Evening star., 1925-10-07

II
like "A fairy story Wells
~ 1T does. but It isn't.
haven't cleared the whole
line vet, but I will clear it. Even
now 7 see-I think | see-that what
happened to Eve Carroll in this house
the other night and what happened
IL my sister and me, all those years
ago, can be traced back to the same
cause. l asked if YOU loved Pandora,
because. if you did, I'd made up my
mind to trust you--to tell you thing
! would not have told YOU otherwise
a thing that perhaps, as "A detective
from Scotland Yard, watching YOU
among others, I've no right to tell
Tell It, if 1t concerns her. I swear
you can trust me- cried Wells.
Il will. And I do trust you"
Dagon said. You are one of my
lunches But first I want to ask
YOU two questions. I've asked you
one of them before. in another form,
and YOU refused to answer. Perhaps
YOU won't refuse again now. Who is
the man who has schemed to ruin
YOU, your deadly enemy who abducted
az killed Eve Haste. and kidnapped
Pandora to keep her from defending
you?"
You're mistaken" answered Wells
You never asked me that question.
And I'm not able to answer it. ]
have no deadly enemy, so far as
know"
You may consider him an intimate
friend, | asked YOU for whose sake
YOU came down 20 the court on the
night Of the wedding. It's tho same
thing
No" Wells flung back. his impas-
stoned Italian face suddenly hard and
r!stinately English. No, it's not the
same thing. Ny coming here had
nothing TO do with an enemy. and
even though YOU may prove to me
that you're Pans brother, | can t
answer that question:
Then Ill find out myself said
Dason. And may find out to-
night
Tonight" Wells stared blankly.
Yes. Listen. | promised to trust
YOU. You won't trust me, but I'll not
back out of my word for that I be-
lieve Pandora Haste is imprisoned in
Your hidden hall, perhaps Eve Car
roll, too. | believe / know who put
them there. and why. And | believe
| know where that hidden hall IS. If
ou hadn't told me.you cared for the
girl I'd have got YOU out of this
cellar at any price and I'd done my
own exploring alone. As 1t IS, III let
You help me if YOU like.
"If like. But l can't help fearing
you are mistaken about that hidden
hall. ! never
'Eow for my second question.
What precisely did you dream about
Pandora?''
That she was calling for help.
That ] was in my laboratory and
heard her. knew it was nonsense.
But couldn't resist dressing myself
and coming down.
"Eut you heard nothing:
Nothing.
You couldn't-in the laboratory.
But if you'd been in my room. YOU q
have seen her calling Tor help-NSht
signals, sos.
Then in a few words he explained
10 Wells what had happened. Two
heads are better than one, he mn
ished. II know you've never be
Iieved there was d secret room. in
spite of the legend OF the bride and all
the queer rumcrs-in spite OF the
stairway that ought to mean some
thing. and has never been accounted
for. But you may give me points at
finding the spring of a door which
must exist and exist in that very
wall we're both facing now.
After all. ii was not one of the
thousand bricks that masked spring.
\ stone in the tagging. close TO the
wall. and in a corner. had a tiny hole
n it. SO small that large pea would
have filled II. Having tested every
brick within the reach of a tall man,
he two had stood puzzled and at a
loss when suddenly Da con burst out:
You see that hole in the big corner
stone there"
Yes" said Wells. IF you mean the
hole about the size of my little finger
nail"
you've hit il. But it s bigger than