The Washington times., 1913-05-19

he saw his door thrust open, and. blink
| ing in the lantern light, saw several OF
| the guards bear down upon him. He
| was at some pains not to show how
glad. he WAS to see them.
He was no fool to resist where he
knew resistance useless. :
| He resented the needlenessness OF the
manner in which he was 1erked to ms
feet, and he sat down as Quite -gratu-
| itous the several kicks that he got from
one and another
Then he drew a breath of relief as he
found himself. at least, out OF the rat
| infested dungeon under the clean niYht
sky, but as he found himself peinS
| steered toward the great house, ne heid
1t not SO good.
What more had ErfSey ana MussroNe
haply to say to him?
He was marched in at the rear door,
up one flight of stairs and up another
and along corridor
He went quietly. the while ne htted
| what he saw with what he had learned
from Lady Vyvyan's woman Then ne
was showed through an open door, staS
gered under the thrust, and recoVeren
himself. as he heard the key turn In
the lock. ~
He was alone in a little paneied
chamber. with a narrow window tnat
looked M TO the stars. He Judged that
there were no rats. He knew that the
air was clean. T.. ,,,,
over by the wall he made out, In the
dimness, pallet He walked thither.
bit unsteadily, and sank upon IL
! Not in the least did he marvel at MS
sudden change for the better 'n ms ToIi-
dition. He instantly ascribed 1t to Jack
To be sure, he would himself have
done as much for Jack, Then. human
natured. he fell to wondering II ne
might hope for even greater heip from
Aubrey. 60
the window. He found 1t too narrow
for his passage. Then he began sortiy
to edge round the room; WIN ms
shoulder and his painful hands CROP
ping along the panels; ,o,,
Three-quarters round the room ne Ieit
the panel yield. He pushed open a
door. set cunningly in the wall and
looked upon the topmost OF narrow
flight of steps.
Up to that moment Won kersten-
brock had stoically resigned himself
to die In that moment he lost his
stoicism, not to be recovered in hours.
He wanted to live-bitterly he wanted
to live, He leaned in the narrow door
way, choked and almost sick In the
reaction.
He was mad, surely he was mad TO
hope. Yet. was he so? Jack Aubrey
had some power in Kings Staversham.
and Jack and he had aforetime drank
Bruederschaft.
For a long moment Won Kersten-
brock hesitated, while he fought 10
control his frayed nerves that fiutterei
contemptibly in this lightning-swift
change of current.
He had an instructive distrust Of that
readily opened door. and yet-how could
he make matters worse than they
were?
Cautiously he set foot on the stair.
and inch by inch. with muscles achinG
in the iron control that he had laid
upon them, crept downward.
After an endless time he reached
closed door. He found 1t open beneath
his hand, and, with his heart pounding
almost audibly, he stepped forth into
the western corridor upon the second
story of the house.
All around him lay habited chambers.
In the graveled court outside he heard
the great clock of the main gable st!lNe
one.
Warily. with muscles strained and
nerves taut, he stole into the main CT
ridor He headed for the stairway.
which he knew lay at the back of the
house. reached II with heart-breaklnS
precaution. and found the door by which
he might gain ii locked.
Even now he did not give up hope.
He remembered that he had been told
of a privy stair in the east corridor.
from the second story to the third. and
perhaps, on the third story. he set
might gam tnDSe TtdT"dTu SldlES
Trembling somewhat in the knees. TO-
IL is none so easy to walk noiseleSSly
in trOOping boots. and II raTels a man }
nerves to know that each second may
be the headsman to his struggling
hopes. Won Kerstenbroock reached In"
door in the east corridor that opened
on the stair.
He found 1t bolted against him. Well.
then. He squared his jaw. Let hi'I
risk the great staircase, come what
might.
Slowly. with every now and then q.
pause to wait for the surCease Of ,h,
throbbing blood In his temples. NO"
Kerstenbroock sidelonged down -.
endless corridor.
One step more and he would have
stood fairly in the light of the sconces
that fell upon the great main staircase.
which wound from the hall even TO TN
third story.
One step more and his waverin%
shadow would have been visible TO the
mirthful gentlemen, who. turn and turn
about kept watch in the twilight OF the
corridor below. He never took thai
step.
For Durchziehter Won Kerstenbroocf
was a triumphant duelist, not becauG,
of his reach. which was no longer than
the average, nor his strength OF wrlS'
and speed, though they were greater
both than with most men. but Decaus"
of that sixth sense with which he was
lowered.
In more than one pass of peril he had
found. to his salvation. that he had
known what the other fellow was going
to do.
1t was not reason. II was not alto
gether instinct. Simply-he knew.
So. at this crucial minute. as he wa
vered toward the stairhead. as EriseH
had ordained. he knew in fash tha!
that too readily opened door was II"
boon OF Jack Aubreys bestowaL 1t wa
A trap of Erisey's. and Erisey awaited
him below.
Quietly. still with unabated caution
Won Kerstenbroock crawled back into
the dark, more merciful than what
awaited him at the stairfoot
With all WAYS closed against him. he
had now no hope. unless he chose to
cast himself. shackled as he was, from
some window, to be picked up, cruhed