Evening star., 1925-09-14

Ken cut in. "We1l aNolC
destroying the traces If we
IL can, but I've got to oper
that door and see what
p on the other sider'
: The butler stood respectfully aside
Haste pressed the spring, vaguely con
scious that the other servants had
come to the door of sthe octagon room
and were standing crowded together
. in awed silence on the threshold
Ewes maid, Josephine. was there, and
over the shoulders of the huddled
. women the hean of a taller woman
\ craned-Fanny Gillett.
F Ken had not realized that strength
had gone out of him until he tried to
tpush that spring, imbedded in de-
+ fpression halfway up the secret door.
( But his arm was shaking, and his
ha nd was clumsily stiff: as if frozen.
The thought that he must. touch fresh
blood, not yet dry-4Eve's blood, per-
haps-made him deathly faint fer the
, first time in his life. Even when he
had been badly, wounded in the war,
= he hadn't felt like, thati
But the spring yielded. The door
slid back into the wall. showing a re-
cess and circular stone stairway
leading down into darkness.
Il will get candles, sare." offered
Marianti. "One of zose silver can
delabra from re dinner table
Watt. broke III Haste. Whats
this" He was peering into the dim
ness of the wall recess. Some one
seems TO have Installed electricity
here" lie pressed a button, and to
the surprise of those who looked on,
flooded the staircase with light.
1t was then that vague suspicion be
came certainty in his mind. Who
could have had electric light put into
this hidden place except the master of
the house who knew its SecretS--Itaw7
don Wells, who had loved Eve and
implored her TO spend her honeymoon
under his roof
Rawdon was supposed now 10 be in
Liverpool waiting for the ship on
which he would sail early tomorrow
morning for New York. But with a
rush of BLACK hatred Ken told himself
that the PROPOSED trip. was camouflage.
Heaven knew how long Wells must
have been planping this coup. But
clever as he. thought himself. he
hadn't covered his tracks. What about
the finger marks and the footprints?
Shall l so down wiz you sare?''
asked Marianti Ia.
Haste did not answer. did not even
hear. lie began to descend the circu-
lar staircase. The butler hesitated for
an instant, ana .lnSn lOiiOWeu-
Fanny GiIlett had pushed past the
servants and come into. the room. She
stood by her mother. and slipped an
arm around the waist of the shivering
woman.
"Oh. / felt felt something would
happen if they came here" moaned
the housekeeper. You know what 1
have seem
shut up Fanny whispered
threw a glance at Pandora Haste. for
Pandora dishked her and she disliked
Pandora. But the girl was staring at
the red footprint on the floor as if
hypnotized. She had not heard that
speech of the housekeeper's. And she
had told nobody yet of the handker-
chief she had found with the strange
odor on 1t, mingling with Ewes own
perfume.
At the foot of the circular stairs was
a door. Haste opened 1t and saw a
passage of undistinguishable length. 1t
was dark, but another electric button
at the entrance flooded the place with
light. showing walls. floor and5roob of
stone. All was Very clean, and there
was apparently no lack of ventilation.
Haste walked on for a dozen yards,
his shoulders touching the sides of the
corridor, which must, he thought, have
been built, into the immense thickness
of the house. wall AT the end was
third door. This also was operated
by a spring. Haste pressed. and the
door sliding back, he stood on the
threshold of brightly lit room.
A man turned at the click of the
spring, and the two stared into each
others eyes.
I Good heavens. Rswdon Wells.''
Ken cried, YOU here?
why not?" the other challenged.
This is my laboratory"
You We're supposed TO he on board
ship. sailing for America" Haste said
DULY. = -,....~
II beg youF pa ardon." Wells an