Evening star., 1935-09-29

In the candlelight. Lucille and l
stared at each other. She was waiting
for me to speak, but what was there
for me to say? had spoken so jaun-
tily that afternoon - and now | had
failed her. In my misery, l dropped
down on the wooden bench and put
my elbows on the long rough table.
The white-washed walls of the cellar
we're thick with cobwebs, and there
was row of arched wine-bins with
many dusty bottles. There was no
way of escape for us except by the
locked door at the head of the stairs,
and l stif1ed groan of disgust at the
way l had allowed Roger Barnett to
outwit me.
In few words | told Lucille what
had happened to me. Her own ex-
perience had been as brief as mine. A
man had entered her darkened bed
room, and ordered her downstairs.
He had threatened her with a re-
volver. She was not sure whether it
was Roger Barnett himself or the
man he called his chauffeur. No
doubt Dunstan would receive the
same treatment on his return, and he
would either join us in the cellar or
be thrust into the kitchen beside his
terrified wife. And meantime, the
house lay open for Barnett to do what
he chose.
The same thought must have been
in Lucille's mind, for she was staring
anxiously at me across the table. ''Is
there nothing we can do?"
Nothing! That swine Barnett has
got us beaten hands down. What an
unholy fool I've been. :"
took the candle and went up the
narrow stone steps to examine the
door. Built of heavy oak, it was
studded with iron nails, and the huge
lock had been set into the thickness
of the wood. Moreover, it had been
hinged to swing inward, so there was
little chance of my breaking the thing
down. All the same. decided to have
a try.
Carrying up the bench on which l
had sat. used it as battering-ram,
and attacked the door. Again and
again l let fly, until the bench itself
began to split. Suddenly l heard the
key crunch in the lock, and tae door
began to open.
Around the edge came a hand with
revolver. There was a quick burst
of flame, and bullet went past my
head. The next moment the door had
been slammed tshut and locked.
The warning was obvious. Roger
Barnett was not running any risk of
our escaping before he had completed
his work. Slowly I descended the re-
manning steps and joined Lucille on
the cellar floor.
Its no good, I'm afraid" l said
dismally. ''If only I'd known two
days ago that Barnett was a crook!
Why didn't you tell me?"
read the answer in her face as she
looked up at me - she had been
afraid. l did not care to pursue the
subject then, for her lip was trembling.
I pulled over an old packing-case to
the table, and she sat down. A sharp
reaction seemed to have set in, and it
left her limp and exhausted. After we
had remained in silence for some time,
her head went down upon her arms.
and she seemed to fall into an uneasy
stupor.
Since the candle was burning low, l
decided to extinguish it. found that
the battered bench would still bear
my weight. and l stretched myself
out upon it. l must have fallen into
a doze myself, for | can remember
sitting up with start and putting a
match to the stump of candle on the
table.
Lucille had risen to her feet, and
she was looking up the narrow stair.
ssT fhn,,nht ba,rd n no;eo - che