The Washington times., 1918-10-09
CHAPTER CHI.
The Secrets of the Sealed Rooms

The Secrets OF the Sealco hoOmA.
From the mark on the child's
wrist it was evident that he was of
the Valenskis. / told this to Mr..
Fleetwood, and at the same time ad-
vised him strongly to make no fur
ther attempt to find the boys par
ents.
You have grown to love little
Basil" said, "and you tell me that
your wife would be perfectly miser-
able If she lost him now. Keep him
then, my dear sir. and never let him
know that he is not your own
child
'I thought IL my duty" interrupted
Mr.. Fleetwood. Ito make some at
tempt to find his parents. 1t would
have been a blow both to me and to
my wife IL we had been forced to
give him up, but"
DO not give him up" insisted.
He comes OF an evil race. These
Valenskis are wolves who prey upon
mankind. They are like the assas-
sins Of old. They may no longer rob
Tnd murder openly. so they do II by
stealth. Their object is TO place
the means OF committing murder
within the reach Of all who need il.
:
are accumulating great wealth. Va
Icnski told me so with his own lips.
He is acting up to his family tradi-
tions; it seems TO be an infatuation
With him to carry out and to i'm
prove upon the wicked schemes OF
his ancestors.
'Yes, Mr.. Fleetwood. II you re-
store this child to the Nalenskis,
you will do him an evil turn. For
the sake OF his future welfare
keep him and bring him up as your
own SON"
Nv words had their effect. "He
shall never know" said Mr.. Fleet
wood, rthe truth about his parent
age. II is evident that the child
was, not wanted or he would not
have been deserted. ] suppose il
was foolish OF me 10 thinl; Of at
tempting to trace the gypsies O1t
here. but had an idea that Basil
might have been stolen by them
and that his real parents might be
Erieving for him However, now
that you have told me this about
Valenski. ] shall not trouble my
self further"
So we returned home. and 7,
broken in health, pitiable. object,
was taken by Mr.. Fleetwood to DR..
French's establishment. which was
then. as now. at a village called
Crsnmore, not far from Ghelms-
ford
Strange, II is not. that thus. un-
knowing. my friend and benefac-
tor placed me in charge OF the very
man whom ! should most have
avoided? For DIR. French .was the
agent living near Chelmsford. OF
whom Nalenski had spoken 10 me,
and / was also near Adderley. the
link of the mysterious connection
between Borradales and Nalenskis.
DR.. French in those days was a
young man, ten years my senior,
and he had gained a certain repu-
"a lion for his treatment OF un-
happy people who had acquired the
drug habit No wonder at this. for
ne had NalenskTs knowledge to
back him up. Even then he was
living his double life. While pro-
feasing to cure, curing II il was to
his advantage, he was disseminat-
ing the very poisons for which he
supplied the antidote.
lie was not without the courage
OF his opinions. for he maintained
openly that drug-taking in moder-
alton was not injurious, and he
wrote, as everyone KNOWS pam
phlet defending the use OF opium
for smoking purposes. He gained
considerable fame by his heteradON
teaching, and at the same time it
was an undoubted fact that pa
tIcnts placed under his charge i'm
proved wonderfully in health. So
even as far back as ! am speaking
pr. French was in his own way
mEn of mark. 1t is astonishing
that he has so long escaped the
punishment he deserves.
I;ut to continue my story, Mr..
Fleetwood returned to his own home
and / remained with DR. French.
1T was not long before the doctor
discovered my secret. pre-
su:ne he found out the peculiar
org. to which ] was accustomed
- he supplied me with another
d e OF il. The relief which \ eN
r-.ienced was beyond words. He
questioned me then. and ] told him
all the truth. ! told him OF Naleski,
or my marriage to Drara-all. He
gave no hint that he already knew