The Garland globe. [volume] (Garland, Utah) 1906-191?, 1906-03-03

out Of the room. and saw her walk
round the desks, her lips tightly com.
pressed and her head high.
The following morning when I came
to the bank, the porter me- me with
the inquiry, had I seen anything OF
Mr.. Blakely? No one ha6 seer him
since the bank closed the night before,
He was not in the bank-had not been
home-indeed, IL was AIRS. Blakely
who had driven down early to inquire
about him; anC no II had seen him.
"Mr. Boyton," she asked, have you
seen my husband? You we're the last
to leave. l believe"
Eyes. madam. but | have not seen
Mr.. Biakely since he put you into
your carriage yesterday"
"That decides it," she muttered
Something has happened to him in
his room. The door must be forced.
Porter, go for a carpenter"
You take :he whole responsibility OF
forcing the green baize door?" 1 sug.
gestad.
"The whole responsibility" she re.
piled.
When the carpenter arrived. Mrs,
Blakely led him to the door. and or.
dered him to force 1t. Ee smiled
grimly Is he looked the door up ana
down.
Iron" he said. laconically. "'Tisn't
my job; you want a olacksn it'll"
The porter was hurried to fetch a
smith. When the man arrived, he
eyed the door critically, and looked
dubious.
For five minutes he dealt a rapid.
fire Of blows, and then the door began
to tremble, then to shake. Finally,
after ten or twelve minutes, it gave
n shudder, and fell outward, swinging
on its hinges.
Mrs. Blakely darted forward, and
stopped. Six feet farther down the
narrow passage, another door obstruct-
ed the way. She signed impetuously
to the smith. who advanced, and shiv-
cred the lock of the second door. which
was only light wood. All was dark
ness beyond the door.
l turned to Mrs. Blakely, who stood
gazing in wonderment into chaos.
Porter" she said in a hushed
voice, 'get me a lantern. Then you
can both leave us. Mr.. Boyton's will
be all the help l shall need"
We passed through the doorway, and
into a small. dark room, poorly fur
nished, with three or four articles of
Office furniture, and litterei with pa
pers. There was no sign of Mr.. Blake
ly.
Look" cried Mrs. Blakely. "A trap
door,
I saw a square had been cut out Of
the carpet, in the centre of which
was a ring. by which l raised the
trap.
Looking through we saw a ladder
leading down to darkness. .
Going carefully down four rungs Of
the ladder, l held the lantern out at
arms length, and surveyed the scene.
A stone-walled chamber stretched
before me like a large vault. In one
wall was a low, barre door; in a
corner was a small furnace. A peculiar
looking machine stood IN the middle
Of the vault. and upon p ledge of its
frame rested a row of silver half dol.
lars.
l went down, and. stepping. as 1
thought to the ground, my foot en-.
countered something soft. l sprang
aside, avoiding 1t, and saw the body
Of Mr., Blakely huddied up in a heap.
"Ah, me! All. me" she moaned,
propping the head upon her KIN ,e with
frenzied tenderness. Richard. hus-
band! You did no merely dream-you
lived your crimes that highland now!
This is your secret! Tuesday and the
night before he was restless in his
sleep; he talked oil coining-coining sill
yer coins, and reaping p~roft-proit.
Oh, Richard! Richard"
Beyond the police, only Mrs. Blake
ly and myself kLow the true secret
that hid beyond the green baize door.
-Nev YorI VvaaLIy