The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-06-27
or Dead?'
The Strange Disappearance of
; Gerald Rathbone.
BY GUY THoRNE.
BY GUY THoRNE.

Urns stood upon marble pedestal!
there vas a big leather couch of &
heavy and old-fashioned pattern, and
stuffed bear standing on its hind legs
some eight feet high and with a bal
ancing pole in it's paws, formed a hat
rack.
The hall was lit from a square
domed skylight in the roof, which
showed that 1t was surrounded by 9
gallery, up to which led a broad flight
of stairs with carved balustrades.
The whole place, indeed, was old
fashioned and sombre. After the cost
ness Of the smart little club in ST
James street, and the brightness and
glitter Of the center of the West end
of town, Charliewood felt, as indeed he
always did, a sense Of dislike and de
preston.
It was all so heavy, massive, ugly
and old-fashioned. One expected To
see grim and sober gentlemen in knee
breaches and powdered hair coming
silently put Of this or that ponderous
doorway-lean, respectable, and un.
comfortable ghosts Of a period now
vanished forever.
"Will you go straight on to the
study, sir?" the butler said. "Sir VIII.
ian expects you"
C~harliewood did not take of his
coat, as II he thought that the inter
view to which he was summoned need
not be unduly prolonged. But with
his hat and umbrella in his hand he
crossed the hall to its farthest left
angle beyond the projecting staircase,
and opened a green baize door.
He found himself in a short passage
heavily carpeted, at the end of which
was another door. This he opened
and came at once into Sir William
Gouldesbrough's study.
Directly he entered he saw that his
friend was sitting in an armchair by
the side Of a large writing table.
Something unfamiliar in his hosts
attitude and the chair in which he
was sitting struck him at nce
He looked again, and say that the
chair was slightly raised from the
ground upon a low dais and was of pc
culiar construction.
In a moment more he started with
surprise to see that there was some
thing extremely odd about Sir Will
Jams head.
A CLEAN OF sunlight was pouring
into the room through a long window
ruhtph znnnaI ON 30 thA 1auun ~ thx
back of the house. 1t fell full upon
the upper portion of the scientists
body, and with a muffied expression Of
surprise Mr.. Charliewood saw that Sir
William was wearing a sort of helmet,
a curved, shining head-dress of brass,
like the cup Of an acorn, from the top
of which a thick black cord rose up
ward to a china plug set In the wall
not far away.
Good heavens, Gouldesbrough!" he
said, in uncomfortable surprise, what
-"
AS he spoke Sir William turned and
held up one hand, motioning him to
silence.
The handsome and intellectual face
that was SO well known to the public
was fixed and set into attention, and
did not relax or change at Charlie
woods ejaculation.
The warning hand remained up, and
that was all.
Charliewood stood frozen to the
floor In wonder and u~neasiness, utter
ly at a loss to understand what was
going on. The tremor of his nerves
began again; his whole body felt like
a pincushion into which innumerable
pins were being pushed.
Then, with extreme suddenness, he
experienced another shock.
Somewhere in the room, quite close
to him. an electric bell, like the sud-
den alarm of a clock on a dark dawn,
whirred a shrill summons.
The big man jumped where he stood.
At the unexpected rattle of the bell
Sir William put his hand up to his
head, touched something that clicked.
and lifted the heavy metal cap from
It. He placed it carefully down upon
the writing table, passed his hand over
his face for a moment with a tired
gesture, and then turned to his guest.
"How do you do" he said. "Glad
to see you, Charliewood."