Putnam patriot., 1915-02-05
THE PUTNAM PATRIOT February 5 1913

tended to repudiate me, to refuse me recognition
 "Is he that Kind of a manT"
 "No. not when sober. Under the influence of liquor he becomes a brute. capable of any meaunesS"
 Perhaps that may be the secret then The others here may be Keeping him intoxicated and hidden away for purposes of their own. However. this need not change our plans. Will you go in to Salliey
 Yes. it will be a relief 10 be busy. to feel that I am accomplishing some thing"
 stood upon the bench. from where I could look out above the weeds and tangled bushes. and followed her course to the house At top of the steps she paused an instant to glance back and then disappeared within I waited patiently knowing that if she failed to discover the housekeeper she would give some signal Meanwhile watched the weed grown area about me carefully in search or any skulker observing our movements
 The knowledge that Philip Henley was alive. that any discoveries l might make would benefit him even more than his wife. robbed me of some in terest in the outcome. Nothing l had heard of the man was favorable to his character l felt profoundly con vinced that whatever affection his wife might have once entertained for him had long ago vanished through neglect and abuse. My sympathies were altogether with her. and | had already begun to dream of her as free. She had come into contact with my life in such way as to impress me greatly. We had been thrown togeth- CT in strange familiarity Little by little had grown to appreciate her beauty. not only of face. but also of womanly character.
 l dreaded the reappearanee of Hen ley. Would she return to himi Would she forgive the past: l could not be ignorant of the fact that she liked me, trusted me as a friend. But be yond tliis rather culorieSS certainty la.,sessed no assurance. She WAS not the kind ever to compromise vita duty nor tO pretend No love for me. gveu fl il had already begun to olos- som in her secret heart. would make her diSleya to sacred vows. 1 knew that and deep down iu my own con. SciouSneSs henafed her the more. even wiite struggled against the ineyi= table Yesterday 1 might haze spoken the words of passion on my lips, but now they were sealed
 teit the pistol in my pocket, took il out and made sure il was in readi- uesS. then advanced cautiously to. ward the house. The hall was empty and so was the front room The latter appeared deSelate and grim in it's dis order and dirt My thought eentered on that picture of Jndge Henley hang ing against the further wall. could never be satisfied until 1 learned ab- solutely what was concealed behind that heavy gilded frame There was mystery to this house, and perhaps here 1 had already stumbled upon the secret. l opened the door leading to the rear. silently. and listened. There were voices talking at distance. two women. one a pleasant contralto, the other cracked and high pitched The lady was doing her part; 1 must do mine. closed the door gently and stole over toward the picture.
 A black haircloth sofa with broad mahogany am offered two easy steps, enabling me to tip the heavy frame sufficiently so as to peer behind. The one glance was sufficient Underneath was an opening in the wall much less in width than the picture. yet ample for the passage of crouched body. The arm of the sofa made egress com paratively easy. while the frame of the picture. though appearing heavy and substantial was in reality Of light wood and presented no obstacle to an active man The passage was black. and | thrust my head and sboul- ders in. striving to discern something of it's nature. For possibly three feet I could trace the floor but beyond that point it seemed to disappear into i'm penetrable darkness This line Of change was so distinct that l surmis- ed at once if marked a descent to lower level, either by ladder or stairs