South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-17
Ti1g1rphS Of -
MJonquelle y
by MELVILLE DAvISSON Posi-
q Inc

with whom Lord Winton had a mid
night appointment. could have been.
and ] do not know what occurred at
that mysterious conference, except,
Of course. the resultant tragedy.
which was afterward known TO
everyone.
Il took the candle which Lord
WintOn gave me and went along the
hall 70 the stairway which descend
"a into the basement Of the house.
4 had in my hand the key 10 the
wine-ceHar
The last I saw OF Lord Winton
in his life was his tall bowed back
as he stopped 70 open the door. his
hand on the latch. He seemed a
sort Of heavy shadow outlined
against the door IN the dim light of
the gas-jet that bt-ned feebly,
lighting the hall behind him
He made a vague gesture. lifting
one Of his hands softly from the
arm Of the chair
Here. monsieur. chance or my in
telligence failed me. II 1 had re-
NAMED a moment-if, in fact. had
looked back as I went down the
stairway at the end Of the hall.
should have zen Lord Winton's as
sassin."
The Prefect Of Police made no
comment. and Lord Valleys con-
tinued:
After some little difficulty. 1 final
" found the door to the wine-cellat.
opened it and entered II was very
old-one Of those huge stone cells
which the early English built in their
houses in which TO store the choice
wines Of France.
1T seemed to me that this wine
cellar had not been entered in a long
time / was mistaken in this i'm
preston. Fortunately for me, it
had. from time TO time, been looked
into by Lord Wintons manservant.
have said fortunately because
this manservant. Staley, was able to
confirm my statement
THE whole of the low vault was
cluttered with straw, piled and
heaped with il. like a farmers rick.
II was this aspect of the place that
gave me the Impression that it had
not been entered for a long time
And it was true it had not been
q sturbed for a long time. The
, Bllls and the floor Of this cellar
We're stone: the ceiling was Of WOOD
crossed with beams dried out like
finder. and the bins, as I have said
were heaped with the straw in which
/ innumerable wine-cases had been
packed.
Lord Winton had described the
wine which he wished so that I could
not mistake il. But he was not GER
tain in which bin it was to be found,
and l had 10 make. a search of very
nearly the whole of the cellar This
did not disturb me. for Lord winton
| had fixed an hour as the length of
the visit of the person whom he ex-
pected, and who, in fact. had arrived.
And 1 was not to return until that
time. 1t was, as nearly as I can de-
termine. about eleven o'clock OF the
night when I went down the steps
TO the wine-cellar."
The man remained silent a mo-
ment as if in some contemplation.
Finally he continued:
AN unfortunate accident occurred
In rising from a bin over which /
had been stopped, the candle touched
a wisp Of straw hanging from above.
and Immediately the dried-out. half
rotten wood of the beamed ceiling
flashed into flame"
He paused again.
L was appalled,. but I did not lose
my sense Of necessity. I undertook
TO put the fire out. I made a des.
perate effort against it. there in that
house must burn if this whole wood
ceiling took fire. The place filled
with smoke. 1t became very nearly
| impossible TO breathe, but I did not
give up the fight against the fire.
/ Finally when / was blinded, choked
and very nearly unconscious. I broke
| open the door leading from the base
ment Of the house and ran out into
| the street 1t seemed that 1 should
never breathe, and l continued to
run.
You know what followed. was
taken up by one OF the Metropolitan
/ police; the burning house was en-
tered, and Lord Winton brought out
| He was dead The small blade OF a
knife had been driven into his body
low down on the right side. The
wound, ranging upward. was deep. It
| had severed a vital artery"
The final installment OF this thrill =
ing mystery will appear I'm our next
issue.