The Raymer enterprise., 1911-09-14
Copyright BY ". G. ChApman)

his bed enabled him to pull the latcl
OF the door back, and give admit
lance TO anyone seeking It. and from
the window he could observe who
passed. At nighttime a small reflector
lamp was placed on the window ledge
In such a position that Its light fell
upon anyone entering the passage
either coming In from the street, OF
going out. At the end of the corridor
which was short. flight OF stone
steps turned 10 the right and led up
to another door, which was always
kept on the latch, and could be opened
with latchkey. Natasha. her father
and the old housekeeper each had a
key to this door. which gave access
to the house proper, and on this fiat
was the kitchen. the drawing.room,
Natasha's sitting and bedroom, and
the old woman's bedroom. A story
higher Colonel Anton had his dressing.
room. a library. and sItting.room
and on the upper story OF all was his
observatory.
Several days had passed since the
interview between Paul and Natasha.
upon which Mandt had intruded Not
having heard from his beloved in that
period, Crsoff grew anxious, knowing
that his rival must certainly have re.
ported their meeting to the Colonel.
he resolved to risk letter to her,
and wrote an epistle which was elo.
quent in Its entreaty to be true to him.
Abiding TO her fathers objection TO
his suit, he wrote:
rs there no hope that during your
fathers lifetime | can claim you for
my own? Is there no way OF removing
rs stubborn obstinacy? II not. then |
Just say-and say II out OF the ex.
cess OF my affection for you-that his
death alone can give me the happiness
which would alone make life worth
living to me. But still, for your be.
loved sake, pray that he may be
long spared TO you. Sorrow and Joy
are ever woven together. and the loss
of father would give you devoted
husband. who would worship the very
ground you walk upon"
More than week elapsed before a
reply came to his letter. II was a
short note, which said:
Come here on Christmas eve be-.
tween nine and ten-I expect to be
alone. The porter will be absent, but
the latch OF the lower door will be
left up, so that you can enter, and
enclose latch.key whereby you can
let yourself in. Be sure and burn this
letter as n precautionary measure"
1t struck Paul as being somewhat
peculiar that Natasha should have
sent him latch.Sey; and It also
seemed 10 him that the writing In the
note was different In some respects
from her usual style. But at last he
persuaded himself that this was mere
fancy, and as for the key-she proba-
bly, had some well.founded motive for
sending IT,
On the night in question ursoff left
his lodgings at half.past eight. It was
bitterly cold, and In spite OF the heavy
coat and muffler he wore, no felt half.
frozen by the time he reached Colonel
Anton's residence. He found the outer
door unlatched, as the letter had
stated. He entered. closed the door
after him, and latched It. The corrl.
der was in darkness, but he groped
his way along, crept cautiously up
the stairs, and let himself In with the
latch.key. The passage OF the house
was Illuminated by an octagonal lamp
OF red glass, suspended from the cell.
Ing. He paused and listened. but all
was silent. He had expected that
Natasha would have been on the
watch for him. but evidently she was
not. He was acquainted from his form.
er visit with that part OF the house,
and so he made his way into the draw.
ing.room. having first hung his hat on
a peg on the hatstand. A lamp
burned on the chimney. piece. but no
one was In the room. He waited for
at least ten minutes. but nobody came.
The house was silent as death, save
for the ticking OF a marble clock
which indicated that II was half.past
nine. Paul grew uneasy.
In the observatory above Colonel
Anton was studying the stars. utterly
oblivious Of everything else. Lying
back on his cushioned platform. his
eye riveted to the telescope, he heard
nothing save his own breathing. and
saw nothing except those worlds Of
dazzling lights. He was star.gazer,
and had no thought for anything else.
While the Colonel remained lost In
contemplation OF the heavenly bodies,
the glass panel that admitted light to
tho closet slid back silently. and in
the aperture a mans face, pale and
iierce.looking appeared for an In.
stant. II was swiftly withdrawn. and
the panel was partly closed again. an
opening OF about two inches being left.
At this opening there was thrust forth
what seemed to be brass tap. from
which issued slight Kissing sound.
In few seconds the star gazer's hand,
which was on the adjusting screw OF
the telescope. dropped suddenly like a