The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1907-03-01
CHAPTER VII.
The Man on the Wall.

Ielf mat aIler luilng aiOnB the shores 4
or an hour lost my way in the dark
wood when landed and brought up At
he rear door used by Bates for com
with the villagers who sup
Piled as with proyender. readily
Iound my way to the kitchen and TO q
hight Of stairs beyond. which connect
d the nrst and second floors. I STUN
bIed up the unfamiliar way in the dark
With, fear. q malediction upon ny
who had built znd left In
complete q kcuse 30 utterly prspos-
ferrous. Ny unpardoaable ding At the
KirI stu ranked: and was cold from
ne quick descent Of the night chill on
the vuter ard anxious 10 get izto some
comfortable clothes Once OF the sec
|ona hosr vas sure Of the location o.
ny room. and I vAs feeling ny way
coward Il over the rough eoor vhea
beard l0v voices rising apparently
from ny sittiag-roo1
II was pitch dark II TIE hall
stopped short and listened Tie door
IL ny room vas opes an talai lghi
fAshed oacs TITO he han and ttszp
peared hszrs ~ so1at a. q
hammer tzppzE 1poz Eood-Eo-E
Thsa Il ceased Al. 4 voics VIII
.pered:
Hell hi ne # ss snas Es here
III TN again to-uOrroE I swear 20
God III hep you. BIT 70 nors roE--
Then the sound o. . scu5e and
again the tapping o. the hammer
After several minutes more Of this
there was a whispered dialogue which
! could not hear
Whatever was occurring tEo OF
three points struck me on the instant
i0ne OF the conspirators was an unEilI
ing party 10 an act as yet unknown;
second. they had been unsuccessful
and must wait for another opportu
nifty: and third. the business. whatever
1t was. was clearly Of some importance
20 myself. as my own apartments II
my grandfather's strange house had
been chosen for the investigation.
Clearly was not prepared 70 close
the incident. but the idea Of brighten
ing my visitors appealed to my sense
of humor. / tiptoed 10 the front stair
way. ran lightly down. found the from
door. and. from the inside. opened and
slammed it. ! heard instantly a hur
iried scamper above, and the heavy fal
OF one who had stumbled in the dark
i grinned with real pleasure at th'
sound Of the mishap. FASTENED to tn,
great library. which was as dark as
well. and. opening one Of the long win
dows. stepped out on the balcony. A
once from the rear Of the house cam
the sound Of a stealthy step. whiel
increased 10 a run at the ravine bridge
/ listened TO the flight Of the fugitiv
through the wood until the sounds die
away toward the lake.
Then. turning to the library window
! saw Bates. with candle held sbov
his head. peering about.
Hello, Bates" / called cheerfuily
II Just got home and stepped out I
see II the moon had risen. / don
believe / know where to look for It 4
this country"
He began lighting the tapers wit
his usual deliberation.
Its a trife early. think, ST
About eight O'Clock. should say. wa
the hour. Mr.. Glenarm."
There was, OF course. no doubt wha
ever that Bates had been one OF III
men | heard In my room. II wa
wholly possible that he had been con
PEELED TO assist In some lawless az
against his will: but why, II he ha
been forced into aiding a crimina
should he not invoke nay own aid I
protect himself? | kicked the log
m the fireplace impatiently at my III
certainty. The man slowly llghte
the many candles in the great apar
ment He was certainly a deep on
and his case grew more pulling as
studied 1t in relation to the rife sh'
of the night before, his collision wit
Morgan in the wood. which / had wi
messed; aud now the house itself ha
been invaded by some one with h
connivance. The rife shot might ha'
been innocent enough: but taken
connection with these other matte
It could hardly be brushed aside.
Bates lighted me TO the stairwa
and said as / passed him:
There's a baked ham for dinner.
should call II extra delicate. Mr.. Gle
arm. | suppose there's no change
the dinner hour. sir?"
Certainly not" said with asperity
for ! am not person to inaugurate
dinner hour one day and change II n
next Bates wished to make conve
sation-the sure sign OF guilty co
science In seryant.-and vas NJ
disposed to encourage him.
! closed the doors carefully and
gan a thorough examination Of bot
the sitting-room and the little be
chamber. | was quite sure that n
own effects could not have attracte
the two men who had taken advantal
OF my absence to visit my quarter
Bates had helped unpack my trun
and undoubtedly knew every item I
my simple wardrobe | threw ope
the doors OF my three closets an
found them all in the good ord'
established by Bates. He had carrie
my trunks and bags 10 a store-roor
90 that everything owned NUT haN