Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-01-07
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RY{A 80 WALTER s. ~ As - GO
CHAPTER AZ

of the room, and followed Sylvia
silently through the panel, which
closed with a spring behind them.
They went along a short passage
and up fight of steps, at the top
of which was a fiimsy door. Within
was a small comfortable room. On
one side was the back Of the or
gan, and on the opposite a tiny
pointed window, covered closely
with a curtain. Cases of music
were neatly arranged in cabinet,
and there was a table and two
chairs. In one corner was the old
seat and wooden lever where the
man who worked the bellows had
sat before electric power had been
installed. A curtain divided the
room from the organ loft in the
chapel itself.
Two camp beds had been in
stalled by James, and in one the
twins were lying asleep, their hair
mixed on the pillow. Somehow, a
picture Reid had once seen of the
Princes in the Tower f1oated to his
mind, and he shuddered. Sylvia
was fully dressed, and announced
that she was going to sit up and
watch.
"You lie down, Sylvia. I shall
be all right here"
II won't have it," she whispered
back. you are a sick man and
need rest"
They compromised by Reid TAX
ing the first watch" while Sylvia
lay down. He switched off the
light, but night light was burn
ing for the children which gave a
faint glow, sufficient for Reid TO
see the face Of the sleeping girl.
He was content TO watch her,
happy in the moment, but with a
dull dread of what the future
might hold. AS long as his help
was needed, and he could be of
service, he could stay on, but if
the problem was cleared up and
the murderer found there would be
no excuse.
He may have dozed off into
fitful half-sleep. His nerves sud-
denly warned him before his senses
became active. A slight, very
slight, noise like the scraping of
wood came out of the dark. In
stantly he was wide awake and
straining to hear the direction of
the sound.
1t came again, and like a flash
he knew that the sound came
from the other side Of the organ.
Very quietly he crept to the cur
tain, his former training standing
him in good stead. He was I'M
armed, but that did not cause him
a moments pause.
He stood in the organ loft, and
below him was the chapel, in pitch
darkness. For moment he
imagined that his ears had tricked
him, or that some mouse had made
the noise. Then it came again
close to him, and he put out his
hands to the edge of the embra-
sure, land nearly cried out. Two
projections met his fingers, knobs
Of leather that moved, and in a
moment he understood their dread
meaning-they were the ends of a
ladder placed against the organ
loft, and someone was climbing
the ladder. He seized the ED and,
eXerting all his strength, hurled
them back into the chapel. There
was crash, and a yell from below,
and then the darkness split with a
lat oe,f
him and smashed into the organ.
He heard a cry from Sylvia, and
then a sound he had heard before,
and which was stamped deeply
into his mind-the metallic clang
of the brass plate that covered
the crypt falling into it's place.
Sylvia stood beside him, her
trem bling hands holding him
tightly.
care you hurt ?" she cried in an
agony of terror.
mo, he missed me. But the
children :"
They hurried back into the room
where the twins had got out OF
their bed and were gazing wild
eyed and half awake as Reid
turned on the light. They ran to
Sylvia, who held them both close
to her, while Reid pulled the cur
tain back, all listening in tense
silence. And then, from some
where below, there came a half
human yell, drawn out, as of q
man in agony, and the sound OF
hurrying feet.
1--WE had better wait here" REID
said calmly. II think the danger
is past"
What is it?" Sylvia whispered
her eyes staring into the darkness
Of the chapel.
Il think there must have beer