The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-11-17
CHAPTER XXXl.-Continued.

The slip had said chimney" II
large as Sunnyside was full of them.
There was an open fireplace in my
dressing room, but none in the bed
room, and as I lay there. looking
around I thought of something that
made ne sit up suddenly The trunk
room, just over my head had an open
fireplace and brick chimney, and
yet there was nothing of the kind in
my room. | got out of bed and eX-
amined the opposite wall closely.
There was apparently no fue, and l
knew there was none in the hall just
beneath. The house was heated by
steam. as | have said before. In the
living room was huge open fireplace,
but it was on the other side.
Why did the trunkroom have both
tdiatOr and an open fireplace?
Architects were not usually erratic.
1t was not IS minutes before l was up
stairs, armed with a tape-measure in
Lieu of a foot-rule, eager to justify Mr.
tamieson's opinion of my intelligence.
and firmly resolved not to tell him of
my suspicion until had more than
theory TO go on. The hole in the
trnnilrOOm wall still yawned there, be-
tween the chimney and the outer wall.
examined it again, with no new re-
suit The space between the brick
wall and the plaster and lath one,
however. had new significance The
hole showed only one side of the chin
ney. and l determined to investigate
what lay in the space on the other
side Of the mantel
I had 4 blister on my palm when
et last the Ratchet went through and
fell with what sounded like the report OF
6 gun 10 my oyeTsrained nerves. l sat
on trunk, waiting to hear Liddy fly
up the stairs, with the household be
hind her. like the tail OF q comet But
nothing happened, and with a growing
feeling of uncanniness | set to work
charging the opening
Tho result was absolutely nil. Wher
I could hold a lighted candle in the
opening | saw precisely what | haC
seen on the other side of the chimney
a srace between the true wall anC
the i]'se one, possibly seven feet long
and about three feet wide 1t was il
no sense Of the word a secret cham
Der. and it was evident it had no
been disturbed since the house wa!
built II was a supreme disappoint
ment
1t had been Mr.. Jamieson's ide;
thai the hidden room, if there wa.
one. would be found somewhere nea,
the circular staircase In fact, | knew
that he had once investigated the en-
tire length of the clothes chute, hang
ing to a rope, with this in view
was reluctantly about to cOncede tina
he had been right, when my eyes fel
on tire mantel and fireplace. The lat
ted had evidently never been used
It was closed with a metal fire front
and only when the from. refused t
move. and investigation showed tina
1t was not intended to be moved, die
my spirits revive.
| buried into the next room. Yes
sure enough, there was a similar man
tel and fireplace there, similarl,
closed. In both rooms the chime,
fue extended well out from the wall
l measured with the tape-line, m,
hands trembling so that coul,
scarcely hold it. They extended tx,
feet and a half into each room. which
with the three feet of space between
the two partitions, made eight feet t,
be accounted for. Eight feet in on,
direction and almost seven in the 9th
er-what chimney it was
But ] had only located the bidder
room. ! was not in It. and no amour
OF pressing on the carving of tn,
wooden mantels, no search of tt,
floors for loose boards. none of tn,
customary methods availed at all
That there was means of entrance
and probably a simple one, l could b,
certain. But what? What would
find if l did get in? Was the detect
I've right. and were the bonds ant
money from the Traders bank there
Or was our whole theory wrong