Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-04
CHAPTER XXI.
A ProWlcr of the Nidht,

{ Down we plunged into the cellar,
through the trap and to the Door Of
Bcwiderment
Don't expect too much" admon-
ished Larry; q can't promise you
single Spanish coin"
Perish the ambition. We have
blocked Pickerings game, and nothing
else matters" said.
We cravled through the hole In the
wall and lighted candles. Tho room
was about seven feet square. At the
farther end was an oblong wooden
door, close to tho ceiling, and Larry
tugged at the fastening until 1t came
down bringing with IL mass Of snow
and leaves.
Gentlemen" he said. I'VE are at the
edge of the ravine. Do you see the
blue sky? And yonder, If you will
twist your necks bit, is the boat
house"
We'll, let the scenic effects go and
show us where you found those pa
pers," l urged.
Speaking OF mysteries, that is
where throw UP my hands. lads. It's !
quickly told. Hero Is table, and |
here is an old despatch box, which lies /
just where / found It. 1t 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. found this
piece Of paper under the tape with
which the envelope was tied, and |
don't hesitate to say that when I read
1t laughed until I thought I should
shake down the cellar. Read it, John
Genar1n!"
He handed me a fragment of legal.
. cap paper on which was written in the
unmistakable handwriting Of John
Marshall Glenarm, these words:
FILE LAUGHS BEST WHO LAUGHS
LAST.
What do you think is so funny In
this?" l demanded.
Who wrote It, do you think" asked
Stoddard.
who wrote it. do you ask? Why
Jacks grandfather wrote it! John
Marshall Glenarm. the cleverest,
grandest old man that ever lived, wrote
IT." detained Larry, his voice boom.
ing loudly in the room. IT'S ell a
great big game, fixed up to try you and
Pickering.-but principally you, you
blockheSd! Oh It's grand, perfectly,
deliciously grand,-and to think II
should be my good luck to share in
it,"
"Humph' I'm glad you're amused,
but it doesn't strike me as being so
awfully funny. Suppose those had
fallen into Pickering's hands; then
where would the joke have been,
should like to know"
"On you. my lad, to be sure, The
old gentleman wanted you to study
architecture; he wanted you to study
hrs house; he even left little pointer
in an old book Oh. it's too good to be
truel"
That's all clear enough" observed
Stoddard, knocking upon the despatcr
box with his knuckles. Put why
you suppose he dug this hole here wit
ITS outlet on the ravino?"
ooh, 1t was the way of him." ex-
planned Larry. He liked the idea Of
queer corners and underground pas
sages This Is a bully hiding place
for man or treasure. and that outlet
into the ravne 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 find US with plenty
Of business on hands. At present we
hold the fort, and let US have care
lest we lose it.
We closed the ravine door, restored
the wall as best we could. and re
turned to the library. We made list
of the Pickering notes and spent an
hour discussing this new feature OF
the situation and specializing as to the
hiding place Of the remainder OF my
grandfather's fortune. Larry anC
Stoddard both declared their intention
of remaining until my troubles were
ended In spite of my protests. Stod
sdard stayed for dinner. and afterwarc
we began again our eternal quest TO-
the treasure, our hopes high from
lI4arry's lucky strike Of the afternoon
and with now eagerness born OF thu
knowledge that the morrow would Ger
tainly bring us face to face with tn,
real crises. We ranged the house from
tower to cellar; we overhauled thu
tunnel, for, it seemed to mo- the hun
dredth time.
It was my watch, and at midnight
after Stoddard and Larry had recon
noitered the grounds and Bates and
had made sure Of all the interior fas
Jennings, | sent them off to bed an
made myself comfortable with a pip
in the library.
/ was glad Of the respite, glad to b
,alope,--to consider my talk with Ma
rian Devereux at St. Agatha's, and he
return with Pickering. Why could sh
not always have been Olivia, rangin
the woodland, or the girl In gray, @
that woman, SO sweet in her dignit!
who came down the stairs at the Arm
strongs'? Her own attitude towar
me was so full of contradictions: sh
mad appeared 10 me in 80 many mood
and guises, that my spirit ranged tn
whole gamut Of feeling as | thought {
her. But it was the recollection {
chickering's Infamous conduct that co
rrad all NV doubtG pP her pickerip