Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-09-21
"Chauville's Secret"
By
DAVID WHITELAW
"And you are the murderer Of n

And you are the murderer Of my
poor cousin!" go.
For the first time, Dartin let his
eyes rest on his prisoners face.
"Ah! There. MI. Baxenter, you
must believe my word. y was an
one. / nave done many things ia
my life, but never wiifully killed =
man. Why don't 1 kilt you now IL
I am q murderer Dead mems tales,
Il expect Mr. Dartin has some ex-
cellent reason. why he Should not 40
30. It suits your book, I presume. I
wouldn't have thought that q murder
more or less would have worried you.
once"
Dartin looked at his watch. &
= .&sYou can believer me Sor not, Us
VOW Will, but / have never ceased to
regret your cousins death, and / rath-
er welcome this opportunity OF OK.
planning matters. 1 have put the
memory from me as far as I can, but
! would give all I possess TO call him
back, That's Gods truth, Baxenter."
way, and Haverton's voice called, and
so, without another word, Dartin lit
y fresh candle in the lantern and left
h cellar, locking the 1door on the
outside.
Baxenter lay STILL, Illuminating on
what he had heard. Thursday-
that was about seventy hours Of this
torture. He thought Of stella and
what she would suffer. Perhaps.
At the office: she knee where he had
spent the week -end-imight they not
institute a search?s ne knew that
the girl was. leaving by an afternoon
train to Cardiff to Join the company,
and he had promised to call on her be-
fore she left. She would hardly have
time, after all, to visit the office.
Then he asked himself whether he
It not Just as likely that the two
stoundrels had moved him during his
insensibility to some other hiding
place? Al, he could be certain 81
was that he wac In q cellar ana that
It was not intended he should leave It
before Thursday,
He had listened to Dartin's foot
steps as they had died away on, the
stone floor. hAd heard whispering as
ne spoke to Haverton, then had fallen
this dense silence. It was the silence
that he saw was to be his greatest
trial In the hours TO come. Oppres-
sive - It was, he felt powerless to
break 1t himself, but could only lie
there and listen, al one does when
lying awake Of a night, for the souncs
which do not come.
The candle burnt steadily and threw
out patches Of oohre light through
the panes Of the lantern ON to the
flags Of the floor. He estimated that
It would take perhaps six hours for
It to burn itself out, and he aid not
care to dwell on what his situation
would be then. His bonds Just allow
ed him to reach the water and Big
cults beside him, but any big move.
! raent was denied him. the cords which
bound his feet being In some manner,
to the floor.
He refreshed himself with 4 few
OF the hard biscuits and. q drought
OF water; then fell again to hls stfAins
ed listening. Hour followed hour
or were they minutes that were pass
Ing With suoh leaden feet? Steadily
he watched the cpndls burn lower and
lower, and 10 at last fell asleep.
When he awoke he WA In dark.
harder to bear, and was broken ID
long intervals by trivial sounds which
Robert knew were rats. Doubtless,
the animals had been held in check
by the light and were now advancing
on his stock OF biscuits. He made q
movement and heard their scurryina
feet as they scampertd across the Gel.
lar floor. Then they became holder,
ana the man felt one great fellow
as he ran across Ms ankles.
He called out at tlle horror OF The
thing, and the echoes took his rry
and sportsd with Il among the arches
of the root, and Robert bit deep into
his lip rather. than that he should dry
out again to bring those knocking