, 1908-06-04

sconces above the manteI and gave n
a sharp turn. At the same
Bates, upon another chair. erasped thu
companion bronze and wrenched II
Sharply. Instantly soms mechanism
~creaked In the great oak chimney
breast and he long oak panel SWING
open disclosing q steel door with 4
combination knob.
Gentlemen, "-and my grandfather
turned with a quaint touch of hunor
and a merry twinkle in his bright old
eyes-'gentlemen. behold the treas
ury! 1t has proved a better hiding
place than 1 ever imagined 1t would.
Ihere's not much here. Jack. but
enough to keep you going for a while"
We were all staring, and the old
gentleman was u~nfeignediy ENJOYING
our mystifcation. It was an hour on
which he had evidently counted much;
II was the triumph Of his resurrection
and homecoming. and he chuckled as
he twirled the knob in the steel door.
Then Bates stepped forward and
helped him pull the door open, disclos-
Ing q narrow steel chest. upright and
held In place by heavy bolts clamped
into the chimney. It was filed with
packets OF papers tied neatly with
tape.
Jack" said my grandfather. shak-
Ing his head, you wouldn't be an
architect, and you're not much of an
engineer. either, or you'd have seen
that that paneling was heavier than
was necessary. There's 100000 in
1 HYCf.ratn caatrftt@a Da4.- -.
them there Just before I went to Yer
mont to die"
I've sounded those panels a dozen
times" I protested.
o course you have said my
grandfather, but solid steel behind
wood is safe. l tested it carefully be-
fore I left"
He laughed and raped the floor
with his STAFF, and I laughed with him.
but o found the Door of Bewilder.
nent and chickering's notes. and that's
something"
No; I didn't even find that. Dono-
a deserves the credit. But how did
o ever come to build that tunnel, II
you don't mind telling me?"
He laughed gleefully.
That was originally a trench for
natural gas pipes. There was once a
large pumping station on the site of
this house. with a big trunk main run
ming on across country to supply the
towns west of here. The gas was ex-
hausted, and the pipes we're taken up
before | began to build. ! should
never nave thought of that tunnel In
] the world If tho trnnpb hoIpft g,,1rnst
ed it. ! merely %deepened and widened
it a little and plastered it with cheap
cement as far as the chapel; and that
little room there where | put Picker.
ing's notes had once been the cellar
of a house built for the superintend-
ent of the gas plant, I never had any
idea that | should use that passage as
a means of getting into my own house,
but Marian met me at the station. told
me that there was trouble here, and
came with me through the chapel INTO
the cellar, and through the hidden
stair way that winds around the chin
ney from that room where we keep the
candle-sticks."
But who was the ghost ?" l demand
ed, 'if you were really alive and in
Egypt"
Bates laughed now.
"Oh, l was the ghost! I went
through there occasionally to stimu-
late your curiosity about the house.
And you nearly caught me once!"
"One thing more, If we're not wear
ing you out-I'd like to know whether
Sister Theresa owes you any money"
My grandfather turned upon Picker
ing with blazing eyes.
You scoundrel, you Internal scoun-
drel, Sister Theresa never borrowed a
cent of me in her life, And you have
made war on that woman"
HIS rage choked him.
He told Bates to close the door of
the steel chest, and then turned to
me.
Where are those notes of Picker
ing's?" he demanded, and | brought
the packet.
Gentlemen. Mr.. Pickering has gone
to ugly lengths In this AFFAIR How
many murders have you gentlemen
committed"
I'VE were about to begin actual kill
ing when o arrived" replied Larry,
grinning.
1.-THE sheriff got all his men on the
premises more or less alive, sir said
Bates.
THAT is good. II was an a great
mistake.-a very great mistake: ] had
no idea such things could happen
and my grandfather turned to Picker
ing.
Pickering. what a contemplate
%scoundrel you are' | lent o that
$500, 900 to buy securities to give y0u
better standing in your railroad enter
prises, and the last time ] saw you.
you got me to release the collateral so