The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-15
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IrIHHlHl.s

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
AZ think I will, If you don't mind
very much. Bill"
"Righto," he said. go on"
We'll, Wen just make sure we can
get back again, first. 1t really
wouldn't be fair on the Inspector II
we got stuck down here for the rest
of our lives. He's got enough to
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 dang
ling. He flashed his torch into the
darkness again, so as to make sure
where the steps began; then re-
turned 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.
rs 1t all right?" said Bill anxious.
ly.
"An 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
COulQ Sill see ldl1l SpldSA6S
of light, and could hear slow uncer-
tain footsteps; for a little longer
he could fancy that he saw and
heard them; then ho was alone.
Well. not quite alone. There was
a sudden voice in the hall outside.
Good Lordm said Bill. turning
round with a start. "CayleyT'
II he was not so 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,
looking up from the fourth volume
of THE Life and Works Of Samuel
Taylor Coleridge." Have they I'm.
ished?"
FINISHED what?"
1.-THE pond" said Bill, wondering
why he was reading Coleridge on
such fine afternoon. Desperately
he tried to think of a good reason
verifying quotation-an
argument with Antony-that would
do. But what quotation?
"Oh. no. They're still at 1t.
Where's Dillingham;"
1.-The Ancient Mariner"-water,
water, everywhere-or was that
something else? And where was
Gillingham? Water. water every
where
Tony? Oh, he's about some
where. They aren't finding any
thing at the pond, are they?"
mo. But they like doing 1t.
Something of their minds when
they can say they've done it"
Bill, deep in his book, looked up
and said Yes and went back to it
again. He was just getting to the
place.
Whats the book?" said Cayley,
coming up to him. Out OF the cor
ner Of his eye he glanced at the shelf
of sermons as he came. Bill saw
that glance and wondered. Was
there anything there to give away
the secret?
'I was just looking up a quota.
IlOUs ne QTd"tG0. 4Oty anu udu
bet about 1t. You know that thing
-about-er-water. water every
where, and-er-not drop to
drink" Out what on earth, he won
dered to himself. were they betting
about0
Nor any drop to drink to be
accurate"
Bill looked at him in surprise.
Then a happy smile came on his
face.
"ouite sure?" he said. e9E
"Of course"
"Then you've saved me a lot of
trouble. That's what the bet was
about" He closed the book with a
slam, put It back in its shelf, and be-
gan to feel for his pipe and tobacco.
at was fool to bet with Tony" he
added. He always knows that sort
of thing"
So far, so good. But here was
Cayley still in the library, and there
was Antony. all unsuspecting, IN
the passage. When Antony came
back he would not be surprised to
find the door closed, because the
whole object of his going had been
to see if he could open it easily from
the inside. At any moment, then.
the bookshelf might swing back and
show Antony's head IN the gap. A
nice surprise for CayleyI
Continued in Our Next Issue)