The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-02-16
CHAPTER xxi.
A Prowler Of the Night.


Down we plunged into the cellar.
through the trap and to the Door Of
Bewilderment.
Don't expect too much" admon-
ished Larry; Il cant promise you
single Spanish coin"
Perish the ambitionl We have
blocked chickering's game, and nothing
else matters" said.
We crawled through the hole in the
wall and lighted candles. The room
was about seven feet square. At the
farther end was an oblong wooden
door, close to the ceiling, and Larry
tugged at the fastening until it came
down, bringing with it a mass of snow
and leaves.
Gentlemen" he said, we are at the
edge Of the ravine Do you see the
blue sky? And yonder, if you Will
twist your necks a bit, is the boat
house"
Well, let the scenic effects go and
show US where you found those pa
pers." urged.
Speaking of mysteries, that is
where l throw up my hands, lads. It's
quickly told. Here is a table, and
here is an old despatch box, which lies
just where I found it, It was closed
and the key was in the lock. took
out that packet-it wasn't even sealed
saw the character of the contents.
and couldn't resist the temptation to
try the effect Of an announcement of
It's discovery on your friend Pickering.
Now that is nearly all I found this
piece of paper under the tape with
which the envelope was tied, and
don't hesitate to say that when read
1t I laughed until I thought I should
shake down the cellar. Read it, John
Glenarm!"
He handed me a fragment OF legal
cap paper on which was written in the
unmistakable handwriting of John
Marshall Glenarm, these words:
he LAUGHS BEST WHO LAUGHS
What do you think is so funny in
this?" I demanded
Who wrote it, do you think" asked
Stoddard.
Who wrote it, do you ask? Why
Jacks grandfather wrote It! John
Marshall Glenarm, the cIeverest,
grandest old man that ever lived, wrote
it." acclaimed Larry, his voice boom
ing loudly in the room. Its all a
great big game fixed up to try you and
Pickering, principally you, you
blockhead! Oh. it's grand, perfectly,
deliciously grand,-and to think it
should be my good luck to share in
it,"
Humphl I'm glad you're amused,
but it doesn't strike me as being so
awfully funny. Suppose those had
fallen into chickering's hands; then
where would the joke have been,
should like to know!"
On you, my lad, to be surei The
old gentleman wanted you to study
architecture; he wanted you to study
his house; he even left little pointer
in an old book! Oh, it's too good to be
truei"
That's all clear enough" observed
Stoddard, knocking upon the despatch
box with his knuckles Put why do
you suppose he dug this hole here with
It's outlet on the ravine?"
Oh. it was the way of himi" ex-
planned Larry He liked the idea of
queer corners and underground pas
sa8es This IS bully hiding place
for man or treasure, and that outlet
into the ravine makes it possible to
get out Of the house with nobody the
wiser It's in keeping with the rest OF
his scheme Be gay. comrades! To
morrow Will likely fad us with plenty
Of business on hands. At present we
hold the fort, and let US have a care
lest we lose 1t.
We closed the ravine door. restored
the wall as best we could, and re-
turned to the library. We made q list
Of the Pickering notes and spent an
hour discussing this new feature OF
the situation and specializing as to tho
hiding place Of the remainder of my
grandfather's fortune. Larry and
Stoddard both declared their intention
of remaining until my troubles vera
ended in spite Of my protests Stod.
dard stayed for dinner, and afterward
We began again our eternal quest for
the treasure, our hopes high from
Larry's lucky strike Of the afternoon.
and with 9 new eagerness born Of the
knowledge that the morrow would GER
tainly bring US face to face with the
real crises. We ranged the house from
tower to cellar; we overhauled the
tunnel, for, it seemed to me, the hun
dredth time.
It was my watch. and at midnight.