The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-12-05

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from its gloom b Light, and perhaps to
love.
Before ahs. len, she looked About
the room. What assurance had sAe
that this very excursion was not
trap, and that In her absence the vault
would not be looted againf It con-
tAinsd now something infinitely val
liable and incriminating-the roll Of
nlm. She glanced about, and seeing
silver vase Of roses, hurriedly emptied
the water out, wrapped the film In
oiled paper. and dropped 1t down
among the stems.
The Street Of the Wise Virgins was
not near the palace. Even By walking
briskiy she was In danger Of being
late. The wind kept her back. too.
Then, at last. the Street Of the Wise
Virgins and the nacre, standing at tAe
curb, With q driver wrapped IN rugs
against the cold Of the February Might
and his hat pulled down over his sysa.
The countess stopped besids him.
you are expecting . passengefr
"Yes, madame"
With her hand on the door, tie
countess realised that the nacrs was
already oecupisd. A. she psered Int
its darksned interior, the shadow re-
solved itself into cloaksd and masked
figure. She ahfank back
"Hnter. madame" said voice.
The flsurs appalled, her. It WAS not
sufficient 10 know that behind the
horrifying mask which covered the en-
tire faee and head. thAre was q hu-
man figure. human pulses that beat,
human eyes that appraised hsr. She
hesitated.
"ouiekly." said the voice.
She got In, shrinking into . corner
a the carriage. Her lips were dry.
the roaring Of terror was In her ears.
The door closed.
Then commenced Q drive Of which
aftefward the countess dared not
think. The figure neither moved nor
spoke. Inside the carriage reignsd the
most complete silence. Then The car
riage stopped. and at last the shroudsd
figure moved and spoke
II regret countess. that my orders
are to blindfold youI
She submitted ungTaeo6ully, while
he bound q black cloth over her eyoe.
He drew It very close and knottsd Il
behind. In the act his fingers toaehsd
her face. and she felt them cold and
eiammy. The contact sieksnsd her.
"Your hand. madame"
She was led out Of the carriage. and
across soft earth. q devious eoarss
again. n though they avoided anall
obstacles. Once her foot toueAod
something low and hard, IKE marble.
Again, In the darkness. thsy stumbled
over . mound. She knew whore ~
was, tAen-in Q gfavsyaSd. But
whichi Thefe wsEo many about thG
eity.
An open sJace. the opening oe q
gAte o. door that squeaked softly, Z
flight Of steps that led downward. and
q breath Of musty. cold air. damp and
cellariike.
AZ last, stin In unbroken silence. she
knew that they had entered q larSe
space. Their footstsps NO lougea
echoed and reechosd. Her guide
walked moro slowly. and at last paus
ID, releasing her hand. She felt asair
Iths touch Of his elamny fingers - h
united the knots Of her bandagsa ID
took It q.
At Arst shs could ses little. Whsa
hsf syss srsw accustomed. shs made
out the scene slowiy.
A great stone vault it, walla
broken into crypts which had con
tained casksts Of the dead. But the
caskets had been removed, and wefe
piled In Q corner, and In the inches
were rides. In the center was pine
tabls. curiously ineo0sruous. and on
It writing materials, . cheap clock,
and Q pile Of documents. There were
two candles only. and these were stuck
In skulls-old brown skulls % infinite
" removed from all ssmblancs to the
human that they were not even hos-
rible. It was - II they had been used,
not to inspire terror. but because they
were at hand and convenient for thu
purpose. In tie shadow. ranged In Z
semicircle, were nine figures. al mo.
tionless; all masked, and cloaked IN
black. They sat another inconsrsity,
on plain wooden chairs. But In cpate
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 opsfa
bouife setting with which they ,osl
to surround themselves might have
aroused her scorn. But Olga Loscheh
knew too much. She guessed shrewd.
u that, with the class Of men with
whom they dealt, It was not enough
that their name spelled terror. They
must visualise It. They had taken
their cue from that very church. In.
deed, beneath which they hid. The
church, with its shrines and images
appealed to the eye. They. too. ap.
peAled to the eye. Their masks, the
! J~-~~AuV1~ ~cu~teur<nH and vlnhald