The Detroit times., 1910-04-21
CHAPTER xxxlIi.-tcontInped)I

NFNNF "
He Certainly seems to have left, a
will in your favor Ronald salH
yevasively THAT seems to be Ai"u
OF grateful and loving rememorah''
of you. But al the nour Oh Bray
brookes death, ne certainly aha ho'
expect 10 come into a large sum OF
money. Still. there is the fortune
and there is the Will. and there 10 "a
getting away from II. You are MS
tress now of handsome income "ui'N
makes you independent OF your guar
dian II you will permit me TO AZ
wise you, should suggest getting away
from rtriE- house rs sootf- peSSlb+I-
: Happiness is impossible here
That IS So Allss admitted sadly
) But in he name O. common human
ity / haze TO remain with old susan
Tor the present. Did you hear that!
A long Nailimg cry came from some
where upstairs. then a door was near
TO close and the plaintive noise ceaseu'
THE poor creature has been trou-
/ bed in her mind like that for some
( time now" Ailsa explained i Ieei
I quite sure that when she Was stricken
down she had important papers In her
possession Was she robbed OF theh,
or were they lost? Every now ana
then she Is quite clear IN her mind Tor
few moments. for instance. she
seems TO recognize that she is in i
strange house And then she asks
| for her papers Now. Is IL not just
possible that they may be in the bed
I shorn she lay
Anything seems possible in counec-
rion with next door" Ronald replied.
The spirit OF adventure is upon me,
and cannot rest for the moment
Suppose | go and see?'
AiIsa had not expected response
as prompt as this. and she hesitated
! for a moment. After all there did not
appear 10 be any very great danger
| The house next door was quiet enough
now doubtless everybody there had
gone TO bed long ago
Ronald pulled back the secret door
/ gently and looked into the Doudoir
! beyond. There was nothing but vel
ycty fragrant darkness favored with
! the scent OF cigarettes Not 50 much
as a single ray OF light shone from
anywhere.
IN risk it," Braybrooke whispered.
Il know the way of the house pretty
we'll by this time. You had better go
10 bed and leave me TO my own de-
vices can let myself out OF the
house, and | dare say | shall have an
opportunity OF telling you my adven-
lures in the morning | can revert
back TO my disguise as old Thomas
again now in safety
"All the same,-I should like 10
know" Ailsa said. Il feel so restless
and sleepless. little later on
should like 10 go TO some quiet cottage
ty the sea and sleep there for a whole
week II you only knew how weary
ing all this is 10 the nerves."
The girl looked sad and weary
enough as she spoke. Donald longed
To comfort her, but he had 10 suppress
himself sternly.
"All right" he said. Stay here, II
you like and close the panel behind
me- | don't suppose | shall De more
than Ave minutes at the outside"
| He stepped into the darkness anil
the panel closed behind aim. He was
fairly familiar now with the geography
OF the house, and he had 70 difficulty
IT DUUlHE Ills Way 10 the IOOD Nutt Z
the unfortunate woman had been lying.
He shut the door and lighted match.
Bat, search as he would. he could find
nothing in the way or documents or
papers He began TO give II up pres
emily as the hallucination OF a disor-
dered mind. II was absurd TO stay
there hunting for a thing which
palpably did not exist.
The last match was extinguished,
end the end dropped into Braybrooke's
pocket, and very quietly he stepped
into the corridor again AS he did
so. he heard the sudden click OF an
electric light switch somewhere close
by. and a portion OF the corridor was
flooded with light. A subdued voice.
which. nevertheless. Braybrooke recog-
nized as that OF Lady Altamont, was
heard asking for somebody to follow
her.
we shall be much quleter in the
boudoir." she said Come w"
A furious exclamation rose TO Bray
brookes lips. He was just TOO late
10 enter the boudoir before the mis-
tIess OF the house. and therefore his
retreat into No. 13 was entirely cut
off. There was nothing for 1t but 20
hang about till the conference was
finished Braybrooke wondered who