Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-07-17

man. Then they had to protect them
selves against the glow Of a sort of
underground forge, which the men
were extinguishing. and at which
RaOul recognized the demons whom
Christine had seen at the time of her
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 rem ember 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 a partition
wall and said:
If I an not mistaken, this is a
wall that might easily belong to the
house on the lake"
He was striking a partit1on-wau 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-
date 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 Raoui 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 a brick wall,
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 the darkness and
the silence, till they came to the third
cellar. Here the Persian motioned to
Raoul 10 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 large dis
carded scene from the Roi de Lahore
Close to this scene was a set piece
Between the scene and the set piece
there was just room for a body
fer a body which one day was found
hanging there. The body of Joseph
Buquet.
The Persian, still! kneeIing, stopped
and listened. For a 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 GUNNER of a Ian
tern, through a Granny between two
boards. This gIimmer 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. RaouI
saw aim bear heavily upon the wall,
just as he had pressed against the
wall in Christine's dressing-room
Then a stone gave way, leaving
hole in the wall.
This time, the Persian took his
pistol from his pocket and made a
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
L
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:
We shall have to drop a few
yards, without making a noise; take
of your boots"
The Persian handed his own shoes
to Raoul.
Put them outside the wall" he
said I'VE shall find them there when
we leave"
He crawled a little farther on his
knees. then turned right round and
said:
4 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