The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-07-04


tween a set piece and a discarded
scene from Roi de Lahore, exactly at
! the spot where Joseph Buquet died.
| Come, sir, take courage and
follow me! And hold your hand at
the level Of your eyes! But
| where are WEI"
The Persian lit his lamp again and
flung its rays down two enormous cor
! ridors that crossed each other at
| right angles.
we must be- he said, in the part
| used more particularly for the water
| works. | see no fire coming from the
| furnaces"
lie went in front of Raoul, seeking
| his road, stopping abruptly when he
was afraid Of meeting some water
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 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
wall that might easily belong to the
house on the lake"
He was striking partition-walI OF
the tub" and perhaps 1t would be as
we'll 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 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.
Toxany one understanding the archi-
lecture of the editice, 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. a
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-
lions of the theater.
The Persian darkened his lantern
again.
Look Quit" be said. Keep your
hand up, And silence! For We shall
try another way of getting in
And be 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 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
Between the scene and the set piece
there was just room for body .
for a body which one day was found
hangings there. The body OF Joseph
Buquet.
The Persian, still kneeling, 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 giimmer OF a Ian
| 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 tie scene
| from the Roi de Lahore, with Raoui
| close upon his heels. With his free
| hand, the Persian felt the wall. Raoui
saw him bear heavily upon the wall
| Just as he had pressed against the