Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-05-07

were extinguishfng, and at which
Raoul recognized the demons whom
Christine had seen at the time OF hel
first captivity.
In this way, they gradually arrived
beneath the huge cellars below the
stage. They must at this time have
been at the very bottom of the tub
and at an extremely great depth
when we remember that the earth
was dug out at fifty feet below the
water that lay under the whole OF
that part of Paris.
The Persian touched partition.
wall and said:
IF l am not mistaken, this is 8
wall that might easily belong to the
house on the lake."
lie was striking a partition.wall OF
the tub" and perhaps it would be as
well for the reader to know how the
bottom of the partition-walls Of the
tub were built. In order to prevent
the water surrounding the building
operations from remaining in imme.
diate contact with the walls support
ing the whole of the theatrical ma
chinery, the architect was obliged to
build a double case in every direc-
ton. The work OF constructing this
double case took a whole year. 1t
was the wall of the first inner case
that the Persian struck when speak
ing to Raoul of the house on the lake.
TO any one understanding the archi-
lecture of the edifice. the Persian's
action would seem to indicate that
Erik's mysterious house had been
built in the double case, formed OF a
thick wall constructed as an embank.
ment or dam, then Of brick wall, q
tremendous layer of cement and an.
other wall several yards in thickness.
At the Persian's words, RaOul flung
himself against the wall and listened
eagerly. But he heard nothing &.
nothing except distant steps
sounding on the floor OF the upper por.
tons of the theater.
The Persian darkened his lantern
again.
Look QUIT" he said. Keep your
hand up! And silence! For We shall
try another way of getting in"
And he led him to the little stair
case by which they had come down
lately.
They went up. stopping at each
step, peering into tho darkness and
the silence, till they came to the third
cellar. Here the Persian motioned to
RaOul to go on his knees; and. In
this way, crawling on both knees and
one hand-for the other hand was
held in the position indicated-they
reached the end wall.
Against this wall stood a large dis
carded scene from the Roi de Lahore.
Close to this scene was a set piece.
there was just room for body .
for body which one day was found
hanging there. The body OF Joseph
BuQuet.
The Persian. still kneeling, stopped
and listened. For moment. he
seemed to hesitate and looked at
Raoul; then he turned his eyes up
ward, toward the second cellar, which
sent down the faint giimmer OF lam
tern, through Granny between two
boards. This glimmer seemed to
trouble the Persian.
At last, he tossed his head and made
up his mind to act. He slipped be-
tween the set piece and the scene
from the Roi de Lahore, with Raoul
close upon his heels. With his free
hand, the Persian felt the wall. Raoul
saw him bear heavily upon the wall,
just as he had pressed against the
wall in Christine's dressing-room.
Then stone gave way. leaving q
hole in the wall.
This time, the Persian took his
pistol from his pocket and made q
sign to Raoul to do as he did. He
cooked the pistol.
And, resolutely, still on his knees.
he wiggled through the hole in the
wall. Raoul, who had wished to pass
first, had to be content to follow him.
The hole was very narrow. The
Persian stopped almost at once.
Raoul heard him feeling the stones
around him. Then the Persian took
out his dark lantern again. stopped
forward, examined something beneath
him and Immediately extinguished his
lantern. Raoul heard him say, In a
whisper:
1--WE shall have to drop a few
yards. without making noise; take
off yo,,r hoOfa"
The Persian handed his own shoes
to Raoul.
Put them outside the wall" he
said. 1--WE shall find them there when
we leave"
He crawled little farther on his
knees, then turned right round and
said:
Il am going to hang by my hands
from the edge of the stone and let
myself drop into his house. You
must do exactly the same. Do not be
afraid l will catch you In my arms"
Raoul soon heard a dull sound, evt'
= q