Evening star., 1925-02-24

notice is that he doesn't seem to do
any work. Mr.. Ember is supposed to
be his secretary. but he really does
all his work with Lady Heritage. She
goes on all the time"
time. She spends hours in the labora-
tories | believe she works there
till ever so late, but Sir William just
sticks in his study and broods.
thought how strange it was from the
very first day
And Lady Heritage? Put all this
mysterious business on one side and
tell me what you make of herr
Jane hesitated.
'She's-she's disturbing. l think she
has too much of everything, and it
seems to upset the balance of every
thing she touches. She's too beauti-
full for one thing, and she has too
much intellect, and too much, far too
much, emotion. l think she is dread
fully unhappy too, with the sort of
unhappiness that makes you want to
hurt somebody else. You know what
she sang this evening. | think she
really feels like that, and would lik e
to smash-everything. That's why
- Jane broke off suddenly; her
voice dropped TO the least possible
thread oh, what's that-whats S
that?"
As Sne SpOhe ntI manu- met merry >
on the switch of the torch. The light
went out. Jane clung to one of the
hard, strong fingers as she listened
with all her ears. She heard a. foot
step, light and unmistakable, and it
stopped upon the threshold.
There were about 20 seconds of
really terrifying silence, and then the
handle of the door turned slowly,
Jane heard the creak of the hinge, the
minute rattle of the latch. Then the
handle was released. but slowly and
with the least possible noise. There
was another silence.
Jane pinched Henry as hard as she
could, and though this, of course, re
lieved the strain she felt dreadfully
afraid that she would scream unless
something broke through this dread
full quiet.
Something did break through it
next moment, for there came a low
knocking on the door. and with the
first sound Of that knocking Jane
recovered herself. With an extraor-
binary quickness and lightness she
was on her feet and out of the cup
board, the cupboard was shut, and
Jane, her shoes noiselessly discard
ed, was sitting on the side of
rumpled bed, a fold of the sheet
across her mouth, inquiring in sleepy,
muffied accents:
What is IT? Who's there?"
The knocking had gone on steadily.
Now it stopped, and a voice said. 1T
is l, Lady Heritage. Open the door"
Jane threw back the bedclothes so
as to cover the chair at the bed
foot--a chair upon which there should
have been a neatly folded pile of
clothes-pulled off her stockings, and
took the key out of the dressingta BILE
drawer.
"Oh, what is it?" she said, and FUN
bled at the lock.
Next moment the door was open.
and she saw Lady Heritage in her
white linen overall and headdress, the
latter pushed back and showing her
hair.
Lady Heritage saw a startled girl
in red flannel dressing gown. Be-
tween the moonlight and the light
from the passage there was a. sort of
dusk. Lady Heritage put her hand
on the switch, but did not pull 1t
down. Instead, she said quickly.
Il saw light under the door. Are
you ill?"
Jane rubbed her eyes.
"A light?" she said
Raymond crossed the room quickly
and felt each of the electric bulbs.
"A light?" said Jane again.
Lady Heritage went back to the
door and turned all the lights on
DO you always lock yourself in?"
she said. And why did you take the
key out of the door?"
WAS it wrong? They say that if
you lock your door and put the key
away, even if you walk in your sleep,
you don't go out of the room 1
shouldn't like to walk in my sleep
in big house like this and perhaps
wake UP in a cellar or out on the
terrace"
Lady Heritage did an odd thing.
Something flashed across her face as
Jane was speaking, and she put both
hands on the girls shoulders and
pulled her round so that she faced the
light.
Jane met, for a moment, a most
extraordinary look. 1t did not seem
to go through her as Mr.. Ember's
scrutiny had done, but 1t shook her
more. She looked down and said
shakily:
What is it? Oh, please tell me if
have vexed you-oh, please"
Lady Heritage took her hands away.
Il had forgotten you walked in
your sleep" she said. "I don't like
locked doors as a rule, but 1 suppose
you had better keep yours fastened.
shouldn't like you to walk into the
sea and get drowned, or break your
neck falling off the terrace. Get
back to your bed. I'm just going to
mine. I've been working late"
She went out, and 1T was a long,
long time before Jane, who had heard
the soft footballs die away in the dis
tance, dared open the door and take
a hasty look along the corridor. 1t
was quite empty.
After najlSa ba fa
the cupboard door and opened it.
The flooring stretched unbroken;
there was no square hole and no
Henry. She sat down on the floor,
hesitated, and then knocked lightly
Under her very hand board rose
with little jerk-a line of light
showed, and Henry's voice said
softly:
"All clear?"
Yes, be quick; darent wait"
Who was it?"
Lady Heritage"
What did she want?"
Il don't know. She said she saw a
light. Henry, she frightens me, she
really does"
The board rose little higher.
"A sleuth who gets frightened is
no earthly" said Henry firmly.
Now, look here, Jane, 1 can get you
out of this quite easily if you want
to come. You are the only person
in the house whom L haven't inter
viewed. Mr.. Ember said that of
course I shouldn't want to see you,
as you did not get here until after
the leakage must have taken place.
[ made no comment at the time, but
1T Is perfectly open to me to insist on
seeing you, to say that I am not sat-
isfied with the interview, and to take
you back to London for further in
terroga ton
Henry had opened the trapdoor about
a foot. His face, lighted from below,
looked very odd with the chin almost
resting on a board at James feet and
the trap held up by one hand and