Evening star., 1920-03-14

first knew of it was when she came
u me with rather scared face and
showed me that latter. The. cursed
scoundrel had mistaken my wife's in
terest in him for affection. He named
n night when he was coming-not
merely to Sc her, you understand. but
to take her away! Ry James, 1t stran-
giles me even to recall it!
II know what / ought to have done
first thing" he continued after a mo-
ment, controlling himself by an effort.
II should have destroyed that letter,
the mere receipt Of which was a dead
ly insult. And ! meant to destroy it:
only my idea was to literally cram it
down Cassidy's throat.
'The night he had named found me
waiting outside the house. The house
is built in a sort of wide cup in tho
ground, and the road at about seventy
yards distance almost on level with
its gables, is hidden by clumps of aspen
trees" g.
"And the road affords the only
method Of reaching your house?" in
terrupted Tredways. ,.
"Yes. really; for a fenced wood rises
sharp behind the backs Of The As
pens'-my wood of course. To avoid
the road one would have to trespass
in the wood. which is thick with tim
ber and underground. and climb the
fence. ! did not imagine Cassidy do
ing that. ! waited in the open. There
was an edged wind shrilling due from
the east, with sort of wild scream
through the telegraph wires in the
distance. There was an inch Of snow
on the ground. although the sky had
cleared since the slight fall. Noon
less. almost totally dark.
First my hands, then my feet got
cold bitten. The wind was too much
for me. and 1 dropped down over the
crest for shelter among the white
popiars. - ''i'
II mentioned just now the chapel
down the glen. Well. as looked
about me from my sheltered place In
the copse rather fancied I caught
glimpse Of a light in one OF its win.
dows. 1t was nearly II o'clock. late
hour for the sexton to be doing any
thing in the chapel.
THAT struck me as being bit out
OF the ordinary. and thought might
as well Investigate, though I couldn't
see why Cassidy should be- there. A
low wall Of hints is round the church.
The window / spoke Of IL covered
with a fine mesh Of rusty wire for
protection. 1t represents st. Onofrio
being condemned to the flames. but
could see nothing Of that in the pitchy
darkness.
II tried the old door packed with
enormous nails. and found 1t secured.
went round to the south side where
seven steps go down and lead to
crypt. There is a much smaller door
at the bottom, and when I pushed on
1t i found 1t unfastened.
"Now I admit I'm not keen on such
places at any time, especially in the
middle OF the night. It's an oblong-
shaped crypt, with s,ven huge sup
porting pillars. green for a foot up with
that unhealthy growth which ISM.
made by rain or sum- Every one Of
Its stone flags covers some one who
was put in there when the world was
some centuries younger; and right in
the center Is .cenotaph OF Jstrian
stone, faxed and gray with age and
lichen. with a Knight Of Malta on top
OF 1t, staring with stone eyeballs at
the vaulting Of the low roof
II ventured half a stride. into this
place, the damp smell Of when. wine
to'an antiquarian. sent my head spin
ming. l could not sec to the end Of
my nose. There wasn't even the sound
OF mouse, but I felt a sensation un-
derneath my cap as II my hair was
beginning to stir on my scalp.
~ tried to back out. and ! think
should have managed that much. but
at that instant 1 hearI something
which didn't help me any.
AT first 1t was like the, whimper OF
child who struggles against a bad
dream. and 1t seemed to be somewhere
In the dark before me. Some silly
stun ] had been told about one OF
the worst of the Cassidys having ken.
neled his mastiffs in the crypt and
then been torn to pieces by them
fitted through my mind. One might
hear his shrieks at times, 1t was said
though you may be sure hadn't sunk
any capital in the supposition or ex.
plotted it as a business proposition.
'Still, under the circumstances.
would just as soon not have heart
anything sounding at all like thu
faint yelping OF dog My heart wa.
rather humping, so to give myself {
sort of courage l called out: is I'm!