Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-11-13

eighth nightsat Wood House, sound
startled him from a dream of linen
fold patterned panelling. Usually when
he walked thus 1t was to find all silent
and he would turn over and fall
asleep once more. telling himself that
the noise had been part of his dream.
But this time 1t continued. There was
queer creaking behind the wainscot.
In the morning Christopher asked
the servant who brought his morning
tea who occupied the adjoining room.
sir Walter Raven" was the answer.
Race was angry with himself for not
having learned earlier who his neigh
Dor was; but during the day, as he
passed, and saw the door OF the next
room ajar, he glanced In. 1t seemed
to him that there was an inexplicable
distance between this door and his.
The rooms were supposed to adjoin
each other. His own door was
neaf the dividing wall, and SO was Sir
Walters yet there was a wide space
between.
Through the open door of Sir Wal
ter Ravens room he could see low
window, with a cushioned seat in the
embrasure, In his room there was one
OF the same size and shape To pre-
vent mistake he propped book
against the lozenge- panes of his own
window and went out to walk around
the rambling house and recon-
.noiter.
Yes. there was the book, and there
was Sir Walters window farther on
toward the left. But there was some
thing between which did not puzzle
Christopher as much as 1t would had
he not noticed the distance separating
the doors of the two adjoining rooms.
Halfway between the two low win
dows was tiny one, SO over-grown
with Ivy that 1t was all but invisible
even to an observant eye.
Sir Walter Raven must have a
cupboard in his wall lit by that~little
window" Christopher decided, '.or else
there's secret hide hole between
| his room and mine" M
To begin with, he tapped the vain
| scoting In his own room, and was
interested to discover that his knock
gave out hollow sound. He be-
iieved that there was but the one
thickness Of oak between him and the
secret, whatever 1t might be, which
lay beyond.
The paneling here was simple, with
out any elaboration Of carving. The
wainscot, which reached from the
| floor to the ceiling, was divided into
| large squares framed in q kind OF
| fluting Having examined each OF
| these squares on the wall nearest Sir
Walter Ravens. he gave up the hope
that there was any hidden door OF
sliding panel.
Il could saw out square. though
he thought, "and look at what's on
the other side; or could squeeze
through II It seemed worth while. A
panel behind the curtain Of my bed
would do; and could stick II in again
so that II anybody suspected there
was something up they would hardi,
be able to see what I'd be doing"
| Apparently no one ever entered the
hiding place except in the night, about
o'clock. The noises behind the vain.
scoting continued for few minutes
! only and after that all was silence.
In the afternoon Christopher mo.
tored into Ringhurst to buy n small
1 saw and a hulrs-eye lantern, such al
| policemen use. ON the way back hi
1 overlook Sir Walter with sidney ant
they accepted his offer to give them
a lift back to Wood House.
i They talked about the robberies a.
christopher drove the car home, Sid
ney sitting beside hip, Sir Walter
leaning forward in the tonneah. "Aftei
1 all. 1t will end in our going ava,
from the dear old place. sighed Sid