The Irish standard., 1907-03-09

bed, and mourned the lack of variety
in my grandfathers library. I moved
about from shelf to shelf, taking down
one book after another, and while thus
engaged came upon series of large
volumes extra illustrated in water col
ors of unusual beauty. They occupied
a lower shelf, and l sprawled on the
floor like boy with new picture
book in my absorption, piling the
great volumes about me. They were
on related subjects pertaining to the
French chateaux
In the last volume ] found sheet
of white note paper no larger than
my hand, forgotten book mark, as
sumed, and half crumpled it in my fin
gers before noticed the lines of q
pencil sketch on one side Of it. car.
ried 1t to the table and spread it out
1t was not the bit of idle penciling
It had appeared to be at first sight. A
scale had evidently been followed and
the lines drawn with ruler With
such tritles my grandfather had no
doubt amused himself There was a
long corridor indicated, but of this l
could make nothing. studied 1t for
several minutes, thinking it might
have been tentative sketch of some
part of the house. In turning 1t about
under the candelabrum l saw that In
several places the glaze had been
rubbed from the paper by an eraser.
and this piqued my curiosity. I
brought a magnifying glass to bear
upon the sketch. The drawing had
been made with hard pencil and the
eraser had removed the lead, but a
. we'll defined imprint remained.
l was able to make out the letters,
N. w. q to Ca reference, clearly
enough to points of the compass and
distance. The word ravine was
scrawled over q rough outline of a
doorway or opening of some sort, and
then the phrase:
THE DOOR OF REW1LDERM MENT.
Now l am rather an imaginative
person; that is why engineering cap.
tured my fancy. 1t was his efforts
to make an architect "a person who
quarrels with women about their
kitchen sinks!l of a boy who wanted
to be 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 I was strangely impelled
to study it seriously.
drew for myself rough outlines Of
the interior of Glenarm House MS it.
had appeared to me, and then 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. 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 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. I carried a tape.
line with me and made measurements
of the length and depth of the corri
dor and Of the chambers that were set
off from it. These figures I entered in
my notebook for further use. and sat
down on an empty nail keg to reflect
The place was certainly substantial;
the candle at my feet burned steadily
with no hint Of draft; but saw no
solution Of my problem. l was losing