Evening star., 1925-10-06
Sir RaWdon in Love.

right to go and come as he
pleased, even after midnight;
but il his unproved--perhaps
unprovable - suspicious We're just.
there would be Il spy about the place,
bound by love or fear or money, to
report upon his movements. He
guessed that this spy and Fanny Gil
lett were ''in the same skin" and
Fanny was an adversary not to be
despised, even by Dagon of Scotland
Yard. Her room was far from his
as far as the farthest end Of the
house-but il she were watching him
it would be by night as we'll as day.
Her experience as a V. A. D. must
we'll have accustomed her to might
duty"
Dagon used the secret door and
staircase leading down from the tap
estry boudoir In order to reach the
cellar. lie chose this way because he
knew that q dog of Fanny Gilletts-
q sharp-voiced fox terrier-slept IN
the housekeeper's room, and ne would
have to pass that door II he descend
ed to tho cellar by the obvious route.
He knew the secret of the spring,
over which he had brooded a good
| deal lately, and the mechanism was
practically noiseless, If carefully han
died. But tonight he was excited and
must have bungled. for the door De-
hind the tapestry stuck IN lts groove
and the push he had to give it sent
1t home with violence. Dagon had
shut each door behind him as he
PASSED, vet the noise the tortured
mechanism made seemed to his jan
sled nerves to echo through the
house. It seemed. too. that he heard
some other sound--a sigh. rustic,
the tap Of a heel, and had he been
superstitious his heart would nave
Jumped, for the tapestry bouGoir was
haunted by the ghost of the long-Van-
ished bride--that mysterious beauty
who had disappeared two centuries
ago. as Eve Carroll had disappeared
| the other night. ..
! The detective, however. prayed II
might be nothing more perllous 70 MS
plan than a ghost He would nave
secured his retreat by closing the Sc
cret door again, but dared not do so
| lest il should stick once more. HIS
electric lantern guided him down the
narrow stairway in the thickness Oh
/ the wall, and then the cellar opened
out before him-the cellar OF the 1ur-
mace and of Sir Eawdon'S laboratory
| The cavelike depths under the ola
house (of which this central portion
| was the Oldest parO were black as
! pitch save for the small wandering
rod OF light sent forth by his electric
| lantern. Dagon paused Tor mo
| nent. mentally taking his bearings.
| The Persian garden and the poo.
| should be south or straight ahead OF
| hin, as he stood. This was the wall.
then. where he must search, he tolo
himself. There should be brick
which masked a spring. To find II
! among n thousand other bricks would
i be like looking for needle IN nay
! stack. Nevertheless he would flnc II.
lie must,
{ I'VE got till dawn he muttered.
: "Hut the sooner the better. Nho
! knows what's happening down
! there"
. The words made no sound. Yet al
| that instant a door opened and a NSht
streamed out. shining full upon his
| apure. dimrning the lantern glow. II
was the door OF the laboratory ano
framed in it appeared tawdon WeIs
| Roth men were surprised. Eacf
exclaimed the others name. foF 'ht
det ective there was no need 10 eAcus'
his presence in the cellar, nut II Va
different with Sir Rawdon Neiis. fit
| knew that he was under suspicion ahe
probably guessed. II he dld not actu
ally know, that he might nave peer
arrested instead of remaining IN MS
80 house ION parole," had it not
been for Dagon. >
- came down here tonight because
T had the most anna zing dream, Neils
| exnlained instantly, as II expecting
/ question. II simply had to come
think You'll believe. Dagon, that !t
no hidden motive-no intention OF 40
ing anything the police would uis
annroye for a man in my position.
snnnose you're here for quiet loot
| AT something or other that s s'rucf
YOU as interesting. But II you ooil
nina I'd rather like to tell you ahou
that dream and see what you tnihi
of i There's nothing in it, sup
nose. Still can't get the Impresslol
ont of my head" AS he spoke M
touched a switch which lit the ~hoi'
cellar. .,s
Those s o S calls hadn't been sent ou
for nothing. He might at best be
tlous time in finding the way 10 ina
hidden hall under the pool. so N
had no time to waste IN nlscussiiis
queer dreams. .o,,
| fsJ)0 YOU KnO" "tidl IL
means in good American and cana
d.an?" Dagon asked.
1T means O kind of flair or lnspl
ratfon that you ought to do some
thing or that something's likely u
bannen. doesn't it," said the otner.
Yes, that's about it. if ii can D.
nut into proper languase-"hlch
ran,t exactly returned DaSoi1
well. I've got a 'hunch' that I'm go
J inc to do q stunt OF stunts down her
tonight. And if you don't mind
think 1 ought to be alone When -
start my incantations. SO TO speah
; Not that ] don't trust YOU ''ii'i
WV, Lnow I do. But
~ understand" Wells filled up IN
,,ha rra ssed pause "Unofficiany yo
give me the benefit OF the oouo.'
1ather more, and I have iot ,
thank YOU for. Yet officially you
sor scotland Yard, and Scotland iaI
aves me askance. I'm supposed l
trow some dark secrets of TINS poo
old house and to use them Ioi os> ia1 la.S
ends. The theory is. if l stayed her
looking on while you followed son
star-or 'hunch'-1 might hiiiue
rather than help-what: :,
"Jyell. I'd like to hear the oe'a u
ot ,.o,,r dream q little later" said l'a
con. eva sively. "But mean"hiie"
yo,, tell me one thing before Sou-e
-1o upStairS? r ..r,.,