The Washington times., 1912-09-11


summoned up his courage and advanced
to the ante-chamber of Mr. Claye's liv-
ing tomb.
He stood there for some time, qualSing
and shaking In the noiSomeness of the
cellar and listened with all his ears.
He heard nothing, and was not sur
prised.
1t would have been strange indeed IL
any sound could have penetrated the
thickness of the solid floor of stone
which shut out his victim from light,
air. and liberty.
The captive might shrek and sob for
pity and for mercy, as much as he
1t occurred to Mr.. Kilner that while
he was there he might make a few al
terations In the cellar which seemed to
be advisable In case of a domiciliary
visit from the police, so he set to work
there and then to destroy any trace
which might show that the trap into
the valut had been opened, and to cover
it over with chests, barrels, and the
like.
1t seemed to him that he was in a
certain fashion tramping the earth
upon Claye's grave while Claye still
breathed in his coffin, but he got
through his task and then hastily re-
turned to the sitting room, where he
had another long and strong drink. And
after that Mr. Kilner went to bed, car
rying the decanter of brandy with him.
1t Is needless to >say that Mr.. kilner
passed very bad night. He had de.
parted from his usual habits in several
ways, and he naturally paid the PEN
atty.
|, To begin with, he had not only drunk
great deal more than was good for
him, but a great deal in excess OF his
Secondly, he had omitted to take his
usual hearty supper, an omission when,
| in view of the large amount OF liquor
| which he had consumed, was a fatal
mistake.
Thirdly. he had done things which, In
life largely composed of more or less
wickedness and villainy on small ano
rather a mean scale he had never done
and never dreamed Of before. Thus ne
| had assisted at particularly cruel ano
| cold-blooded murder, and had afterWaro
consigned the. murderer to a living
| tomb wherein he was at that moment
most likely half-crazed with terror;
Callous as was Mr.. kilner,, these
| thoughts were by no means pleasant
companions for the. night. lie tossed
| about in his bed; he tried burning
| light at his bedside; he tried staring a,
| the darkness; he tried walking abou
| the room; he tried reading, and none Of
these things avalled or comforted him.
| And needless to say, he tried the bran
| dy decanter at periodic Intervals. ahc
for the rst time Inn IN ms is the the sua wav @
| He fell into feeble, troubled doze al
| grew toward morning, and was anllct
ed with dreams which were by M
! means pleasant. He had visions or
| the depths of the ground wherein vas
| swarms of particularly ferocious rat
| waited for the death of living maj
and meanwhile feasted upon the body
| a dead one.
| He could see the eyes of these rat
Through the blue -gray-black atmosphere
| OF the dungeon-they made little PHI
points of phosphosescent fire IN tn
| nd hn fanriaH
there was something Of human malic
| in the glare.
Tnen the dreams changed and it wa
| he himseI. who was prisoner in tn
dungeon, and sometimes the rats RAJ
over him to find out If he were still liv
| ing, and he would shake them off wit
shrieks and curses, and after Il tim
they would come softly back, and n
! knew that at last they would come 70
good, and at that thought his soul grey
sick within him.
When he rose at an early hour MI
Kilner was a good deal of wreck. II
wandered miserably downstairs, an
after a time admitted the old woma
who came every morning to light hi
fire, make his bed. and tidy up the room
in which he lived.
She was as deaf as post, and no
very obsevant, and she did not motto
anything very remarkably about MI
Kilner's appearance, simply because sh
scarcely glanced at him. But when hi
man, Hennessy, turned up at O'Clock
/ he noticed a good deal, and asked MI
Kilner If he was not well.
'T'm by no means well, Jim,' replie
Mr.. Kilner, very mournfully, and with
note of sympathy for himself in hi
deed-I thought should have had t
fetch the doctor-I really did. Ir
afraid It's an old complaint of mine
Jim-an affection of the heart, 1t is-
that gave me deal of trouble som
years ago"
That's bad" said Mr.. Hennessy. "Y
might see a doctor this morning, sir.
IT'S probably what I shall do. jim
a little later on replied Mr.. Kilnel
, Things like them must not be trife
with, I know. I'm afraid, Jim, tina
, this air Of Dublin doesn't suit me-Iv
never felt what you might call we
since came to live in the town."
] Mr.. Hennessy replied that differer
! climates suited different constitution,
md that he himself considered Dubli
"Ah! you're publin man, Jim,
sighed Mr.. Kilner. 1T makes all I'll
difference. Ones native air is alway
, good for one-I'm a Midlander myse
and L always did feel that the air {
the midlands Is the most sal-what d
they call it-salubrious, ! think it Is,
, the whole world. There's a sweetneS
and softness about that air, Jim, that
never feel nowhere else" concluded NJ
Kilner, whom much brandy had brougf
r to the verge of tears. Il wish / coul
r smell It just now-I do, indeed"
A Continuation of This Story WI
BE Found In TOmOrrOw's