Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-05-20
XIII
By JEFFERSON FARJEoN

CHAPTER XLII
Charlie dropped flat, an instinc-
tive maneuver which would not
have saved him had Brill turned
and flashed his torch backwards.
But Brill. il he had the impulse to
do so. refused to yield to it.
Idiot" snapped Bril-.
God. what a scare I'd give them
il I walled" thought Charlie, from
the blackness of the ground.
Just one wall It would almost
be worth it, To send that damned
little beast leaping into the air with
stark terror for n glorious. trium-
plant instant, TO hear him shrek
In CHASTITY horror at the imagined
naturalization OF his fiendish con-
ception-yes. IL would nearly be
worth the eternal extinction that
would Immediately follow it,
Nearly-but not quite. Charlie
rose noiselesSly to his feet. And as
he did so a idea was born in
his brain. Suppose suppose
something suddenly walled behind
himl
Booml
THAT. certainly, was the e a
murmured the professor. There
have been ether sounds, however,
while I have not been al work, that
might better fit into your under
ground people theory than into the
theory Of the waves. Brill"
You're making arrant nonsense"
barked Brill.
Being a fool. that is my privi-
lege." retorted the professor, dryly.
"And-to continue with my folly
are YOU sure it was you who scared
the first caretaker away?"
"Oh. yeS-Tm sure enough about
that" exclaimed Brill. when 1
came upon him down below here"
What He found his way DOWN"
He did"
How"
I'm not certain. Someone's care
lessnesS. perhaps. But he was q
smart fellow. DO you want to hear
what happened to him?"
The professor stopped again.
Are you III you want to tell
me?' he asked.
Move on" ordered Brill. prod
ding the professor in the back.
"Yes. I'm sure I want to tell you.
Cunningham. You see it's neces-
sary for me to impress you this
evening with the fact that / do
things rather thoroughly. That
caretaker got down below here
somehow. We had a bit of an en-
counter. and when he found he was
getting the worst Of it, was lucky
to be able to surprise him. and to
make use of my knowledge of the
place-he turned and tried to
escape. He raced up the stairs.
and when I reached the top after
him. he was just disappearing into
he cupboard in the lounge hall. "A
moment later. and / wouldn't have
seen his ruse-Id have run out OF
the house after him. But I was
Just in time. and when he heard
me coming to the cupboard door. he
holted it on the inside-I imagine
the door originally led right
through to the adjacent room, and
when the farther room was walled
up the bolt was not removed. You
don't generally find bolts inside
cupboards. Anyway. he bolted him.
self IN. And. as the key was in
the outside. II seemed such a pity
not TO complete the john the
circumstances. Sol turned the
key. And then If ! couldn't get in,
he couldn't get out"
"Do-you mean" whispered the
professor. in a stifled voice.
He was rather badly hurt when
ne entered the cupboard" replied
Brill. so I'm not sure that 1t would
really have helped him If he had
come out of the cupboaord-and ii
would certainly not have helped me
49,. All, at last! Here we arel"
They stopped. and Charlie heard
the jingle of a key. Wait a min
ute-wait a minutel" said the pro-
fessor, hoarsely. II don't know
that I can 90 on"
You viii 60 on" answered Brill,
and now he dropped his voice to
n deadly uuietneSS.
Suppose I. refuse-even nowf
The final experiment hasn't taken