Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-06-06
CHAPTER VII.
The Man on the Wall,

was so thoroughly angry with my
self that after idling along the shores
for an hour lost my way in the dark
wood when landed md brought UP at
the rear door used by Bates for com
municatiOn with the villagers who sup.
piled us with provender | readily
found my way TO the kitchen and to q
,Aight of stairs beyond, which connect
ed the fret and second floors. I stun
Oiled UP the unfamiliar wey in the dark,
with, l fear. malediction upon my
grandfather who had built and left In
oomplete house 30 utterly prepos.
ferrous. My objectionable fling at the
,Girl still ranked and ] was cold from
the quick descent OF the night chill on
the water and anxious TO get into some
comfortable clothes. Once on the sac.
ond floor was sure Of the location of
tfny room, and ~as feeling my way
toward It over the rough floor when
hesrd low voices rising apparently
from my sittinsxoom.
II was pitch dark In the hall !
stopped short and listened The door
of my room was open and a faint light
flashed once into the hall and disap.
peared. / heard now sound as of
hammer tapping upon woodwork.
Then It ceased, and voice whis.
pered:
He'll kill me II he finds me here.
I'll try again tomorrow. l swear to
God I'll help you, but no more now"
Then the sound Of a scuffle and
again the tapping OF the hammer.
After several minutes more of this
there was whispered dialogue which
! could not hear.
Whatever was occurring two or
three points struck me on the instant.
One Of tho conspirators was an unwill-
ing party to an act as yet unknown;
second, they had been unsuccessful
and must wait for another opportu-
nifty; and third. the business, whatever
It was. was clearly of some Importance
10 myself, as my own apartments in
my grandfather's strange house had
been chosen for the investigation.
Clearly I was not prepared to close
the incident but the idea OF frighten-
ing my visitors appealed to my sense
of humor. | tiptoed to the front stair
way. ran lightly down, found the front
door, and, from the inside, opened and
slammed It. ! heard instantly a hur-
ried scamper above, and the heavy fall
of one who had stumbled in the dark.
! grinned with real pleasure at the
sound Of the mishap, fastened to the
great library, which was as dark as
well. and. opening one Of the long win
uto ba Lc1o
once from the rear of the house came
the sound Of a stealthy step, which
increased to run at the ravine bridge
! listened to the fight of the fugitive
through the wood until the sounds died
away toward the lake.
Then, turning 10 the library window
/ saw Bates. with a candle held above
his head, peering about
Hello Bates" | called cheerfully
81 Just got home and stepped out to
see If the moon had risen. | don't
believe l know where to look for It in
this country"
He began lighting the tapers with
his usual deliberation.
IT'S q triie early, think, sir
About eight o'clock, should say, was
the hour, Mr.. Glenarm."
There was, of course, no doubt what
ever that Bates had been one Of the
men ! heard in my room. 1t was
wholly possible that he had been COM
PEELED to assist IN some lawless act
against his will; but why, If he had
been forced into aiding a criminal
should he not invoke my own aid to
protect himself" | kicked the logs
In the fireplace impatiently at my I'M
certainty, The man slowly lighted
the many candles in the great apart
ment He was certainly a deep one,
and his case grew more puzzling as
studied II In relation to the rife shot
OF the night before, his collision with
Morgan In the wood which | had wit
messed; and now the house itself had
been invaded by some one with his
connivance. The rife shot might have
been innocent enough; but taken in
connection with these other matters
1t could hardly be brushed aside.
Bates lighted me to the stairway,
and said as l passed him:
There's baked ham for dinner.
should call 1t extra delicate, Mr.. Glen.
arm. suppose there's no change in
the dinner hour. sir?"
Certainly net" l said with asperity;
for ] am not person TO inaugurats q
dinner hour one day and change it the
next. Bates wished TO make CONVEX.
sation-the sure sign Of q guilty con.
science In a servant-and I was not
disposed to encourage him.
l closed the doors carefully and be-
gan a thorough examination of both
the sitting-room and the little bed
chamber. | was quite sure that my
own effects could not have attracted
the two men who had taken advantage
of my absence to visit my quarters
Bates had helped unpack my trunk
and undoubtedly knew every item OF
my simple wardrobe. | threw open
the doors of my three closets and
found them all in the good order
established by Bates. He had carried
my trunks and bags to a store-room
SO that everything / owned must have
passed under his eye My money
even, the remnant of my fortune tina,
had drawn from the New York bank
nj In, H.