San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-29

pressive in the very air!
NORA ficith Wedk gesture Yes.
there is. I've noticed IL
Would you mind opening the win
dow-curtains tribe: | feel
ridiculously- faint.
PERM (springing 10 her side My
dear! You should have told
NORA Gearing him 0Wdy)-It's
nothing. shan't actually.
never have. It's just the close
ness of this room.
PERlN-And my Internal chatter!
DO forgive me.
he opens the WiHdOW-curtainS
GircS a sharp. SmOthCrcd ercldmd-
ton. Quickly closes Hem)
NORA STRENGTHENING up)-I'm bet
ter now. II was Just spasm of
nerves. A queer little stab Of
fear.
Perrin (dnTiOusly)-Are you sure
you're perfectly all right?
NORA-Quite. So don't alarm your
self. (Gdzes at mimi Why-your
hands are trembling. I've fright
ened yOII--
Perrin (,cih a half laugh MON
sense! I've seen women faint be-
fore. II isn't that. It's simply
that-we've got to get out of this
(He goes TO the door and
WrencheS the Knob. II does not
Open.J
NORA (watching him wonder-
ingIy)-Hugh. What is the mat
ter?
PERM (lrih a ttciStcd smile THE
matter is-we're locked in.
NORA (staring) -I.ocked---
PERM (pOiating)-Theres an iron
wall behind that window! That's
what | found when | opened the
curtains. We're in shaft!
NORA (aghdst)-But-what does it
mean?
PERM Hensely)-It all comes back
to me! Scraps of talk | heard
while the house was in construc-
ton. The place was Overrun with
fanatical inventors. The Count
ess wanted secret vault for her
jewels. | always imagined it to
be recess i'm the wall. | had
not counted upon the ingenuity
of her Hungarian blood. Her fore
fathers hid their treasures under
ground. fGrimlyJ That's where
We are now. In sliding vault.
tnderground-with the rest of
the treasures. DO you see that
mine fOrever"-the I.adiZyl motto.
At last understand its menace.
1t means we've Numbered into a
trap,
NORA fgdsping)-It can't be true,
No woman would ever be so
wicked. You don't actually be-
Perrin (shdrpIB)-It might be days
before we are missed from the
hotel at Palm Beach. We told no
one We intended to visit this
empty house. So unless we find
a way to get Out-well, we're in
for mighty disagreeable expert
ence, that's all,
NORA Cooking aroma in bCicihPr-
mcnt)-But | simply can't realize
it! This seems an ordinary
roOm-quite like the others.
PERIN-That's where the clever
ness comes in. A thief entering
this room would find no contriv-
ance to arouse his supicion. He
might plumber at his leisure.
Only to discover too late-as we
have-that this vault slid down.
ward from the moment that he
CLOSED the door,
NORA-You think that's how it
works?
PERIN-l'm pretty sure of it. |
(FWiOHSly) Cad! What a dolt !
was. Stayed at Miami while
the house was being built. Too |
dull and bored to see what was |
going on under my very nose,
NORA tnggiRg at the door oh,
it WON'T open,
PERMITS deadlocked. (Thro,c-
ing his body against it, Unless !
we can find some way to reverse
the machinery it's locked for
good,
NORA ('ciH dldrm) But there
MI ST be some way out. Think,
You have been here before!
PERM (drdWiRg aside the tapes-
hies)-The walls are smooth as
glass. Sheet-metal. No chance of
secret mechanism here.
NORA ftugging trdRticdHy at the
furniture But the cabinets-the
tables! There must be some hid
den device
Perrin fScdrchiHgD-lt would have
to be substantial to operate
leverage, unless it's run by elec
tricity. In that case mere but
ton might control the power. But
there are NO wires!
NORA fdesperdtelB)-Where did the
Countess usually sit when you
came to soc her in tris room:
What were the articles she
touched?
Perrin OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of all
cigarettes. And tools. She was
fond of woOd-carving another in
herited trait. The mangrove
trees fascinated her and she
wanted to use them i'm her work.
Rut the wood was too brittle.
However, she finally found a
gaunt trunk at the edge of a
vsnVnaNa