River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-03-09
CHAPTER Xxx.
Off With the Old.


With a sensation of being crushed
and suffocated by the encompassing
dark mystery, she nerved herself
against protracted vigil. The obscur-
ity on every hand seemed alive with
stealthy footsteps, whisperings, MUIR
murings, the passage Of shrouded
shapes of silence and Of menace. Her
eyes ached, her throat and temples
throbbed, her skin crept, her scalp
tingled. She seemed to hear a thousand
different noises of alarm.
The only sounds she did not seem to
hear were those-if any-that accom-
panied Lanyards departure and re-
turn. Had he not been thoughtful
enough, when a few feet distant, to
give warning with the light she might
we'll have greeted with cry Of fright
the consciousness of a presence near
her, so silently he moved about. AS
it was, she was startled, apprehensive
Of some misadventure, to find him
back so soon, for he hadn't gone three
minutes, long though her nervousness
had made that period seem.
cts quite all right" he announced
in hushed accents-no longer whisper
ing. There are just five people in
the house aside from ourselves-all
servants, asleep in the rear wing.
We've a clear field-if no excuse for
taking foolish chances! However,
we'll be finished and off again within
ten minutes This way"
AS he spoke the light of the flash
lamp was blotted out. An instant later
the girl heard little clashing noise Of
curtain rings sliding along a pole, and
this was thrice repeated. Then, follow
ing another brief pause, a switch
clicked, and, streaming from the hood
Of portable electric desk lamp, pool
of light flooded the heart Of vast
place of shadows.
Reviewing it swiftly, the girl found
herself in an apartment whose doors
and windows alike were clOaked with
heavy draperies hanging from floor to
ceiling in long, shining folds. Immense
black bookcases lined the walls, their
shelves crowded with volumes in rich
bindings; from their tops pallid, sculp-
tured masks peered down inquisitively,
leering and scowling at the intruders.
A huge mantelpiece Of carved mar
BILE, supporting a great, dark mirror,
occupied the best Of one wall; beneath
it wide, deep fireplace yaWned, insult
ficiently shielded by screen OF
wrought brass and crystal. In the mid
die of the room stood library table
Of mahogany; huge leather chairs and
touches encountered the remainder of
it's space. And one corner, that to the
right Of the fireplace, was shut off by
a high Japanese screen of cinnabar
and gold.
To this Lanyard moved confidently,
carrying the lamp. Placing it on the
floor, he grasped one wing Of the
screen with both hands, and at cost of
considerable effort swung it aside, un-
covering the face of a huge, old-style
safe, of which the body was buried in
the wall.
For several seconds-but not for
many-Lanyard studied this problem
intently, standing quite motionless,
head lowered and thrust forward,
hands resting on his hips. Then, turn
ing, he nodded an invitation to come
nearer.
"My last job" he said, with a smil-
ing countenance oddly lighted by the
lamp at his feet-"and my easiest,
fancy. Sorry, too, for I'd rather have
liked to show off bit! But this old
fashioned tin bank gives no excuse for
spectacular methods"
"But," the girl objected, you've
brought no tools!"
ooh, but I have!" And fumbling in
a pocket, Lanyard produced a pencil.
Behold" he laughed, brandishing it.
She knitted thoughtful brows. Il
don't understand"
''All l need-except this"
Crossing to the desk, he found a
sheet of note paper and, folding it, re-
turned.
"Now," he said, give me five min
utes''
Knee1ing, he gave the combination
knob a smart preliminary tWirl, then
rested a shoulder against the sheet of
painted iron, his cheek to its smooth,
cold cheek, his ear close beside the
dial, and with the practiced fingers Of
a master locksmith and an authority
on stronghold construction, began to
manipulate the knob.
Gently, tirelessly. to and fro he twist
ed, turned, raced and checked the COM
bination, caressing it, humoring it,
wheedling it, inexorably questioning
it in the dumb language his fingers
spoke so deity. And in his ear the
click and whir and thump Of shifting
wards and tumblers murmured articu~
late response in the terms of their
cryptic code.
Now and again, releasing the knob
and sitting back on his heels, he would
bend grave scrutiny to the dial, note
the position Of the combination, and |
with his pencil jot memoranda on the |
folded sheet of paper. This happened |