Vitagraph Company
the Popular Novel of the same name
by C. N. and A. . M. Williamson
Ffoot
Start of This Episode
MR. EARLE WILLIAMS as CHRISTOPHER RACE
MISS VENA KEESE as SIDNEY CHESTER
Next Week Another Story and New Picture :
1 Coprrlslit, ltl, by the War Coowanr. ; All Foreita Bights reserved. ; ,
V. The Jacobean House. '
In the pile of letters awaiting him
on his table Christopher found a queer
telegram.-; It said: i
"Please come at once with your car
aid try solve mystery at old house
now ucd as hotel patronised by mo
torists.' Same rate paid per day for
necessary 'time as for automobile
lour.-SIDXET CHESTER. "Wood
House. New Forest. References, Lon
don and Scottish Bank." .
And the message was dated two
duvs back. , , .
Christopher did not see why he
hmiM he annllrd to as a solver of
mysteries. However,
the telegram
sounded Interesting.
- "Just back from Journey,
teleeram." he wired. "Am
Found
I still
wonted? If so, ran come." . ' '
When an answer arrived he had
Son-let Runner ready for .another
tart. .... v ''
"Yes. urgently wanted,' ran the re
ply. "Hope you can start this after
noon. But don't oome to Wood House.
Will meet you at ths Sandboy and
Owl, within mile of Rnhurst as you
come from Iondon. , Please let me
knw nrohable hpur of arrival.
rUEBTKR."
Christopher wired aealn: "Hope to
reach you about ." And his hope was
lustlfled. as it usually was when he
had to depend upon Scarlet Runner.
. The landlord opened a door at the
-end of a dim corridor, and said re
imectfully to someone out of sight:
"The rentleman with the motor hss
arrived." Then he backed out of the
way. and Christopher stepped over
the threshold, .a He saw a girl rise up
from a ehslr. crumpllnn a telegram
which she hsd .been reading by the
light of a shaded lamp.' , ,'.
Hhe wore a riding habit and a neat
t hit nn eieek hair the color of ripening
whent. She was charmingly pretty in
a flnwerllke way. Her great eyes,
which now appeared black, would be
blue by daylight, and her figure was
perfect In the well-cut habit: but she
was either pale and anxious-looking,
or else the lamplight gave that effect.
"I beg your pardon," exclaimed
Christopher. "I've come from Lon
don to see a Mr. Sidney Chester, and
was told I should find him hare,
but " '.
"I'm Sidney Chester,? Said the girl.
"It was I who telegraphed for you to
Christopher was surprised, but he
kcot his countenance, and pretended
to take this revelation as a matter of
course. . .'
"Sidney Is a woman's name as well
as a man'a," she went on, "and there
was no use explaining In a telegram.
Please sit down.. nd I'll no, I can't
promise to make you understand, for
the thing a beyond unaeratanoins"
hut I'll tell you about It. First, though
I'd better explain why I sent for you
I don't mean to flatter you, but It
there's anW-hanee of the mystery be
ing solvedOt can only be done by a
iitmn m your eun uievrr miu qun-n ui-
resource, as well as an accomplished
motorist. That's my reason: now for
my story. But perho'-, "'" --""i
of Wood House and the strange hap
penings there? We've truv i. n
the talk out of the papers, but it was
Impossible, and there've been para
graphs In most of them for the last
fortnight." .' ' v
Chrlatopher had to admit Ignorance,
though ' he guessed from, the girl's
tone that the place must be famous,
apart from Its mysterious reputation.
"It's . beautiful old house," - she
went on, the harassed expression of
her face softening Into .tenderness.
