The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1918-05-18

! the palace were not unnccuStomed To
such shrouded figures slipping out
from It's gloom TO light, and perhaps 70
| love.
Before she left, she looked about
I the room. What assurance had she
that this very excursion was not n
trap, and that In her absence the vault
would not be looted agaln2 II con-
talned now something Infinitely val
J liable and Observation-Disclosures roll of
, film. She glanced about, and seeing u
silver vase of roses. hurrledly emptied
the water out, wrapped the tilm In
oiled paper, and dropped It down
among the stems.
| The Street of the Wise Virgins was
not near the palace. Even by walking
briskly she was In danger Of being
late. The wind Kept her bnck. too
Then. at last, the Street Of the Wise
| Virgins and the flacre, standing at the
curb. with driver wrapped In rugs
against the cold OF the February night,
and his hat pulled down over his eyes.
The countess stopped beside him.
"You are expecting passengerr
"Yes, madame"
with her hand on the door. the
countess realized that the fincre was
already occupied. As she peered into
its darkened interior. the shadow re-
solved itself into cioaked and masked
figure. She shrank back.
ENTER, madame" said voice.
The figure appalled, her. II was not
sufficient TO know that behind the
horrifying mask which covered the en-
tire face and head, there was hu-
man figure, human pulses that beat,
human eyes that appraised her. She
hesitated.
Quickly" said the voice.
She got In, shrinking Into corner
of the carriage Her lips were dry.
the rOarlng q terror was In her ears.
The door closed.
Then commenced drive Of which
nfterward the countess dared not
think. The figure neither moved nor
spoke. inside the carriage reigned the
most complete silence. Then the cur
ringe stopped, and M last the shrouded
II regret. countess, that my orders
are 10 blIndfold you"
She submitted ungracefuliy. while
he bound a black cloth over her eyes.
He drew IL very close and knotted 81
behind. In the act his fingers touched
her face, and she felt them cold and
clammy. The contact sickened her.
"Your hund, madame"
She was led out OF the carriage, and
across soft earth, devious course
again, as though they avoided small
obstacles. Once her foot touched
something low and hard. like marble.
Again, In the darkness. they stumbled
over a mound. She knew where she
was, then--in graveyard. Hut
which? There were many about the
city.
An open sIace, the opening Of
gate or door that squeaked softly. q
flight OF steps that led downward, and
breath Of musty, cold mir. damp and
cellarlIke.
At last. still In uobroken silence. she
knew that they had entered large
space. Their footsteps no longer
echoed and reechoed. Her guide
walked more slowly, and at last paus
ed. releasing her hand. She felt again
the touch OF his clammy fingers as he
united the knots Of her bandages. He
took 1t OF.
At first she could see little. When
her eyes grew accustomed, she made
out the scene slowly.
A great stone vault. Its walls
broken into crypts which had con-
tsined caskets Of the dead. But the
caskets had been removed, and were
piled IN corner, and In the inches
were rifles. In the center was a pine
table, curlousIy ine0ngruous. and on
II writing materials, a cheap clock,
and pile Of documents. There were
two candles only, and these were stuck
In skulls-old brown skulls so infinite
ly removed from all semblaDce 10 the
human that they We're not even hOr.
rlble. II was as If they had been used. |
not 10 inspire terror. but because they !
were at hand and convenient for the |
purpose. In the shadow, ranged Ia n |
semIcIrcle, We're nine figures, all mo
all masked, and clOaked In
black. They sat, another incongrulty,
on plain wooden chairs. But In spite
OF that they were figures Of dread.
The one who had brought her made
the tenth.
Had she not known the past record
Of the men before her, the rather opera
bouffe setting with which they rose
10 surround themselves might have
aroused her scorn. But Olga Loschek
knew too much. She guessed shrewd.
" that, with the class Of men with
whom they dealt II was not enough
that their name spelled terror. They
must visualize H.. They had taken
heir cue from that very church. In.
Iced, beneath which they hid. fhe
church, with its shrines and images,
appealed 10 the eye. They, too, mp
,ehled to the eye. Their masks, the
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