Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-12
THE CAR OF DESTINY

= 49,
pronouncing it an extremely interesting place.
h Lady Monica and Pillar refused to enter the
dingy place; and so, after Dicks visit, it was
Tiny turn.
| Pushing in one shoulder at a time, l squirmed
| through the aperture; In so doing, however,
l contrived to'trip over Carmona's foot, whichs
| must. have been thrust forward, staggered
AGAINST the opposite wall of the narrow cell,
i and lost both my lighted vestas. Carmona
Exclaimed | stumbled, and almost sin,uftape-'
ously the door slid into place with sharp chick.
There was not space to fall at length. 1
merely lost my balance, and saved my head
| from bump by shielding it with raised arm.
l steadled myself IN second or two; but l
was in black darkness. Outside could hear
confused murrnur of voices, and would have
| given something to know what Dick was sayingo
at the moment
l was thinking that should not like to be
a prisoner in this hole (only large enough for
| the swing of Philips scourge) for many hours
on end, when there came an imperative tap
ping. Holloa" / answered, expecting to
hear Dick speak in return; but it was Car
mona's voice which replied Evidently he
was speaking with his mouth close to the
secret door.
Il am very sorry for this accident" said he
| distinctly. when you stumbled you knocked
my arm, and made me touch the spring. I'm
i, fortunately, the door closed with such acrash
Pthar the spfing seems out of eeaer. ,aad
| l cant move it. But if YOU will be patient
L
understands the thing, to bail you out of jail. "
| If had been Lieutenant Cristoval O Donnel,
| | should have heard no more in the riming
| junction of these words jail and "bail"
than met the ear; but being the man was
the man he suspected me to bel did hear
more; and | believed that he wished me to
catch double meaning :,
|. Does he mean to hand me over to the
police now, on suspicion," | wondered in my
black cell.-"b before Monica's eyes?" But
aloud l said Thanks Don't be too long, or
| shall be tempted to smash the door,
You will find that impossible" answered
| Carmona. Don't worry if / seem to be gone
| an age. There is only one man on duty to-day
| for him when We came, but his comrade said
/ he was away on leave till four o'clocks II
must be that now, and I'll have him here as
1 soon as possible. He will be the more pleased
to set you free. as he is old friend of yours.
Il You remember little Rafael Calmenare?"
Il | was silent, seeing, as if by the glare of
i lightning. the whole design of the trap, and
seeming to see also the triumph which must
be in Carmona's eyes. But the pause had not
Heightened to second, when heard Pillars
voice, speaking also close to the door.
II "Of course, you remember, Cristoval-Rafael
Calmenare of the Dukes stock farm. But
! it's long time since he went away"
After he was gored by Nero and lost his
i court got him a place here, heard Carniona
say. Then, raising his voice for my ears, he
/ went on, Poor Rafael will be pleased to see
/ You again. You must have played with him
/ when boy. I'm off to find him now"
/ Silence followed these last words. L could
/ picture the CONSERVATION of Dick and Pillar.
Neither could do anything to help me- nor
could help myself / could only wait in this
suffocating black hole for the moment when
stranger should give me light, and exclaim,
| This is not Don Cristoval!"
| Almost | admired Carmona for his quick
wit. After few moments of rage, at sight
of the suspected man of Burgos cathedral on
| his track in the red motor car, the thought of
the Escorial and his old servant must have
| sprung into his mind
| Had Calmenare been available at first, Car
mona would have been spared the trouble of
shutting me up in Philip the Bigot's torture
| chamber; but hard pressed for an excuse to
keep us at the Escorial till his man came back,
he had put me where l could be kept while
needed. And now that he was gone in search
| of Rafael, we three loyal comrades could not
| discuss the situation, because of Lady Vale
| Avon's presence.
| A brilliant stroke of Carmona's to have me
| betrayed by another than himself, SO that
Monica might not bear him grudge! Who
was this person masquerading as an officer of
the Spanish army? would be the first question
of the police. And the answer need not be
4 long in coming. The Duke had reason to
! congratulate himself. l had been fool to
/ drop like fy into his net and now that