The Sentinel=record., 1916-12-10

For some little time he lay thus, head on arms. Then, through his troublous dreams. a sentinel in his racked brain seemed to whisper warning that he was no longer alone in his quiet library-that some one had crept in to spy upon his sleep, or else that a vague peril hovered over him.
 This thought banished slumber and every vestige of comfortable drowsi- ness. Like a soldier awakened by the reveille, Dr. Montrose started up, eyes wide, muscles tense, sleep wholly de- serting him.
 He urched to his feet and stared about him, as might a suddenly aroused watchdog. Every faculty was on the alert, and a slow anger was kindling within him against the un- known intruder who had robbed him of his rest
 But his swift glance around the library failed to discern any such in- truder. Except for himself the big room seemed empty. Nor was there sign that anyone else had entered. Yet this did not lessen his queer in- tuition that some lurking foe had stolen in upon him.
 Then from the corner of his eye Montrose saw the hallway curtains sway, ever so slightly. And to his straining ears came faint sound, as if from the hall
 Tn one stride Dr. Montrose had reached the library doorway and swept aside the curtain. No one was lurking behind it. A second step brought him out into the hall. re- solved to learn who had been spying upon him.
 He looked down the wide hall to- ward the front door Then, turning, he looked back and up the stairway. There was no one to be seen.
 Had he reversed his inspection and looked first toward the stairway in- stead of toward the door he might have caught a fleeting, momentary glimpse of shadowy figure that darted back out of sight from the landing at the top of the stairs.
 Puzzled, only convinced that he had been at fault in his suspicion. the doctor made a tour of the lower rooms. No one was in them.
 He returned to the library and tried to sleep once more. But now, strangely enough, his drOwsiness and fatigue were gone. Never had he felt wider awake.
 A restless activity had replaced his earlier weariness. He knew he would further to woo slumber. And he wanted to be at work.
 Picking up his medicine chest from the hall table, he mounted the stair way and went to his gloomy labora- tory. There, locking himself in, he proceeded to take off his coat and replace 1t by a chemieal-stained working jacket that he always wore when he had experiments to make
 As he did so he noticed a phial at one side of the newly-opened medi- cine case. It was a tiny flask of hydrocyanic acid that had been emp tied, and which he had put by itself at one side of the case. 50 that he might not forget to refill it.
 Knowing he would need the drug in some work he was planning, he crossed to a wall cupboard, took therefrom a larger bottle of hydro cyanic acid and filled the little phial.
 Picking up the refilled phial, he started back to his work table. Mid way across the room he halted, at tracted by an almost imperceptible noise from behind the secret panel.
 He thrust the phial into his vest pocket; and, frowning, he strode across the floor to the panel.
 His teeth set and his frown deep ening, Montrose flung open the panel. In the aperture behind it stood Pierre La Rue.
 For an instant Montrose and La Rue faced each other without speak ing. The former was flushed and angry; yet in his eyes fiickered a nameless terror. La Rue, on the con- trary, smiled suavely at his host, as one sure of cordial welcome.
 All at once the dread in Montrose's eyes was replaced by steely glint of resolution. The lines around his mouth hardened. His bearing was that of @ man who has once and for all made up his mind.
 He raised his arm, in unconscious dramatic power. Pointing down the pessageway, behind the panel, he spoke one word:
 "Go!"
 "Go, I sayv' he shouted.
 Aren't you making 8 good deal of unnecessary noise, doctor?" asked La Rue, amusedly, as if talking to a cranky Kindergarten child. And aren't you being just a little bit in- hospitable, too? That's hardly the way to greet Q dear old friend. Try again.
 T told you to go," said the doctor. steadying his angry voice and trying to speak calmly, "and l meant it. Go, This is the last time l am going to be tormented by your presence in this room. I am going to have this panel and the secret passa geway walled up."
 By Ill means" smilingly assented Pierre. Have it walled up. and let us come into your house by the front door instead. It will be far more con- venient than the present hole-and- corner arrangement. And it will give us a glimpse of your pretty daughter now and then"
 You'll leave my daughters name out of this!" hotly commanded Mont- rose. Tt is black insult to her for a beast like yourself to mention her. And now will you go?"
 "No.' replied La Rue, not at all ruffled by the others wrath, ''I won't. As you very we'll knew l would not when you told me to- Come, come, easllfxF echoolbOy. We owe everything 70 [ .-a. l..l r..u.