Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-20
nx, -
tbI Y. 4
MELVILLE DAWSON POST

, had cne out at that moment, or
been tkAre a long time, do not know.
My forbearance with the beast very >
| nearly went to pieces; but something
in the voice. something strange. pecu-
liar, unlike the creature, restrained
me.
'Is any place about this house
paved with stones?"
There was an unstable quality in
Backmartin's voice, as though IL is
| sued from one holding himself to-
| gether with an immense effort. And
there was singular sincerity in 1t. [ :
could not see the mans face.
This terrace / said, ''is paved"
| He came running out, at that, and
! over the whole length OF the terrace.
Then he came back to the library door
and stood with his hand pressed
| against his mouth as in some refec-
| ton.
But upon itr he said. There is
| nothing upon it?''
Then he flung the door open.
Come in here" he said.
| We went in behind him.
II was astonished at the man when
4 the light uncovered him.. He was
the Backmartin Of the old day; a
! ruin of that man, surely, and yet. the
man returned as by some sorcery into
a brief unstable control of this de-
bauched, abandoned creature. That
| this control was unstable, at. the yir-
| tue of a breaking effort, and uncer-
tain of continuance, the aspect OF
him and the Quavering voice evil
| denced. But while IL held the ruin
of the man together it gave that ruin
a certain authority of life and n
certain dignity of manner.
And put it upon a pavement OF
stones." he repeated; that's the di-
rection, upon a pavement OF stones
What direction?" I said. What
are you talking about?''
He indicated the vellum with its
cuneiform Inscription above the man
! tel.
THE direction in that cipher" he
replied. TT says, upon pavement
Of stones"
you have deciphered that inscrip-
tion?' I was incredulous. After all
the learned men in Europe failed on
| it?"
A faint smile struggled into his
tense nard-he1d face.
Did not Sir Hector say that their
knowledge OF Assyrlology was cons
fined to the sacred books. OF the Jews,
and that they were only fit to work
out puzzles well, that's what 1T IS.
a puzzle. connected with the sacred
books of the Jews"
He went over TO the mantel and
took up the framed inscription. He
put his finger on the two royal As
syrian figures.
That's a King" he said; 'thera
are two Of them. that would be
| Kings and there are two wedges
before them, that would be two
Kings And the remainder of it is
made up of cuneiform characters put
together to form the reference in
Roman numerals: sixteen, seventeen,
five. That is to say: Two Kings, six
teen. seventeen, five.' That would be
| Second Kings. chapter sixteen, verse
seventeen, line five "
He turned about and put his big
finger on a line of the Bible open on
the table before him. : -. -@
"And that line says: And put it
upon a pavement of stones.t" He
turned about to US. Somewhere on
a pavement of stones Sir Hector has
concealed whatever it was, that he
brought out Of Asia"
We looked at him in a sort of won
der. The girls fingers were on my
arm; she was tense now in a con-
Stunning interest.
Il Backmartin went on: 1.-THE terrace
out there is paved with stones, and IL
this verse said under a pavement. OF
stones I would know where to look.
But it doesn't say under; it says upon
Now, how could II be upon that
terrace? There's nothing upon it,
Marjorie suddenly cried out as with
an inspiration. But there is some
thing upon it; there's a square OF
tiles laid down before this door; they
would be upon it,"
Backmartin stood up at that; he
looked a moment at the mosaic max
ing a wide step before the door.
Then lie turned to me.
Your car is standing out there:
get chisel and a hammer from the
toolbox."
i got the implements and. we raised
the tiles: Under them upon the flag
pavement. was a thin. square copper
BOX We took il intorfhe hbrarSfand
put it on the table. No one spoke
Backmartin carried the box, and we
followed after him. He put It on the
table. And then he did an. inexpfics-
bile thing. He went on throug THE
. library door into the hail. thought
he went to seek a tool to ,cltAthe
], copper. and I,followed. found him
| lin the hall putting on my greStcoat.
:, In the light his contorteds faceswas
: lowered with sweat - ~
- awaken your driver. she said, land
iaget me to the coast."a 81
I>hesitated in my. profound aston
ishment.. ~.
And he turned suddenly, on me- the
sweat trickling in the 1ines' ofshis
hard pressed. dreadful, face
Hurry, man Helvery, nearlysspat
on me in his extremity
T STOOD outside, swith my sheadsun
i covered. until the roar OF the car
racing south was a faintFecho. Then
, n went in Marjorie. was standing by
q the library. She' had. got 1.-THE lid of
Il the boxyunfastened,, and within. sfere
cleaning, priceless.
But I was not happy. i felt little
man beside the big one who was gone
the mortal struggle of this crea
Il ture the dreadful thing he had con-