Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-03-22

mo, sir; it was on the blind like. but
happening to have a question to put to
him just drops the dishes on the
sideboard. and run to the door. but
when I'd got it open Williams was
gone"
1T was not Williams" I repeated
testify.
what | took to be Williams, sir"
corrected Mrs. Main, with gentle OBJ
stinacy.
did YOU hear any sound Of foot
steps,"
mo. sir, but then l was making II
noise with the dishes like, and Will
llams walks very gentle
ooh. we'll" | murmured at length,
you must have been deceived, and If
| Williams vas here he has gone since.
and at any ate he won't want his
supper"
When the housekeeper had retired l
found Sheppard watching me. What
do you make of it. NedI'
~ make nothing I answered. Its
practically impossible for any Il 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 q look around"
Taking q candle we made a tour Of
the castle rooms and investigated all
the corridors, peering into the dark
corners. 1t was an arduous business.
for l hardly realized the number Of
passages and crannies to be explored.
Presently we both came to a stop on
q simultaneous thought.
"This is really no use,' l said. TITS
quite impossible to exhaust all the
possibilities Of this house. And l still
adhere to my previous notion that Mrs.
Main was hardly in a sufficiently pa
cific state to judge between shadows"
I'm with you there" said Sheppard
cheerfully.
Every well, then; bed" said I, and to
bed we went, admirably tired with our
excitement and u labors.
l must have been asleep for some
hours when l awoke from dead uncon-
sciousness with the presence Of some
II in the o depressing me. AL
most as 1 sat up I heard Montgomery's
voice.
care you awake, Greatorex? There's
some one about the house."
l sat still, striving to dissipate the
confusion of my brain. Somewhere, far
off, l remembered that l had heard this
before. But with a strenuous effort of
the will l threw off the dwindling
hands of sleep and got out of bed.
well so and see" said I. What time
is it,"
Il don't know" said Montgomery as
l lit a candle with fumbling fingers.
but my watch is over. l think it's
about - or l."
"Now, young man." l said, having
pulled on some clothes, what about
this alarm of yours?'
ut was Il noise-it woke me up,' ex-
planned Montgomery. sheppard re-
lieved me at IL. and | turned in, feel
ing very sleepy. | thought | slept like
q log, but something got Oh my nerves,
I suppose. At any rate, it woke nue.
up
My dear lad, what was it?' 1 asked
impatiently.
1T came from the back Of the bed
lie answered. 1T was Il sound Of feet
something within the walls" l ar
gued; mice. beetles.'
Montgomery shook his head. Come
and listen he pleaded.
l 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 l had doubted and
r1diculed, returned to my mind in a
flow Of memory.
Montgomery's room stood upon the
back Of the castle and, like all the
looms which were in use, faced the
park. 1t was a 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
ten
l lay down upon the bed and rested.
There's nothing to be heard,' said I.
Wait said Montgomery eagerly.
A silence ensued. Don't you hear
anything" he asked.
l shook my head. my dear boy. it
was fancy" l said and was raising nv
head from the pillow when suddenly a
slight sound struck upon my ears, and
paused III the act and in the center
Of my speech. Il hear something now,n
| 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?' | asked
There must be some passage here" 7
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-