Evening star., 1924-06-26
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

An old house, this: once a good
house; carved balustrades; moulded
ceilings; evidence of architectural
taste: some old, prosperous mer-
CHANTS house once upon a time, no
doubt. And no doubt, either, that
nobody had lived in it for years and
wrack, ruin, dirt, dust. everywhere.
Silent, too, with the sort of silence
that you never find but in deserted
houses, and smell about it like
mat you get in deep vaults under
some old church. We got at last
into what was evidently the hall of
the house, big, gloomy place-that
Is, as far as | could see, for there
Holliment managed his bulls eye
more warily than ever, and l had
out lmperfect glimpses of my sur
roundings.
once more he stopped before a door,
unlocked it, and motioned me to pass
through. More stairs, stairs evidently
leadlns to the basement, confront ed
US, but there was a light at the foot
where an open door showed itself
ana IN that light I saw. within this
door, the edge of a warn-coIored
carpet, red, think, but anyway
comfortable, domestic-surely an odd
anu surprising thing to see in that
Nerltable solitude of a house, 4
moment !ater-after more locking
and barring of that last door-we
were at the foot of this stairway.
and there, TO my infinite wonder. was
a snug and appealing parlor or sit
tins room. well furnished with good
old stuff, and having III its CRATE a
brightly burning fire
II was not until | saw the eIeam M
or that fire that | realized that | was
coId-cold' utterly cold in a queer
sort OF way. Hollfment may have
felt the same sensation. at any ra.e
as soon as he had set down his hull.s
eye ana had turned up the wick of a
moderator lamp that stood on the
oaoie' ne Went straight to corner
glasses, and turning. motioned me- 70
hand over jug of water that he in
olcated on the Sideh0ard left II
TO hlm TO mix the drinks: all that |
cared about at that moment was to
get one, and to Get it strong. And I
got lt-Strong enough.
he gave deep sign when he had
drained half the contents of his tum-
oler and taken the glass from his
lips, and when he had sighed he
ded at the bottle
Brandy" he said. "A matter that
scarcely ever touch-whisky's my
tipple, and not over much of that
In an abStemi Gus man. on principle
But when you've had bit Of an ex-
perience like that, brandy is the
thing! l could just do with this
and SO could you, my lad, Feel bet
ter
80 much better. Mr. Holliment."
l answered, having swigged off as
much of the liquor as he had. 80
much better that I'm bold enough to
ask Eou-waS it ten minutes since or
hundred years ago?-that | asked
you before? What's it all about ?"
And | answer as before. my lad
he replied, quite good humoredly.
you wouldn't understand But I'm
sorry you chanced to get drawn into
1T. However, you're safe. Were both
safe-here. But-only just in time
However, again-we are safe! With
whole skins. too
/ drank off the rest of the brandy
and set down the glass
Then you'll let me go, now, Mr.
Holliment l said. Il dare say YOU
know safe way out of this house,
and
He stared at me as if l had pro-
posed some utterly fantastic and i'm
possible thing, and l saw at once
that i was condemned already to
some indefinite detention.
Safe way out of this house," he
repeated. There's no safe way out
of this house, my lad. for some hours
II for the rest of the night! You can
lay your last penny on that, Be con-
tent.-as | said, were safe here. But
outSide-!"
He made a significant grimace, at