The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1907-05-09

CHAPTER x.
An Affair With the caretaker.

read in the library until late. hear
ing the howl of the wind outside with
satisfaction in the warmth and COM
tort of the great room Bates brought
3, some sandwiches and a bottle OF
ale at midnight
If there's nothing more, sir"
THAT Is all, Bates" And he went
OF sedately to his own quarters.
was restless and in no mood for
bed. and mourncd 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 70 !es OF large
volumes extra illustrated an water col.
ors of unusual beauty. They occupied
a lower shelf. and | sprawled on the
floor like a boy with a new picture
book in my absorption, piling the
great volumes about me- They we're
on related subjects pertaining TO the
French chateaux
In the last volume I found sheet
of white note paper no larger than
my hand. forgotten book mark. as
sumed. and half crumpled it in my FIN
gers before I noticed the lines OF
pencil sketch on one side of it. / car
lied il to the table and spread II out.
II was not the bit OF idle penciling
II had appeared to be at first sight. A
scale had evidently been followed and
the lines drawn with a ruler. With
such trifes my grandfather had no
doubt amused himself. There was a
long corridor indicated. but of this
could make nothing ! studied it for
several minutes. thinking it might
have been a tentative sketch of some
part of the house In turning IL 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 mad removed the lead, but a
well defined imprint remained.
| was able TO make out the letters.
~ W. z to Ca reference clearly
enough to points OF the compass and
a distance The word ravine was
scrawled ever rough outline of
doorway or opening OF some sort. and
then the phrase:
THE DOOR OF BEWILi ;HRAiENT
Now ! am rather an imaginative
person; that is why engineering cap
tured my fancy. It was his efforts
to make an architect Ia person who
quarrels with women about their
kitchen sinks,) of d boy who wanted
TO be an engineer that caused me to
break with nay grandfather. Fate was
busy with my affairs that night. for.
instead Of lighting my pipe with the
little sketch | was strangely impelled
TO study it seriously
drew for myself rough outlines OF
the interior OF Glenarm House as II
had appeared to me. and then | tried
10 reconcile the little sketch with eY-
cry part OF It.
The Door of Bewllderment" was
the charm that held me My 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 a candle
and went below One O'Clock in the
morning is not the most cheering
hour for exploring the dark recesses
OF a strange house. but I had resolved
to have look at the rayine 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 I carried a tape
line with me and made measurements
of the length aud depth OF the CORR.
dor and Of the chambers that were set
on from IL. These figures entered In
my notebook for further use. and sat
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 | saw no
solution OF my problem. I was losing
sleep for nothing; my grandfather's
sketch was meanlr sless, and rose
and picked up my candle. yawning.
Then curious thing happened. The
candle whose thin fame had risen I'M
waveringiy. sputtered and went out as
a sudden gust swept the corridor.
had left nothing open behind me,
but some enc bad gained ingress to
the cellar by an opening OF which /
knew nothing
| faced the stairway that led up to
the back hall OF the house when. to-
my establishment. steps sounded be-
hind me. and. turning. | saw a man
carrying a lantern coming toward me-
I marked his careless step: he was
undoubtedly on familiar ground As /
watched him ne paused lifted me Ian
tern 20 level With his eyes aud be-
gan sounding The outer corridor wall
with "a hammer.
Here, undoubtedly. was my friend
Morgan--sgalnl There was the same.
periodicity IN the beat on the wall
thai | had heard In my own rooms.
lie 5e-an at the top and went method.