"There are pictures and accounts of
u in books snout tne country, we've
got the loveliest oak paneling In near
ly all the rooms, and wonderful furni
ture. Of coure, we love It dearly
my mother and I, the only ones of the
family who are left--but we re dis
gustingly poor: our branch of the
Cheaters have been growing poorer
ror generations, we naa to see ev
erythlng going to pieces, and there
" was no money for repairs There were
other troubles, too oh, I may as wall
tell you, since you ought to know ev
erything concerning us if you're to
do any good. 1 was silly enough to
fall in love with a man who ought to
marry an heiress, tor he's poor, too,
and has a title, which makes poverty
harder and more grinding. He's let
his house a show place and because
he won't give me up and look for a
rich girl (he wouldn't have to look
far or long) he s trying to get a ror
tune out of a ranch in Colorado, That
made me feel as if I must do some
thing, and we couldn't let Wood
House, because there's a clause In fa
ther's will against our doing so. We're
obliged to live there, or forfeit It to
the person who would have Inherited
It tf the place had been entailed and
had had to go to a male neir.
"But no such thought came to poor
father as that mother snd I would
dream of making the house Into an
hotel, so It didn't occur to him to pro
sde against such a. contingency. It
was I who had the 'idea because 1
was desperate for money, and I heard
how people like eld houses In these
days Americans snd others who
aren't used to things that are an
tique. At last I summoned up cour
age to propose to mother that we
should advertise to entertain motorists
and other travelers.
"Every penny we could spare, and
a lot we couldn't spare, we spent on
advertising, when she'd consented,
and two months ago we opened the
house as an hotel. Our old servants
were good about helping, and we got
In several new ones.
We began to
make the most astonishing success,
snd t was delighted. 1 thought if all
went on well I need have nothing to
do with managing the place after tl.ls
year. I might marry If I liked, and
there would be the income rolling In;
so you see, after these dreams, what
It is to find ruin staring us In the
face,
"This thing that is happening to us
Is orenoBterous. . said Miss cneeier.
"l'ople come to our house, perhaps
for dinner or lunch, or perhaps or
several days. Hut whichever it may
be, during one of the meals always
the last if theyre having more than
one every piece of jewelry they may
be wearlntt and all the money In their
pvekets and purses-except small stl-
ver and copper disappear -mysterl-
A, ,1,1V
"Perhaps not mysteriously," sug
gested Christopher. "You mantloned
having engaged dew servants. One
of them may be an expert thief.
"Of course that was our first idea,
said the girl. "But It would be Impos
sible for the most expert thlet, even
a conjurer, to pull women's rings
from their fingers, unfasten clasps
of pearl dog collars, take off brooches
and bracelets or belts with gold
buckles, and remove studs from shirt
fronts or sleeve links from cuffs,
without ths knowledge of the persons
wearing the things"
"Yes. that would be Impossible,
Christopher admitted. '
"Well, that Is what happens at Wood
House every day, and has been hap
pening for the last fortnight. People
sit at the table and apparently every
thing goes on In the most orderly way:
yet at the end of the meal thalr valu
ables are gone. I want you to watch,
to set your wits to work to find out
the mystery. Of course, you must
leave your valuables in care of the
landlord hVre. You'll motor over this
evening, won't you, and say you wish,
tr. have a room T" ,
"With pleasure," said Christopher.
"And I II do my best to help."
"Thanks for taking an interest.
Then I'll go now. I shall Just be able
to ride home In time for dinner.
. "But there are questions still which
I'd better ssk you," said Christopher;
"as we're not to have any prtvals com
munication at Wood House. Hew
many- indoor servants have you?
"Three housemaids, one dear old
thing who has been with us lor years,
and two young girls lately got In one
from London, one from oui ' ,own
neighborhood; a butler we've had
since I can remember, two new fi A
men from London, and an 'id couk
...,, ..v.. n.r hn ha had two assist
ants since we opened ss an hotoj.
That's all. except a stray creatuio or
two about the kitchen. I init
vou, too, that with the new servants
we had tho best of references.
"And the thefts alway occur nt
moils?" asked Christopher, i v
"Always, at meals, and. therefore,
II' i.uld hatwn nr.ly In .hr rooms, '
wild Sidney Cluster: "the olg din-tig
hull and two small rooms wr.iclt we v
set V apart as p.ivate sitting rooms.
Bometimes-those who stay with us
like to eat thare. W they omo in pur
ties of three or four; but tne illitlnsr
hall Is ths most utautlful ro.nn in tno
sense and people admin it ,i m.ica
that they often prefer it to any other
piece. 1 ' 1 "
"Something will have to be done.'
said Christopher pusiled, but an
lous to be encouraging. "Have you
no guest who has been with you sev
eral weeks?" ...
