The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-12-09
CHAPTER xxxI.-continued.

VS. the only clue, and a house a.
large IS Sunnyside was full Of them
There was a open fireplace in my
dressing room. but none In the bed
nom, and as l lay there, looking
around, / thought of something thai
made me sit up suddenly. The trunk
room. just over my head, had an oper
fireplace and a brick chimney, and
yet there was nothing of the kind in
ny room. ! got out Of bed and ex
aInined the opposite wall closely
There was apparently no flue, and
knew there was none In the hall Just
beneath. The house was heated by
steam. d 7 have said before. In the
living room was q huge open fireplace,
mt It was on the other side.
Why did the trunkroom have both
: radiator and an open fireplace?
Architects were not usually erratic.
1tswas not is minutes before l was up
stairs. armed with 4 tape-measure in
Lien Of = foot-rule, eager to justify Mr..
Jamieson's opinion of my intelligence,
and firmly resolved not to tell him OF
~ suspicion until ] had more than
theory to 80 on. The hole in the
trunkroom wall still yawned there, be-
tween the chimney and the outer wall.
! examined 1t again, with no new re-
suit The space between the brick
wall and the plaster and lath one,
however, had Z new significance. The
hole showed only one side of the Chin
ney. and | determined to investigate
what lay In the space on the other
side Of the mantel.
/ had q blister on my palm when
1t last the Ratchet went through and
fell with whats0undedlik the report of
q gun to my overstrained nerves. / sat
On . trunk. waiting to hear Liddy fly
UP the stairs, with the household be-
hind her, like the tail of g comet. But
nothing happened, and with q growing
feeling Of un~canniness l set to work
cnlarging the opening.
The result was absolutely nil. When
4 could hold q lighted candle in the
opening / saw precisely what / had
seen on the other side Of the chimney
- space between the true wall and
the false one, possibly seven feet long
and about three feet wide. It was in
10 q Of the word q secret cham
Der, and 1t was evident 1t had not
been disturbed since the house was
built. It was q supreme disappoint-
ment.
II had been Mr.. JamiesOn's idea
mat the hidden room, If there was
one. would be found somewhere neal
ne circular staircase. In fact, I knew
That he had nee investigated the en-
lire length Of the clothes chute. hang
img to 2 rope, with this In view.
Vas reluctantly about to concede that
he had been right, when my eyes fell
On the mantel and fireplace. The lat
ted had evidently never been used:
4 was closed with q metal Are front,
and only when the front refused to
move, and Investigation showed that
4 was not intended to be moved, did
ny spirits revive.
Ivhurrfed into the next room. Yes
sure enough, there was q similar man.
~ ard fireplace there, similarly
closed. In both rooms the chimney
1uc extended well out from the wall
4 measured with the tape-line, my
hands tfembling So that / could
scarcely hold It. They extended two
leet and 3 half into each room, which
With the three feet OF space between
dc two partitions, made eight feet Il
~ accounted for. Eight feet in one
directions and almost seven In the 9th
er-what q chimney 1t was!
But | had only located the bidder
room. I was not in II. and no amount
~ pressing on the carving OF the
wooden mantels, no search OF the
1cors for loose boards. none Of the
customary methods awaited at all
That there was 4 means of entrance
md probably i simple one. I could be
eer1ain. But what? What would j
- 4 4 did set I'M Was the detect.
w right, and were the bonds ane
mcney from the Traders bank here?
~ Wae or whole theory wrong