Macon beacon., 1917-10-26

between his voyages.
MacBeard came up to Donald with |
q smile Of affected friendliness.
Il understand that there is no rec
ord Of our friends address," he said
Poor Masterman was very retiring
man. No doubt we shall learn from
his friends In a day or two. ! will
have an announcement published, and
have arranged for the funeral to be
held from Byam's undertaking estab-
liShment the day after tomorrow at
noon. Is there anything further to
be done7"
~ hardly think So" answered Don
aid.
Then II you can look in here to-
morrow at eleven, we may talk mat
ters over. And now permit me to wish
you good evening"" said the profess
sor cordially.
Donald took the profrered hand and
felt a sense Of disgust at the touch
Of the limp fingers. He strobe out OF
the club and took q tadcab to the
station.
TIE Baltimore train was Just about
to leave. Late that night Lieutenant
Paget found the captains house 1t
proved to be in a little old-fashioned
thoroughfare fanked by neat two
story houses. Each had q tiny back
garden surrounded by high wall.
There was about 1t an atmosphere. II
not Of mystery, at any rate Of the re-
tirement common to such backwaterS
in the roaring streams Of city life.
The captains was the last house In
the street. 1t stood a little farther
back than the rest, and was turned
slightly askew, facing them obliQuely.
as though 1t knew itself to be out Of
place and was watching its neighbors
apprehensively over its shoulder.
There was no light behind any OF
the drawn shades. A small dome on
fiat roof seemed to contain tele-
scope.
Donald climbed a fence, walked
round to the back, and went up the
weed-grown path. The grass had not
been moved since 1t sprOuted In
spring: the garden was unkempt and
ragged. Donald felt sure that there
was nobody within.
AS he trod the flags of the garden
walk, he fancied he heard the foot
steps of a man in the street, following
him. He stopped and listened, but
now no sound was to be heard. He
peered back into the darkness, but
saw nobody. Doubtless 1t was hal
lucination; 1t was a place Of echoes
and hauntings. And it seemed singu
larly appropriate for old Masterman
to have had his lonely residence here,
matching his lonely life.
AS Donald had anticipated. the front
door was locked, and the window OF
the living room was apparently nailed
up. He traversed the narrow path
that led to the back Of the house. To
his surprise, the kitchen window was
open.
> Then It occurred to him that Mas
terman had, Of course. gone directly
home on his return from his last
. earthly voyage. He swung himselt
} across the window sill and dropped to
the kitchen floor. He lit q match and
found the gas.
. The yellow fare disclosed very
! ordinary kitchen. Masterman's coat
hung on nail beside the window, and
he had been cooking porridge upon
the range. Donald went through into
room at the back Of the house, which
had apparently been built out at a
date subsequent to the completion OF
the structure in its original form
He stopped short at the threshold
hearing the "swish, swish" Of water.
It was not falling water, but 9
gentle and continuous ripping. 1t Oc
Cured to him that it was, on a smaller
scale, the sound that seal makes iI
\ the course of its ceaseless peregrina
tions around it's tank.
There was palm tree in a hug
\ Dot on either side of what looked llk'
an enormous goldfish bowl. Behint
\ this was a second bowl, even larger
\ In the middle of the room was com
plicated apparatus resembling re
Il tort. He saw chandelier close to tn
II wall.
\ Donald lit three gas-jets.
\ The light flickered and sputtered a
4 the air rushed out. Then, when
Il had grown steady, Donald saw tha
\ sort of Photographic lens was al
| tached to box in front Of the appa
| ratus, directed toward the great tan
between the palms.
Approaching, he perceived that tn
% top of the tank was covered wit
- glass. A slender tube of the sam
material entered the water fror
d above, where 1t was supported upo
an arm extended from a wall. Ther
o. was q connection between the tub
y and another which ran upward frol
lg the top Of the retort.
I Presently Donald caught sight Of
lr barometer attached to the front Of tn
ID mechanism. Now he began to unde
al stand. The object In the tank. wha
r. ever 1t was, was under a pressure I
r. q number Of atmospheres.
He approached the tank and wake