The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-02-02

then the phrase:
THE DOOR OIS BEWILDERMENT.
Now I am rather an imaginative |
person; that is why engineering cap
tured my fancy It was his efforts
to make an architect "a person who |
quarrels with women about their |
kitchen sinksD of boy who wanted |
to Se an engineer that caused me to
break with my grandfather. Fate was |
| busy with my affairs that night, for, /
instead of lighting my pipe with the
little sketch l was strangely impelled |
to study 1t seriously.
drew for myself rough outlines of
the interior of Glenarm House as it
had appeared TO me, and then l tried
| to reconcile the little sketch with ev-
cry part of it.
The Door of Bewilderment" was
the charm that held me- My curiosity
was thoroughly aroused as to the hid
den corners of the queer old house.
round which the wind shrieked tor
! mentingly. l went to my room, put
on my corduroy coat, took a candle
and went below. One O'Clock in the
morning is not the most cheering
hour for exploring the dark recesses
of strange house, but | had resolved
to have a look at the ravine opening
and determine, If possible, whether it
bore any relation to The Door of Be
wilderment"
All was quiet in the great cellar;
only here and there an area window
ratified dOlorously. l carried a tape
line with me and made measurements
of the length and depth of the CORR
dor and of the chambers that were set
off from it. These figures l entered in
my notebook for further use, and sat
down on an empty nail key to reflect.
The place was certainly substantial;
the candle at my feet burned steadily
with no hint of a draft; but | saw no
solution of my problem. l was losing
sleep for nothing; my grandfather's
sketch was meaningless, and I rose
and picked up my candle, yawning.
Then curious thing happened. The
candle, whose thin flame had risen I'M
waveringly, sputtered and went out as
a sudden gust swept the corridor.
I had left nothing open behind me,
but some one had gained ingress to
the cellar by an opening Of which
knew nothing.
| faced the stairway that led up to
the back hall of the house when, to
my establishment, steps sounded be-
hind me, and, turning, | saw a man
carrying a lantern coming toward me.
I marked his careless step; he was
undoubtedly on familiar ground AS
watched him he paused, lifted the Ian
tern to a level with his eyes and be-
gan sounding the outer corridor wall
with a hammer.
Here, undoubtedly, was my friend
Morgan-again There was the same
periodicity in the beat on the wall
that I had heard in my own rooms.
He began at the top and went method
ically to the floor. I leaned against
the wall where | stood and watched
the slow approach Of the lantern. The
small revolver with which l had first
fired at his flying figure in che wood
was in my pocket 1t was just as
we'll to have it out with the fellow
now. My chances were as good as
his, though l confess / did not relish
the thought of being found dead the
next morning in the cellar Of my own
house. It pleased my humor to let him
approach in this way, unconscious that
he was watched, until 1 should thrust
nv pistol into his face.
His arms grew tired when he was
about ten feet from me and he
dropped the lantern and hammer t.
t his side and swore under his breath
impatiently.
Then he began again with create
: zeal. AS he came nearer 1 studied hi
- face in the lanterns light with inter
est. His hat was thrust back, and
- could see his jaw hard set under hi
\ blond beard
n He took a step nearer, ran his eye
10 over the wall and resumed his tar
a ping. beginning close to the ceiling
"a In settling himself for the new serie
q Of strokes he swayed toward m
"a slightly and l could hear his har
breathing. was celebrating hoy
~ best to throw myself upon him, but a
N I wavered he stepped BACK, swore q
G his Ill luck and hung the manner
n the ground.
a "Thanks!" | shouted, leaping TO
r ward and snatching the Lantern
Stand just where you are!"
= With the revolver in my right han
80 and the lantern held high in my lef
A enjoyed his utter CONSERVATION, 3
- my voiced roared in the corridor.
tn It's too bad we meet under sue
20 strange circumstances, Morgan"
a said. I'd begun to miss you; but
suppose you've been sleeping in Il
or daytime to gather strength for yol
bt night proving"
ne You're fool" he growled. +
ut was recovering from his fright
In knew it by the CLEAN of his teeth
-, his yellow heard HE owes TOO We