toward me-
The small revolver with which ! had
fired ST his flying figure I'm the wood
waS ia my pocket. Ii was just as well
u have il out with the fellow now.
Mn chances were as good as his.
though I confess ! did NOT relish the
thought of being found dead tae next
morning in The cellar of ms own
house Il pleased my humor 10 let
him approach i'm this way. unconscious
that lie vas watched, until 7 should
thrust my pistol into his face.
His arms grew tired when he was
about ten feet from me and he drop