Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-12-08

/ ~" he SAup1y d6 uC Lou SoAO ~ ~
Hilton Toye on board the Kaiser Fritz.
Only he went rather further for the
benefit Of the gentlemen from Scot
| land Yard, who took not the faintest
interest in the late Mr.. Cazalet, be.
yond poking their noses into his d.
minutive sanctum and duly turning
them up at what they saw.
| HE used to complain that he was
never left in peace on Saturdays and
Sundays, which of course were his
only quiet times for writing" said the
son, celebrating his tale with f1lial
piety. $50 once when I'd been trying
to die OF scarlet fever, and my mother
brought me back from Hastings after
she'd had me there some time, the
old governor told us he'd got a place
! where he could disappear from the
district at a moments notice and yet
be back in another moment II we rang
the gong. fancy he'd got to tell her
whore 1t was, pretty quick; but only
found out for myself by accident.
Years atterward he told me he'd got
the idea from Jean Ingelow's place in
Italy somewhere"
ITS in Florence" said Blanche.
laughing. I've been there and seen
It, and it's the exact same thing. But
you mean Michael Angelo, Sweep"
/: "Oh, do II" he said serenely. ''Well,
I shall never forget how I found out
its existence"
mo more shall I. You told me all
about it at the time, as . terrific Sc
cret, and I may tell you that rye kept
it from that day to this!"
"You would" he said simply. "But
think of having the nerve to pull up
the governors floor! It only shows
what a boy will do. I wonder If the
holes there still"
| Now all the time the planetary de-
tective had been watching his satel-
lite engaged in an attempt to render
the damage done to the mahogany
doors little less conspicuous. Mel
( Their appeared to be taking any further
interest in the cigar cupboard, or pay
ing the slightest attention to GAIA
let's "reminiscences. But Mr.. Drink
water happened to have heard every
word, and in the last sentence there
was one that caused him to prick up
his expert ears instinctively.
whats that about hole? said
he, turning round.
II was reminding Miss Macnair how
the place first came to be-"
Eyes, yes. But what about some
hole in the foor?"
II made one myself with one OF
those knives that contain all sorts OF
OF things, including a saw. 1t was one
Saturday afternoon in the summer hol-
idayc. l came in here from the gar
den as my father went out by that
door into the hall, leaving one of
these mahogany doors open by mis-
take. It was the chance of my life;
in slipped to have look He came
back for something, saw the very door
you've broken standing ajar, and shut
it without looking in. So there I was
in nice old trap! I simply daren't
call out and give myself away. There
was a bit of loose oilcloth on the
floor
There is STILL" said the satellite,
pausing in his task.
81 moved the oilcloth, in the end;
hawked up one end of the board duck
lily they weren't groove and tongue),
sawed through the next one to it, had
it up, too, and got through into the
foundations, leaving everything much
as had found it. The place is SO
small that the oilcloth was obliged to
had plenty of time, because my
people had gone in to dinner"
"You ought to have been a burglar,
sir" said Mr.. Drinkwater ironically.
$50 you covered up sin with crime,
like half the gentlemen who 90
through my hands for the first and
last time! But how did you get out
of the foundations?"
"Oh, that was as easy as pie; I'd
often explored them. Do you remem-
Der the row I got into, Blanche, for
taking you with me once and simply
running your frock?"
II remember the frock!" said
Blanche.
1t was her last contribution to the
conversation; immediate develop
ments not only put an end to the fur
Their exchange of ancient memories,
but rendered it presently impossible
by removing Cazalet from the scene
with the two detectives. Almost with
out warning all three disappeared
down the makeshift trap-door cut by
one of them as a schoolboy in his
fathers floor.
She hardly even knew how it hap
pened. The little place was so small
that she never saw the hole until it
had engulfed two of the trio; the third
explorer, Mr.. Drinkwater himself, had
very courteously turned her out of the
library before following the others.
And he had said so very little before
hand for her to hear. and so quickly
prevented Cazalet from saying any
thing at all, that she simply could not
think what any of them we're doing
under the floor.
Under her very feet she heard them
moving as she waited bit in the hall;
then she left the house by way of the