The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-03-14

where we We're going. Sometimes the
rattle of the stones told of a paved
causeway, and at others our smooth.
silent course suggested asphalt; but,
save by this variation in sound. there
was nothing at all which could in the
remoLest a help me to form a guess
as to where we were. The paper over
each window was impenetrable to light,
and a blue curtain was drawn across
the glass work in front. 1t was q
quarter past Z when we LETT Pail Mall
and my watch showed me that it was
ten minutes to 0 when we at last came
to a standstill. My companion let
down the window and I caught a
glimpse of a low, arched doorway With
a lamp burning above 1t. As / was
hurried from the carriage it swung
open, and | found myself inside the
house. with a vague impression of q
lawn and trees on each side of me as I
entered. Whether these were private
grounds, however. or bona-fide country
was more than I could possibly VEN
ture to say.
There was a colored gas lamp inside
which was turned SO low that / could
see little save that the hall was Of
some size n hung with pictures. In
the dim light l could make out thai
the person who had opened the door
was a small. mean-looking. middle-
aged man with rounded shoulders. AS
he turned towards us the CLINT of the
light showed me that he was wearing
glasses.
lis this Mr.. Melas. Harold? said he.
Yes
"'Well done. we'll done, No ill-will,
MIR. Melas, l hope, but we could not
get on without you. II you deal fair
with us you'll not regret it. but if you
try any tricks. God help you!' He
spoke in a nervous, jerky fashion. and
with little giggling laughs in between.
but somehow he impressed me with
fear more than the other. What do
you want with me?' / asked.
"tOnly to ask a few questions of q
Greek gentleman who is visiting us.
and to let us rave the answers But
say no more than you are told to say,
or here came the nervous giggie
~again-'you la better never been
born
A he spoke he opened a door and
showed the way into a room which
appeared to be very richly furnished,
but again the only light was afforded
by a single lamp half turned down.
The chamber was certainly large, and
the way in which my feet sank into
the carpet as 1 stepped across it told
me of its richness. l caught glimpses
of velvet chairs, a high white marble
mantelpiece, and what seemed to be q
suit of Japanese armor at one side of
it. There was a chair just under the
lamp. and the elderly man motioned
that l should sit in it. The younger
had left us. but he suddenly returned
! tbt.oiinI u, annthar ,Ioa- IaaAfrer xr;4, l-s..~
a gentleman clad in some sort of loose
dressing-gown who moved slowly
towards us. AS he came into the cir
Gle of dim light which enabled me to
see him more clearly l was thrilled
with horror at his appearances. He
was deadly pale m terribly emaciated,
with the protruding, brilliant eyes of a
man whose spirit was greater han his
strength. But what shocked me more
than any signs of physical weakness
was that his face was grotesquely crisis
crossed with sticking-plaster, and that
one large pad of 1t was fastened over
his mouth.
Have you the slate, Harold? cried
the older man, as this strange being
fell rather thar sat down into a chair.
Are his and loose? Now, then. give
him the pencil. You are to ask the
questions, Mr.. Melas, and he will write
the answers. Ask him first of all
whether he is prepared to sign the
papers?'
1.-THE mans eyes flashed fire. 'Never!'
he wrote in Greek upon the slate.
Ion no conditions?' I asked, at the
bidding of our tyrant.
"'Only if I see her married in my
presence by a Greek priest whom !
know
THE mar giggled In his venonous way
"'You know what awaits you, then2'
81 care nothing for myself
"These are samples of the questions
and which made up our
strange half-spoken. half-written con-
%versation. Again and again i had to
ask him whether he would give in and
sign the documents. Again and again
l had the same indignant reply. But
soon a happy thought came to me.
l took to adding on little sentences of
my own to each question, innocent
ones at first, to test whether either of
our companions knew anything of the
matter, and then. as 1 found that they
showed no sign l played a more IAN
gerous game. Our conversation ran
something like this:
"'You can do no good by this OBJ
stinacy. Who are your
81 care not. l am a stranger in
London
Your fate will be on your own
head. How long have you been 1ere?'
Lei it be so. Three weeks
"'The property can never be yours.
What ails your
1T shall not go to villains. They
are starving me-.
You shall go free if you sign. What
house is this?'
- will never sign. | do not know.
You are not doing her any service
What is your nane?'
"Let me hear her say so. Kratides.'
"'You shall see her if you sign. Where
are you from"
""Then / shall never see her. Athens.
Another five minutes, Mr.. Holmes,
and I should nave wormed out the
whole. story under their very noses.
My very next question might have
cleared the matter up, but at that in
slant the door opened n a woman
stepped into the room ! could not see
her clearly enough to know more han
that she was tall and graceful, with
black hair, and clad in some sort of