Evening journal., 1922-08-11

They had come to the pond
Marks Lakeland they walked sill
emily round Il. When they had
made the circle. Antony sat down
on the grass, and relit his pipe. Bill
| followed his example.
We'll, Mark isn't there" said
Antony.
mo" said Bill. "At least. I don't
quite see why you know he isn't"
1T isn't knowing it's guess
ing" said Antony rapidly. TITS
much easier 10 shoot yourself than
10 drown yourself, and II Mark had
wanted to shoot himself In the wa
ter. with some idea OF no. letting
the body be found. he'd have put big
stones in his pockets, and the only
big stones are near the waters edge,
and they would have left marks, ana
hey haven't anG therefore, he dldn :,
snd-oh. bother the pond: that can
wait till this afternoon. Bill where
does the secret passage beginF'
We'll. that's what we've got to
find out. isn't ~" -.
"Yes. You see NY idea "a this
He explained his reasons for think
ing that the secret of the passage
was concerned In some way with the
secret OF Roberts death, and went
on:
MY theory is that Mark dlscov-
cred the passage about year ago
the time when lie began to got keen
on crOquet. Well. then, when Miss
Norris was go;rg TO dress-up. Cay
Icy gave 1t away Probably he toId
her :hat she could never get down
to the bowling-green without being
discovered. and then perhaps show
ed that he knew there was one way
in which she could do 1t, and she
wormed the secret out OF him some
how"
but this was two or three days
before Robert turned up"
Exactly. l am not suggesting
that there was anything sinister !
about the passage in the first place.
It was just a little private bit OF
romance and adventure for Mark.
three days ago. He didn't even know
that Robert was coming. But some
how the passage has been used since
In connection with Robert. Perhaps
Mark escaped that way; perhaps
he's hiding there now. And II So
then the only person who could give
him. away was Miss Norris. And
,he OF course would only do 1t in
locently-not knowing that the
passage had anything 10 do with Il"
80 It was safer TO have her out
II the way?"
Yes"
But. look here, Tony, why do you
want 10 bother about this end of 1t?
We can always get in at the bowling
ireen end" -' ~'.'-
Il know, but II we do that we
hall have to do 1t openly. 1t will
mean breaking open the box. and
citing Cayley know that we've done
Z"
CHAPTER XI
There's one thing, which we have
yot 10 realize at once" said Antony,
and that Is that II we don't find II
,aslly. We shan't find 1t at all"
You mean that we shan't have
lme7"'
Neither time nor opportunity.
lhich Is rather consoling thought
D a lazy person like me-"
You can wash out the kitchen |
nd all that part OF the house. said
i'll. after some thought. 1--WE can't
} there" III
mo. What we want 10 consider
which is the most likely place of II
e few places in which we can look II
fely. The library for choice" II
Bill got up eagerly. III
Come along" he said, Tets try I
e library II Cayley comes in, we
n always pretend we're choosing ..
book" II
Antony got up slowly. took his n
m and walked back to the house o
ith him. h.
The library was worth going into,
lssages or no passages Antony G,
,uld never resist another persons
As soon as he went into
ie room, he found himself wander
lg round Il to see what books the n,
wner read. or (more llkely) did not =
Fad. but kept for the air which
hey lent 20 the house. Mark had
rided himself on his library. It was i
ons. new editions. expensive books
heap books-a library IN which
verybody, whatever his taste. could
e sure OF finding something TO suit
i'm.
And which Is your particular
lncy. Bnl?" said Antony. looking
'om one shelf 10 another "or are
on always playing billiards2"
"I have a look at 'Badminton'
,metimes." said Bill. "Its over in
lat corner there" He waved
and.
"over there?" said Antony. going
Il.
Yes" He corrected himself sud
My. ooh, no. IT'S not. Mark had
grand re-arrangement OF his IL
ary about a year ago. It took
m more than a week. he told us.
Is got such a frightful lot, hasn't
?"
Now that's very interesting," said
tony. and he sat down and filled
pipe again.
There was indeed a "frightful lot"
books. The four walls of the
-ary were plastered with them :
m floor to ceiling. save only
ere the door and the two windows
isted on living their own life.
N though an illiterate one. To
! 81 seemed the most hopeless
m Of any in which to look for a