The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-21
CHAPTER XIV.
"Like sweet Bells Jans.ee."

"LiICe sweet Bells JangIe%"
When Rosemary recovered from her
first horror OF loneliness after the last
vibration OF the falling trapdoor had died
away. she realized that she must do
something. and that quickly. II she
wanted 20 get out OF that vault-like
place alive. Laura Craven's cruel words
had left her dazed and frightened for
how could Lady Mallaby come to her II
she Were still in her room IN Luck
House? Besides. Laura had said some
thing about Lady Mallaby being mad
with rage against the woman who had
married Stephen Usher, and she Won
dered what it meant-whether the words
had been the haphazard ones OF malice
and hate, or whether they had a sin
lister meaning OF their own.
Presently she lii her little scrap Of
candle and walked along the passage.
glancing nervously from side 10 side in
search Of a break in the monotony OF
gray granite. Suddenly she paused. on
the left-hand side OF the wall the light
or the candle in her hand fell suddenly
upon an iron ring, quite low down, and
looking at hrst sight like a piece Of the
stonework of the wall. She looked at Il
curiously. II reminded her OF that ring
beneath the box that had first led her
20 penetrate further
How odd" she muTmered. wonder
what il Is for 1t Is TOO low for a door
way and too high TO be intended 70 open
another trap"
She knelt down. and. putting the can
die on the ground, carefully examined
the ring and all around H. There was no
possibility OF any treasure" being there.
and yet the moon had poured fun upon
the four boxes by the tower. Had IL been
coincidence, or was there something
really in III She took her handkerchief
and wiped away the dust and little wIsps
OF pale-colored grass that had sprung
up In the dark between the cracks in
the wall
Suddenly she gave a soft little cry OF
amazement Her sensitive fingers had
touched what looked like rough letters
cut very large into the stone. Just above
the ring, and, raising the candle in her
hand, she held i close 10 the wall. Yes:
there. sure enough. were the same two
verses as those in the legend Of Luck
House and in the back Of the miniature.
She put her hand TO her bosom and
drew out the bejeWeled trinket She had
put il on a thin gold chain for safety.
and now, as she glanced at il, she muir
INJURED the well-knOwn lines aloud. paus-
ing 70 gaze at the wall before her 10 read
the copy there.
When Mallaby SHAH ride away
And leave his Luck TO bitter foe,
The secret place viii neer betray
hallasys Luck Of long ago
But If he stay and hold his own.
IL face Of hardship and Of hate,
Then love Of maid shall make atone
And Iut his luck forever straight
1T is just the same" she murmured.
"Oh, how wonderfGl-how wonderful 70
think that I should really have helped
him; that though I can never be anything
to him. I shall know that what he has
lacked all these years and what his
family have searched for through CEN
turtles, | should have found for himl"
She raised the miniature to her lips and
kissed il. Gone were her fears Of the
dark. mysterious underground passage;
gone her terror Of the dark and OF Laura
Craven's cruel, sinister words, for she
was tasting of the greatest joy on earth
the joy of having been able 10 help the
man she loved and bring into his life
greater and fuller possibility OF happi-
ness and prosperity. Not a selfish
thought marred the radiance Of her love
FIR him. He had loved her, and her own
act aided by a hooking fate. had come
between them. She was the wife of the
man who had tried 10 win by fraud what
he could never have by right. and she
was glad that she had gone that day to
that bedside wedding. for had she not
done so she would never have seen the
miniature and never have bought II
away with her in her terrified escape
from the house.
1T was Gods DOING" she murmured.
as she pressed the miniature to her lips
again, He guided me to that place 30
that 7 could help in putting straight a
cruel wrong
Suddenly she glanced down the passage.
ard cry of astonishment rose 10 her
liTs- Laura Craven had spoken the truth
then, for the tall figure in a loose white
wrap was Lady MalIaby. and she glided
more than walked toward the place where
Rosemary was lSneeling. As the girl
watched her she felt a sensation OF fear
gradually stealing over her This was
not Lady Mallaby-the aTistocratic. stern
looking woman she had learned TO like
in spite of her eccentricities, but q
woman with a white twitching face and
wild, haunted eyes, from which the light
of nason seemed to have gone.
AZ she approached Rosemary she
glanced at the miniature in her hand, and
her face quivered with excitement.
"The miniaturei" she cried; "the lam
lily miniaturei Girl, did you steal that
too?"
Rosemary held it out 10 her. Il did
not steal it, Lady Mallaby." she said
gently. Il found it in the house of the
people who had stolen il from Luck
House. -"
A harsh laugh interrupted her. Don't
tell me any more lies. girl, l know you
now. Your disguise has been torn from
you, and all your hypocrisy exposed.
You have dared to enter my house under
false pretenses, everything about You is
false and as the wife Of Stephen Usher
you came here to try to find out the
secret of Luck House"
AS the harsh voice continued its TRADE
rising and falling with conflicting notes
OF rage, Rosemary saw that she had a
far worse danger to face than any other
that had hitherto come to her. In ell
her widest flights OF imagination she
had never imagined such q possibility.