New Britain herald., 1922-08-15

ported. rather breathless, that Cayley was still at the pond. They stood in front of the row of sermons. An tony took down the Reverend Theo- dore Ussher's famous volume. and felt for the spring. Bill pulled. The shelves swung open toward them.
 By Jove" said Bill, 1t as a narrow way"
 There was an opening about yard square in front of them, which had something the look of brick Are place, fireplace raised about two feet from the ground. But, save for one row of bricks in front, the floor of 1t was emptiness. Antony took a torch from his pocket and flashed 1t down into the blackness
 Look" he whispered to the eager Bill. The steps begin down there. Six feet down.
 He flashed his torch up again. There was a handhold of iron, a sort of large iron staple, in the bricks in front of them.
 You swing off there" said Bill. "At least, suppose you do. won- der how Ruth Norris liked doing it." | Sdylcy uclpeu HCI, It's funny"
 Shall I go first?" asked Bill, ob- viously longing to do 50.
 Antony shook his head with a smile.
 T think I will, If you don't mind very much, Bill"
 | "Righto," he said. "Gos on"
 Well, we'll just make sure we can get back again. first. It really wouldn't be fair on the Inspector if we got stuck down here for the rest of our lives. He's got enough ,u do trying to find Mark. but if he has to find you and me as we'll"
 Antony sat down on the ledge of bricks, swung his feet over, and sat there for moment, his legs dangling. He flashed his torch into the darkness again, so as to make sure where the steps began: then returned 1t to his pocket, seized the staple in front of him and swung himself down. His feet touched the steps beneath him, and he let go.
 "Is it all right?" said Bill anxiously
 "All right. I'll just go down to the bottom of the steps and back Stay there"
 The light shone down by his feet His head began to disappear For a little while Bill, craning down the opening, could still see faint splashes of light, and could hear slow uncer- tain footsteps; for little longer he could fancy that he saw and heard them; then he was alone
 We'll not quite alone. There was tr, ho han ytc ciI
 Good Lord" said Bill, turning round with start. "Cayley!"
 If he was not 30 quick in thought as Antony, he was quick enough in action. Thought was not demanded now. To close the secret door safely but noiselessly, to make sure that the books were in the right places, to move away to another row of shelves the difficulty was not to decide what to do. but to do all this in five seconds rather than in six
 "Ah, there you are," said Cayley from the doorway.
 "Hallo." said Bill in surprise, look Ing up from the fourth volume of "The Life and Works of Samuel Tay- Tor Coeridge." Have they finished ?"
 Finished what?"
 "The pond" said Bill, wondering why he was reading Coleridge on such i a fine afternoon Desperately he tried to think of a good reason verifying a quotation-an argument | with Antony--that would do. But what quotationo
 "Oh, no. They're still at it. Gillingham
 "The Ancient Mariner"-water, water, everywhere-or was that some thing else? And where was Gilling- ham? Water, water everywhere
 Tony? Oh, he's about somewhere. They aren't finding anything at the pond. are they?"
 No. But they like doing it. off their minds when they san say they've done it.'
 Bill, deep in his book. looked up and said Yes" and went back to it gain. He was just getting to the place.
 What's the book?" said Cayley, coming up to him. Out of the cor Ter of his eye he glanced at the shelf ,f sermons as he came. Bill saw hat glance and wondered. Was here anything there to give away the ecret?
 T was just looking up quotation" le drawled. Tony and I had bet bout it. You know that thing bout-er-water, water everywhere, a drop to drink" (But what on earth, he wondered to him elf, were they betting abont?) fo dri1 tp he urate"
 Bill looked at him in surprise. hen a happy smile came on his face. Quite sure?" he said. "Of course.' "Then you've saved me lot of | rouble. That's what the bet was bout" He closed the book with a lam, put it back in it's shelf, and be- an to feel for his pipe and tobacco. I was a fool to bet with Tony" he dded. He always knows that sort II f thing" II So far. so good. But here was II ayley still in the library and there II as Antony. all unsuspecting, in the assage. When Antony came back H e would not be surprised to find the DOT closed. because the whole object II f his going had been to see if he III ,uld open 1t easily from the inside. H t any moment. then. the bookshelf light swing back and show Antony's cad in the gap. A nice surprise for ayley,
 (Continued in Our Next Issue) Z