Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-03-02

then AGAIN Qu5SAtOH lily 1ulSiuEHt
and don't give you credit for being
muca more than doddeFing fool"
He vas standing under ladder be-
meath The great crystal chandelier and
looked down upon me with that pa
tient inquiry that Is 50 appealing in a
dog-in, say. the eyes Of an Irish set
ter when you accidentally step on his
tail
Yes, Mr.. Glenarm. he replied hum.
bly,.
Now, ! want you TO grasp this idea
that I'm going to dig into this old shell
top and bottom, I'm going to blow it
up with dynamite, If / please; and II
y catch you spying on me or reporting
my doings to my enemies. or engaging
in any questionable performances
whatever, I'll hang you between tho
posts out there in the school Waldo
you understand $50 that the sweet
Sisters Of St Agatha and the dear lit
tie school girls and the chaplain and
all the rest will shudder through ali
their lives at the very thought of you,
Certainly. Mr., Glenarm, and his
tone was the same h. would have used
II / had asked him to pass me the
matches, and under my breath con,
signed him to the hardest tortures OF
the fiery pit.
Now, as to Morgan"
Yes, sir"
What possible business do you sup
pose he has with Mr.. Pickering?" l de-
mandea.
Why, sir that's clear enough. Mr.
Pickering owns a house up the lake,
he got it through your grandfather
Morgan has the care of it, sir"
Very plausible, indeed."-and |
sent him off to his work
After luncheon | went to the end of
the corridor, and began to sound the
walls. They were as solid as rock,
and responded DULY to the strokes OF
the hammer. | sounded them on both
sides, retracing my steps to the stair
way, becoming more and more impa-
tient at my ill-lucil or stupidity. There
was every reason why | should know
my own house, and yet stranger and
an outlaw ran through it with amazing
daring
After an hours idle search l re-
turned to the end of the corridor re-
peated all my previous soundings, and,
| fear. INDUCED in language unbecom-
ing a gentleman. Then. in my blind
anger, found what patient search had
not disclosed
| threw the hammer from me in a
fit of temper and it struck one of the
square blocks in the cement floor
which gave forth hollow sound. /
was on my knees in an instant. my
fingers searching the cracks, and draw
ing down close | could feel current
of air, slight but unmistakable against
my face.
The cement square, though exactly
like the others in the cellar floor, was
evidently only an imitation with an
opening beneath.
- The block was fitted into its place
with nicely that certified to the skill
of the hand that had adjusted 1t. |
broke blade of my pocket-knife try
ing to pry it up, but, in moment, l
succeeded and found it to be in reality
a trap door, hinged to the substantial
part of the floor.
A current of cool. fresh air, the
same that had surprised me in the
night, struck my face as lay fat and
peered into the opening. The lower
passage was as black as pitch, and
lighted a lantern | had brought with
me, found that wooden steps gave safe
conduct below and went down.
I stood erect in the passage and had
several inches to spare. 1t extended
both ways, running back under the
foundations of the house, and cut
squarely under the park before the
house and toward the school wall. The
air grew steadily fresher, until, after
| had gone about two hundred yards,
reached point where the wind seemed
to beat down on me from above. put
up my hands and found two openings
about three yards apart, through which
the air sucked steadily. | moved out
of the current with a chuckle in my
throat and a grin on my face. | had
passed under the gate in the school
wall, and | knew now why the piers
that held It had been built so high
they were hollow and were the means
OF sending fresh air into the tunnel.
When | had travelled about twenty
yards more felt a slight vibration ac'
companied by muffled roar, and al
most Immediately came 70 rough
wooden stair that marked the end OF
the passage / had no means of judg-
ing directions, but | assumed that
was we'll within the school park.
| climbed the steps and in moment
stood blinking, my lantern in hand, in
a small, fioored room. Overhead the
tumult and thunder of an organ ex
planned the tremor and roar | had
heard below. ] was IN the crypt OF st.
Agatha's chapel. The inside of the
door by which l had entered was a
part of the wainscoting of the ROOM
and the opening was wholly covered
NTH q mon of tho Holy Land