The Delta independent., 1907-06-14
IOpyTi. ut iso5 by BOUbs-Nerri!I 20.
CHAPTER x.
An Affair With the caretaker.

fort of the great room. Bates brought
in some sandwiches and a bottle of
ale at midnight.
''If there's nothing more, sir"
THAT is all. Oates" And he went
off sedately to his own quarters.
was restless and in no mood for
bed, and mourned the lack of variety
in my grandfather's library. | 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 | sprawled on the
floor like boy with a 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 I found a sheet
of white note paper no large than
my hand, a forgotten book mark. | as
sumed. and half crumpled it in my fin
gers before ! noticed the lines of
pencil sketch on one side Of it. ! car
ried it 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 a ruler. With
such trifies my grandfather had no
doubt amused himself There was
long corridor indicated. but of this
could make nothing. studied ii for
several minutes. thinking it might
hay lot tch of
part of the house. In turning it about
under the candelabrum | saw that In
several places the glaze had been
rubbed from the paper by an eraser,
and this piqued my curiosity.
brought a magnifying glass to bear
upon the sketch. The drawing had
been made with a hard pencil and the
eraser had removed the lead, but
well defined imprint remained.
l was able to make out the letters,
N. W. y to Ca reference clearly
enough to points of the compass and
a distance The word ravine was
scrawled over rough outline OF a
doorway or opening Of some sort, and
then the phrase:
THE DOOR OF BEWIDERMENT.
Now ! am rather an imaginative
person: that Is why engineering cap
tured my fancy. 1t was his efforts
to make an architect Ia person who
quarrels with women about their
kitchen sinks!D OF boy who wanted
to be an engineer that caused me to
break with my grandfather. Fate was
L,,y ,,.tt No.. that f,rh. Co.
instead of lighting my pipe with the
little sketch ! was strangely impelled
to study IL seriously.
| drew for myself rough outlines OF
the interior OF Glcnarm House as 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. Ny 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 candle
and went below. One o'clock in the
morning Ia 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. / 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
of from 1t. These figures / entered in
my notebook for further use. and Eat
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 I saw no
solution OF my problem. ! was losing
sleep for nothing; my grandfathcr'g
sketch was meaningless, and I rose
and picked up my candle yawning.
Then curious thing happened. The
candle, whose thin flame had risen un.
waVeringly, sputtered and went ont an
a sudden gust swept the corridor.
/ had left nothing open behind me
but some one had gained ingress to
the cellar by an opening of which !
knew nothing.
l faced the stairway that led up to
the back hall of the house when. 10
my astonishment, steps sounded be.
hind me, and, turning. saw man
carrying lantern coming toward me.
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 BANNER.
Here, undoubtedly. was my friend
MsTgan-again! There was the same
pe.todicity in the beat on the wall
ths: had heard In my own rooms