The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-02-21
MIR. Haddon. II is hard 10 believe

Sulu ! TOlpNo WIN contempt ou say
your brother is in that room May
SEQ him."
She led the way to the oratory IN
silence The door closed gently be.
hind them. Madame dc WARMER and
were alone.
Il hope you are satisfied. monsieur.
with your adventure in this Castle OF
Happiness" she said with n hysterlcal
sob.
Il am waiting for the climax" | an
swered significantly rs it to be
comedy or a tragedy"
"Ob. Cod" she raised her clenched
hands in gesture full of anguish. "it
is / who am asking that"
why did you look at me in that
manner. You wish to tell me some
thing-to warn me
THE death-mask-" she whispered.
Her emotion suffocated her Why
should DR.. Starva have imprisoned us
here. unless"
looked at her stupef1ed.
But Prince Ferdinand is not here
at the chateau"
Her self-control vanished utterly.
She clung to me In her despair.
Save him! Save hlm."
Put Ferdinand is not at the cha
teau" ] repeated.
Last nieht-ln the music room
that death-mask," She spoke incohcr.
emily. but her meaning was too clear.
You knew that he was coming
here"
When you told me OF the death
mask, when | saw the rage OF DR..
Starva-I realized his danger Yes.
he was coming here-to.night But
telegraphed him that at all costs he
must not come. But II DR.. Starva by
some means intercepted that tele-
gram"
who sent it?' I questioned anx-
iously.
Jacques"
Then your prince Is doomed 1t
WAS Jacques who betrayed to me your
presence here. I thought IL was be-
cause / bribed him sufficiently well.
BE sure OF this. he is Starva's crea.
ture"
Heavens. how you torture me- But
If this is true. why did he allow Sir
MoTtimer's sister to come to me? He
must have known that you sent for
her"
with ourselves she would be safe
" out OF tho way, DR. Starva Is moro
ingenious than | have given him the
Of NT0
rats In a trap
''But you must save HIM"
Impossible"
Listen; It is not impossible There
is ladder-not on this side, but be
meath the window Of the oratory."
Her eyes glittered In the semi dark
ness. She placed a nngor on my lips.
| had cried out in my surprise.
"A ladder OF hundred feet or more!
And 1t stands against the wall of the
tower" / exclaimed incredulously
Besides, II it were there, Captain
Forbes must have seen II"
This ladder, call 1t so for want Of
better name, Is made OF great stones
half as long as ones forearm that
project from the smooth masonry at
intervals Of a foot The chateau is
old. very old. In feudal times. with
stout rope, one might escape from
the tower. But it is impossiblel We
have no rope" She wrung her hands.
But if this ladder of stones reaches
from roof to terrace. II would be sim
pie enough without a rope The
stones arc built out at regular inter.
walls? How far are they apart?
At intervals of foot. they reach In
straight line for 100 feet But tho
chateau is $50 feet high These stones
begin at the roof, No one could drop
that SO feet to the marble terrace be-
low and live. Yes; we are caught like
rats In a trap"
Fifty feet 1t would mean broken
limb. II not certain death But II
rope could be knotted Of our clothing
for half that distance,"
] went into the room through whose
window the ilg's messenger had
made his untimcly entrance. / leaned
far out OF the window. shuddering. ]
was resolved to make the descent my
self. Twice l had proved mysolf
coward. This was to be my chance
unless Forbes should stubbornly re
fuse to believe in the existence OF
Ferdinand's danger
The moon was rising: IL shed an un
earthly light on tho pale face of Ma
dame de Varnser as she looked up at
me anXiouSly. Tho wind came in ut
full gusts,
Suddenly there sounded a muffied re-
port At first thought 1t thunder In
the 1ar-aWay mountains. But as | lis
tened lntently the mysterious sound
was repeated again and again, though
more and more feebly And It came
from above
DO you hear it, that strange. muf-
fled clap?" | asked of Madame de Var
nier
She took my place at the open win
dow For some moments she heard
nothing Then, strangely enough,
though the wind was blowing almost
gale. 1t sounded distinctly
1T is a flag on the high flagstaff OF
the central tower she said presently.
But who can have given orders that
1t be raised7"
That is a matter of indifference"
said 1oyfully An ensign so large as
mat requires fairly substantial cord,
III we can get that cord and plat 1t
"here is 1t fastened? Surely at one
of these windows?7
No. she said anxiously 1T is DR..
Starya who has raised that flag. But