Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-27

| plans, I mean, which aftefward he
carried out. Now I'm going TO
| experiment as he did. And we shall
| see-what we shall see."
What they did see when Dagon
| had pressed his stylographtc pen
l into the hole was a sinking OF tne
| great stone after one sharp, telifale
"click." The stone went down a few
: inches and slid under another OF
| the same size. A square opening
was left, black as ink and just Dig
I.enough to admit the passage OF a
| slender mans shoulders.
I "There'u be a ladder underneath.
said Dagon. I'm going down with
my lantern"
Let me CO." urged Wells. I'VE
| don't know what kind of man-trap
| there mayn't be down below there.
Besides, this is my house. 1t ought
| to be my job"
II shan't give It up to any one"
said the detective. III there is
| man trap, / can look out for myself
az well as the next chap can, /
| guess. Which Of us two would Pan
| dora miss more, anyhow, II things
| went wrong with one OF us: a
brother she never saw or heard Of.
or you. the man she'd have sold
her life to saver"
That isn't the question" Wells
Tt is for me. And here goes.
Wish me luck. When I call. you
can follow. Say have you got q
pistol, or anything like that handy"
II had one," said Rawdon. an
| son took it-with apologies"
well, nobody's taken mine-yet.
I've got it on me, and If those
| signals down below meant q hurry
| call. maybe shall need it. Maybe,
too. the gentleman you and I have
! been playing cross purposes about
is with the ladies'"
"If there's a man below, I will
; not believe it's the one you're. hint
| ing at" Wells insisted. But look
here Dagon. If you think for a mo-
ment we've q chance of finding Eve
Carroll, for heavens sake don't
move further till one of us-you or
has called her husband. He has
a right to be in this game, and
would never forgive us If we didn't
bring him in with u.s."
Gee! You're right. didn't
think Of It," confessed Dogan. II
guess I was thinking of too many
| other things. You fetch him."
I Haste and I haven't been meet
| ing or speaking" Wells demurred.
| you know he suspects me still
| somtimes. think more than ever"
Only half -heartedly," said Dagon.
| And now's your chance to justify
yourself with him by doing the
generous thing. Tell him found
out the secret"
TITS the truth"
| THAT'S so. as it happens. But
even If it wern't, it would never do
I 70 AT Him IL =
believe you had known where to
look all the time. l expect soon to
be in a position to prove my theory
to him, and exonerate you forever
but no use beginning with a
prejudice. Tell him I've found the
! secret, and you proposed bringing
3 you'll waltz"
| Unless something unforeseen
turns up. But hurry"
| Wells raced upstairs the shortest
! way, which was not by the secret
staircase. He did not stop to think
or care how much noise he made,
Dagon reflected, but shrugged his
shoulders. After all. it didn't mat
ter now II the Spy" were reused,
They had found the way to the hid
: den hall. Nothing and no one
should prevent them from getting
! at its secret.
Upstairs in the wing where Ken
nedy Haste slept, Wells hurried
steps slackened. He and Ken had
been pals since boyhood, but since
Eve Carroll had come into their
lives the friendship which had seem
ed to them both warranted to wear
all weathsrs had been put an empty
| name. Since the wedding and Ewes
disappearance. even that name had
ceased to cover Haste's true feel
ings. Rawdon felt that Ken hated
MIN, believed the worst-of him. AT
doubt"
Their forced presence in the same
house had made things worse
Rawdon's house, where Eve had
anished-the- which neither
man could leave until the mystery
was solved.
| Wells had not stopped to settle In
MS mind how much he should ex-
plain to Haste when he had walked
MIN. The explanation he had tc
give had seemed easy till he reach.
ed the door and stood hesitating be-
fore he tapped. But Dagon had told
MIN to hurry. There wasn't a mo-
ment to waste in making I'D his
mind what to say. That must set
tie itself.
| He tapped lightly, ready to knock
again If need be. Almost instantly
however. light was switched. on
and the door opened. Haste must
have been awake.
| You" he said, roughly. at sigh,
of Wells.
Yes. THAT is, we-Dagon and
(Rawdon cursed himself for
stammering) want you to come
down to the~cellar at once. Dagon
mas made very important dis
covery. Ken, ! know you've doubte ed
me-un1ustly. swear to God!-but
In a few minutes you-all of us
may get hold of the truth. Don,
hope too much. But Dagon believes
we may find Eve as well as Pan
dora. Some one has been signaling
put there's no time to explain ali
self" '0i
i Haste could not speak. Strength
had gone out of him. His hea
raced like an engine and his hands
shook as he tried to Slip a dressirr
gown on over his pajamas. A few
moments ago the thought Of beine
touched by his one time friend
would, nave repealed him. Now he
na,uiy- realized that he was being
helped by the man he had hated
he thrust his bare feet into slip
pers and was ready to start.
|
II only Fanny would come back,r
was the prayer in Mrs. Gilletts
neart as she wandered ghost like 10
the room of ghosts-the tanestrv
poudoir. which always fa.einated
her because she feared and hated ~
Fanny's bedroom was next 10 bars
| and she had heard Tia .-s.i - 5.