The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-05-27
CHAPTER v.-(continued) l..

heard in the galleries beyond, and
with a sigh Of relief she walked into
the center Of the room, stood still for
a moment, and then moved swiftly
through the communicating door into
the bed room. Against one Of the
walls she found a long, thin pole OF
ashwood, headed with a brass crook,
1t was one Of those tall poles which
are used for pulling down very high
windows from a ring in the top Of the
sash, and was certainly eight feet, in
length. What such an apparatus was
doing in her room no n in that du.
cal household would have quite I'M
derstood, had they seen it. The two
windows OF the sitting room, which,
as has been said, looked out into Pic
cadilly, were long French windows,
opening in the center on to a low
stone balcony, while the single tall
window of the bed room was precise
ly of the same pattern. The pole was
n of those which were used for the
tall windows in the back part of the
house, and at first sight 1t could have
no possible use or meaning in Miss
Decies' rooms.
She carried 1t into the sitting room
and then looked upwards towards the
roof. Some four yards from the right
hand window a heavy Venetian lamp
was hanging by chains from a stout
iron hook which had been screwed in
to a beam of the ceiling.
This lamp was a somewhat recent
acquisition in the sitting room. 1t
had been sent to Miss Decies from
manship. The duchess, to whom her
aunt had shown It, had suggested that
the electric wires should be connect
ed with It,; but the old lady had ex-
planned hat 1t was purely decorative
I'm its effect, and she did not intend
to use 1t as a method Of illumination
in a room which was already so we'll
lighted as hers. The duchess, who
had a great eye for effect, had sug-
gested hat the lamp should be hung
in the center of the great room and
not, as 1t was, considerably to the left
of the center line of the ceiling, and,
in this rather odd position, before the
window close to the bedroom door.
Miss Decies had snapped her fingers
at the proposal, saying that she pre-
ferred 1t where she had designed 1t
to be; and the younger woman, with
the sweetness and patience that she
always displayed in dealing with the
elder, had said nothing more, and re-
garded 1t simply a a within of her
somewhat eccentric chaperon.
Miss Decies took the pole, carefully
inserted the crook In the topmost ring
OF the chain, lifted II of the hook In
the ceiling, and, with extraordinary
strength for her years and the most
scrupulous care, balanced 1t for a mo-
ment above her, shortened the pole in
her hands, and gently lowered 1t to
the ground. When the great iron
thing with its panes Of stained glass
rested safely upon the carpet, Miss
Decies carried Il to a distant corner OF
the room. This being done, with swift
deliberate movements, but yet with
wonderful absence Of misdircted haste
or furry, she returned to the bed
room, and presently emerged with a
long, thin coil of rope and a large
pulley Of shining steel. The pulley
was about the size OF a soup plate, and
Its deep groove was lined with india
rubber. From the axle on either side
rose a long, arch-shaped hanger Of
steel crowned with a ring for sus-
pending it, which took the place Of
the ordinary block.
The old lady threaded the thin rope
Of cocoa fibre into the groove OF the
wheel. Then, once more, she brought
the pole into play and lifted the pull
ley high above her, and in a moment
or two had 1t securely hung upon the
hook from which the Venetian lamp
had lately depended.
She pulled at the rope, which ran
easily and noislessly over the wheel,
and then, satisfied with her opera
tions, she once more entered the bed
room.
Once inside, she closed the door with
a curious SILVER of excitement, and
walked up to a huge mahogany ward
robe which stood against the wall by
the bed.
This piece Of furniture was one Of
those vast early Victorian triumphs Of
cabinetmaking which are of great
height, width and solidity. The two
doors on the right and left were
mounted upon heavy mahogany pedes-
tails. The wide center doors rose from
a deep drawer, quite four feet long
and three feet from the floor to the
bottom boards of the wardrobe proper.
Miss Decies knelt down, fumbled at
the gold chain around her neck, and
found another key.
With a little gasp Of excitement she
Inserted the key and drew out the
drawer.
The deep box showed nothing but
an expanse of white tissue paper for
a moment. Then she caught the pa
per in her long, thing fingers, pulled
1t out with a loud crackle which made
her start and gaze round apprehen-
sively. and looked down upon what
lay beneath.
The little dube OF London, In a night
gown OF gray flannel and covered by
. folded dressing gown in the fashion
Of a quilt, lay asleep. with his head
upon q pillow.