The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-06-22

missives of yours all in bunch. I
was in a dahabiyeh on the Nile and
they don't have rural free delivery in
Egypt. Your cablegram called me
home before had finished reading the
letters. But thank God, Jack, you're
alive!''
There was real feeling in these last
words, and l think we were all
-, touched by them.
"Amen to that" cried Bates.
"And now, Pickering before you 60
want to show you something. It's
about this mysterious treasure, that
has given you-and hear, the whole
countryside-so much concern. I'm
disappointed in you. Jack, that you
couldn't find the hiding place. l de-
signed that as part of your archltec-
tural education. Bates, give me a
chair"
The man gravely drew chair out
of the wreckage and placed it upon
the hearth. My grandfather stepped
upon 1t, seized one of the bronze
sconces above the mantel and gave it
sharp turn. At the same moment,
Bates. upon another chair, grasped the
companion bronze and wrenched it
sharply. Instantly some mechanism
creaked in the great oak chimney
breast and the long oak panels swung
open, disclosing steel door with
combination knob.
Gentlemen" and my grandfather
turned with a quaint touch of humor,
and merry twinkle in his bright old
gentlemen, behold the treas
ury! 1t has proved better hiding
place than ever imagined it would.
There's not much here, Jack, but
~enough to keep you going for while"
We were all staring, and the old
gentleman was unfeignedly enjoying
our mystification. It was an hour on
which he had evidently counted much;
1t was the triumph of his resurrection
, and homecoming, and he chuckled as
he twirled the knob in the steel door.
Then Bates stepped forward and
helped him pull the door open, disclos-
ing a narrow steel chest, upright and
held in place by heavy bolts clamped
into the chimney. It was filled with
packets of papers tied neatly with
tape
Jack" said my grandfather. shak-
ing his head, you wouldn't be an
architect, and you're not much of an
engineer, either, or you'd have seen
that that paneling was heavier than
was necessary. There's 100000 in.
nd
them there just before went to Yer.
mont to die"
I've sounded those panels dozen
times" protested.
"Of course you have,' said my
grandfather, "but solid steel behind
wood is safe. tested 1t carefully be.
fore left"
He laughed and raped the floor
with his staff, and laughed with him.
But you found the Door of Bewilder-
ment and chickering's notes, and that's
something"
"No; didn't even find that. Dono-
van deserves the credit. But how did
you ever come to build that tunnel, II
you don't mind telling me?"
He laughed gleefully.
THAT was originally trench for
natural gas pipes. There was once
large pumping station on the site of
this house, with big trunk main run
ming off across country to supply the
towns west of here The gas was ex.
hausted, and the pipes were taken up
before l began to build. I should
never have thought of that tunnel in
the world If the trench hadn't suggest
ed it. I merely deepened and widened
1t little and plastered it with cheap
cement as far as the chapel; and that
little room there where I put Picker
lngs notes had once been the cellar
of house built for the superintend.
ent of the gas plant. never had any
idea that should use that passage as
. means of getting into my own house,
but Marian met me at the station, told
me that there was trouble here, and
came with me through the chapel into
the cellar, and through the hidden
stairway that winds around the chin
sney from that room where we keep the
candle-sticks."
But who was the ghost?" demand.
Cd, "if you were really alive and in
Egypt?"
Bates laughed now.
"Oh, 1 was the ghost! went
through there occasionally to stimu-
late your curiosity about the house.
And you nearly caught me once!"
Zone thing more, if we're not wear
ing you out-I'd like to know whether
Sister Theresa owes you any money"
My grandfather turned upon Picker
ing with blazing eyes.
"You scoundrel, you Internal scoun-
drel, Sister Theresa never borrowed
cent of me in her life! And you have
made war on that woman"
His rage choked him.
He told Bates to close the door of
the steel chest. and then turned to
me-
where are those notes of Picker
ing's?" he demanded; and I brought