The evening world., 1920-08-09

examined the door and suddenly OBJ
served that, against all logical ex-
pectatior, II had a>1arge strong bolt
at the boetUm. Should she make use
OF IL?
She had no time to weigh the ad-
vantages or drawbacks Of this plan.
She had heard a Jingle OF keys and.
almost at the same time. the sound
of key grating in the lock.
Veronique received a very clear vis-
ion OF what was likely to happen.
When the assailants burst in, she
would be thrust aside, she would be
hampered in her movements. her adm
would be inaccurate and her shots
would miss, whereupon they would
shut the door again and promptly
hurry off to Francois's cell. The
thought Of 1t made her lose her head:
and her action was instructive and
immediate. First, she pushed the,
bolt at the foot OF the door. Next" "
half rising, she slammed the dron
shutter over the wicket. A latch
clicked. 1t was no longer possible
either 70 enter Or to look in.
Then at once she realized the alb
surdity Of her action. which had not
opposed any obstacle to the menace
OF the enemy. Stephane, leaping to
her side, said:
Good heavens, what have you done p
Why, they saw that 1 was not moving
and they now know that 1 am not
alone!"
Exactly" she answered, striving to
defend herself. They will try to break
DOWN the door. which viii give US tho
time we want"
The time we want for what?"
ITO make our escape"
Which way2"
Francois will call out to US. Fran :
co.'s will
She did not complete her sentence
They now heard the sound of foot 2
steps moving swiftly down the pass
age. There was no doubt about IL:
the enemy without troubling about:
Stephane, whose fight appeared i'm ,
possible, was making for the upper:
floor of cells. Moreover, might he
not suppose that the two friends
We're acting in agreement and that
II was the boy who was in Steph-
ane's cell and who had barred the
dOor7 ''io
Neronique listened, desperately ex-
pectant OF what was coming. irving
TO, guess. seeking to find some clue An
Suephane's eyes. He stood in front OF
her looking at her as man, in the
nour OF danger, looks at the woman
he loves.
And suddenly she staggered and
mad TO press her hand against the
wall. 1t was as though the cave and
indeed the whole cliff were bodily
moving from its place.
oh, she murmured, us II I who
am trembling like this? Is It from
fear that am shaking from head to
toot?"
Selling Stephane's hands, she said:
Tell me! l want to know"
He did not answer. There was M,
fear in his eyes bedewed with tears
there was nothing but immense love
and unbounded despair. He was
thinking only of her
! Besides was II necessary for him
to explain what was happening? Did
not the reality itself become more
and more apparent as the seconds
| passed? n strange reality indeed,
| having no connection with common
place facts, reality quite beyond
anything that the ina gination might
invent in the domain of evil,
strange reality which Veronique, who
| was beginning 10 grasp its Indication.
still refused to believe.
Acting like a trap-door but like a
trap door working the reverse way,
the square OF enormous joists which
| was set IN the middle df the cave
rose, pivoting on the fixed axis by
which 1t was hinged parallel with the
! cliff. The almost irnpepceptible
movement was that of an enormous
| lid opening; and the thing already
formed a sort OF sprngboard reaoh-
! ing from the edge to the back OF the
/ cave, sprlngbOard with as vet a
very slight slope, on which II was
easy enough TO keep ones balance.
| At the first moment, Veronioue
thought that the enemy's object was
to crush them between the fmplaca-
BILE floor and the granite OF the cell
ing bat, almost immediately after
ward, she understood that tho hateful
Il mechanism, byStanding erect Hike n
drawbridgt when hoisted I'D, was in
tended 70 hurl them over tho preci
picc. And II would carry out that in
tention lncNorably. The result was
ifNNF'A .'AllAl lllfN ~ dblts WNdIeNeT tnGV
might try, whatever efforts they
might make 10 hold on, a mlnuts
would cOne when the floor OF that
drawbridgo would be absolutely YER
tical forming an integral part OF tho
r perpendicular cliff.
ITS horrible, it's horrible" she
1 muttcred
3 Their hands were stun clasped
1 Stcphnne was weeping silent tears
Presently she moaned:
"T1oro's nothing to be done, Is
z thero?"
? "NOthinc," he replied
/ "S'ill. there Is room beyond that
wooden eoor. The cave is round. We
' "The space is too small. II we tried
t to stand between the sides OF Tho
71upre and the wall, we should he
. crushed 10 death. That has ali been
planned, have often thought
p about H."
(Read To- Moprou's ThriIIlps
lnstAiHiOnt,)