The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-04-03

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The hinges OF the door, Of the old
fashioned type, were on the outside
The screws that kept them in place
. had been loOsened at a previous visit;
with screwdriver Crayton now rap
idly removed them. and the hinges
easily came of.
One side Of the door was now free
OF the post; the other was hanging
by the bolts.
Ready" whispered Crayton, as he
put tool and lantern in his pocket.
The three men leaned their weight
against the door.
PUSH" said Crayton.
With a wrenching, tearing crash
the bolts gave way, and in the food
OF binding light that greeted them
the three leaped down into the base
ment room.
"Police! We're trapped" cried
two masculine voices in an access OF
bewildered fright.
"Yes," replied Crayton, az he
stumbled TO the middle OF the lamp
lighted room. Were the police!
You're caught, I've got a revolver,
and I'll use it If you resist arrest.
! Hands up"
One Of Crayton 5 assistants blocked
| the way to the tunnel; the second
| commanded the door communicating
with the house. Crayton, with his
revolver and his half-blinded eyes,
stood in the middle Of the room, dis
appointed at finding neither Julia's
Aunt Emma nor the lady visitor pres
ent.
Still, on the long, narrow table, lay
abundant evidence Of the bank-note
forgers trade, and Crayton moved
toward the tunnel TO send his assist
ant to call up the local police rein
fOrCements, when-creak! crash,-
a part OF the wall seemed to give
way, and with marvellous alacrity the
two prisoners leaped through the
space one OF them had created in the
wooden partition (cunningly covered
with baize) that divided the base
ment rooms OF the two cottages.
Two short, sharp shrieks from the
adjoining room proved that some one
was awake in the neighboring cot
tage.
After them!" shouted Crayton.
and, leading the pursuit, he tumbled
through the space created by the
shifted panels, and landed, with ig-
nominy and amazement, in the ad-
nj Iua nh IL. I'll
with terror around a small table,
were two men and two elderly ladies.
A glance Of perplexity at Aunt EN-
ma and her guests, and Crayton was
after the forgers, who were making
frantic efforts to force open the locked
door leading from Aunt Emmas base
ment room.
But the lock OF the door was firm,
and the key was in Aunt Emma's
pocket.
ITS no use!" cried Crayton.
You're my prisoners. Hero are the
local police coming. You'd better
give in quietly"
And they did; after which Aunt
Emma looked long and curlously at
Bob Crayton, who, as the realization
OF his error dawned upon him, was
at first inclined to swear, and then
to roar with delight.
The hole down which he had drop
ped was undoubtedly in the garden
Of Rose Cottage; as, certainly, the
tunnel through which he had crawled
had led him to the back entrance OF
Clematis Cottage.
In the darkness OF the passage he
had not discovered that it ran be-
meath the fence that divided the gar
dens.
Miss Young" he said, boldly ap-
preaching his unwilling host, Il have
been fortunate i'm relieving you OF
your neighbors. a couple Of scoun-
drels, as YOU have heard. who are
nothing short Of bank-note forgers.
That must be my apology for thus
intruding myself upon your privacy:
though had not my prisoners made a
cunningly devised dash for liberty
through the partition here I should
not have invaded your room and dis
turbed you FROM"
1t occurred to Cravton that there
was still an unexplained mystery in
the regular meetings OF the four old
persons who faced him, apparently
speechless with apprehension.
Hesitating momentarily in his
apology, his eyes rested upon the lit
tie round table about which Aunt
Emma and her friends were stand.
ing, and with dash OF suspicion,
and a stined chuckle of amusement,
he added. quickly:
II see that l have disturbed you
from your-your spiritualistic expert
ments. Madam. | do assure YOU OF
my sorrow and"
"Hush'" pleaded Aunt Emma.
please don't talk about It, Not for
worlds would we have Il known that
we meet here Toto"
Communicate with the spirits OF
the dead. and"