Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-07-26

by contrast. The lightning ceased,
and there hung the billowy cloud, sill,
yer white and drab on a base of dark.
ness. as before. The. air had grown
chill as with frost, and still the clouds
were far above them The bite Of the
propellers on the air seemed to fail,
for the cloud masses no longer appear
ed to fall as when the aeronef was ris-
ing.
I'VE can't make 1t" said Carson.
"Don't tryl" exclaimed Craighead.
"It's effrontery"'
Changing lever or so. Carson drove
straight toward the bosom Of the
cloud.
Carson sat with his hand on his
levers, pale as If dead; Craighead
c1utched a hand rail, his eyes turned
aloft as If In invocation. A more re-
mote dash and darkness returned, but
not so densely. The space before them
grew softly light, and In q moment
they swan into the moonlight.
Through an Unreasonable chamber Of
| cloud darted the aeronef into second
smother Of rain and mist and out on
a lower level into the calm space be-
hind the storm. From this region Of
shadow they emerged into the moon
light again and began their search for
signs of human habitaton. Finally,
just as Theodore was at the point Of
retreat, both at once saw what neither
doubted was Shayne's Hold.
The hold was on the triple peak of one
~ <1,o
Of the Catskills, rising steep as wall,
hundreds of feet in the air, to three
submits. in the midst of which stood
the mansion. The huge buildings had
been built, the animals had been intro
duced, the last luxury had been sup
piled, and Shayne's Hold had been
sealed up. Down from the mountain
flowed three streams, up which had
run the precipitous roads to the top,
the hold to those who had no way OF
navigating the air Mr.. Shayne had
built across them immense dams, using
materials blasted from the mountain
sides at such places as to render them
quite unscalabie. The steepened preci-
pices thus carried across the ravines
I'm masonry made q lofty wall entirely
around the mountain.
Every effect that could be produced
by lights, white and colored. the cleo
trician-artists had worked out for the
illumination of this enchanted palace
hung on cliffs. Overlooking the region,
as its owner overlooked his fellows,
the hold was place of mystery, hold
ing no neighborship with the people
below. It was real Laputa, an island
in the air, and those only could reach
it who could fly.
About the peak ran a labyrinth Of
bride paths and carriage roads, all
outlined from above by winding lines
Of lights, like the route of an army Of
bewildered g1owworms. Hidden by q
spur Of cliff was the immense airship
garage.
The lightning had disabled its light
ing system for the most part, and tho
hold had gone dark. Carson had
made two or three reconnoissances
over the very spot, but had not sus-
pected its presence, for the sky was
clouded and the luster Of the pools too
feeble to reach his eyes, so that the
sudden outfash of the myriad lights
when the currents were restored came
to both men with astonishing unex-
pectedness.
The hold had blossomed suddenly in
fire. The lakes edged with lights glin-
mered like mirrors; the clustered arc
lights deltmfted the high mesa like a
map; the winding labyrinth Of incan-
descents netted the peaks like glowing
Lilliputian threads about the recum-
bent CULVER, and in the midst stood
great roomy colunned mansion. its
wings in shade. its central court
agleam, the radiant heart of an elab-
crate splendor. Carson drew in his
breath sharply.
my Godp' said he. "Who could
ever think of such a thing"
Craighead was silent.
But he must see Virginia. Utterly
estranged as they were, this night voy-
age had reason-the hope OF seeing
her. Of asking her forgiveness, of
bringing her to see that when she
dropped from the sky to his feet he
had loved her: that when she had
come to live with that uncle Of whom
she had heard 80 little and had found
the last Carson in him the temptation
was so masked In duty that it was too
strong for him. And had he ever once
in that delicious. perilous time Of act
ing Uncle Theodore inexcusably pre-
sumed on the relationship or failed in
goodness? True. he had let her stay
as his niece. but had not his father al
ways thought himself Of the same
blood2 Virginia must allow some
weight to this tradition. She must see
that, while too remotely related to be
Objectionable in a nearer, dearer way,
he was too probably Of kin to have
turned her away. And he would land
In Shay1e's Hold II It were the last act
Of his life.
With the ancient instinct Of the sur
reptidous lever he made for the angle
between two dark wings Of the great
house. Glimmers Of light from two
windows were their sole sign Of occu-
pancy, the center Of human concouTse
being about that core Of light in the
court. Tho wings seemed like low adj
1uncts for conservatories or billiard
rooms, ana the angle between, with tts
h9ht motflines. looked like a flower
sprinkled lawn on which Carson felt
40 - H.