--ft returned, half re
luctantly.' as If she guessed his reason
for putting this question. , -u i
Cv - ' . "!' .'
a young manT
Yes. a young man."
How long has he been In . the
house?" . , ,
"Several weeks, lies painting
picture, using the King's room, as we
ou II it. for a blaeka-rouna tne room
Charles II had when an ancestor of
ours was hiding him and would dart
down Into a secret place underneath
whenever a dangerous visitor arrived."
! "Oh, an artist?'1,
' "Not a professional. He"
"Can't you remember how long he
has been with you?.'
"Between three weeks and a fort
night." The girl blushed, her white
face lovely In its sudden flush of color,
"I see what's In your mind. - But
there's nothing In that, I assure you.
The merest coincidence. You don't
look as If you were ready to believe
me, but you will when I tell you that
it's Sir Walter Raven, the man I'm en
gaged to marry."
, "He hasn't been able to throw any
light on the problem? "
"No, though he's tried In every
way. -
."Does he know you've went for me?'
"I haven't told him, because It
would seem ss If I eouldn't trust him
to get to the bottom of the mystery.
You aes, though he's tremendously
clever, he Isn't that sort of man. Now,
nave you asaea me everymingT"
. "Not yet," answered Christopher,
selfishly less sorry "to detain her than
he - would have been had she been
middle-aged and plain. " want to
know what servants are In the rooma
where these robberies occur?"
"The butler, Nelson, In the dining
hall. Is ons of the footmen If the meal
la being served In a private sitting
room."
, "Only those, except the guests ?"
"Since the mystery began I've some.
times been there to watch and super
intend, and one of my cousins, either
Morley or his wife. And in the dining
hall Sir Waller Raven Is kind enough
to keep an eye on what goea on, while
appearing to be engaged with hla
luncheon or dinner." .
"Yet the robbertea take place Just
ths same .under your very eyes?"
"Yea. That Is the mysterious part.
Ths whole thing Is like a dream. But
you will see for yourself. Only, as I
said, take care not to have anything
about you which they whoever,
whatever they are can steal."
; She gave him her hand, and he
shook It reassuringly; then, It being
understood that, as It war- late, he
would dins at the Inn and arrive at
Wood' House after , she left him.
Five minutes later, standing at the
window, he saw her tide off. on aflne
hunter. v
' As he ate chops and drank a glass
pot ale, Christopher considered what
he had heard of the mystery, and did
not know what to think of it '
The road from the Sandboy and
Owl. through Ringhurst add on to
Wood House, was beautiful. Christo
nher had named over It before, and,
coming to the gateway and lodge of
the place ha sought he remembered
having remarked both, though he had
not then known tne nam oi tne
tate.
, He steered Scarlet Runner between
tall stone gateposts topped with stone
lions supporting shields,, acknowl
edged a salutation from 'an elderly
man at the door of the law black and
white lodge, and drove up a winding
avenue under beeches ana cans.
Suddenly, rounding a turn, he came
in sight of the house, standing In the
midst of a lawn cleared of trees, in a
forest-like park, . . .
It was a long, low building of Ir
regular shape, the many windows
with tiny lozenge panes brightly lit
behind their curtains. In the moon
light the projecting .upper stories with
gabled roofs andlvy-draped chim
neys, the walls checkered In black ana
white, with wondrous diapering of
trefoils, and chevrons, were clearly
defined against a wooded background.
The house could have a few peers In
plcturesqueness if one searched all
England. .-! x
His name was announced as If he
had been an Invited guest arriving at
oountry house, and from a group
near the fireplace came forward to
welcome him a young maruwlth a de
lightful face. Glancing past him for
aft Instant as he advanced Christopher
saw Sidney Chester, In evening dress;
dainty old lady whom he took to
be her mother; a rather ttmld-looklng
little woman, whose pretty features
seemed almost plain in contrast with
Miss Chester's; a nanasome, darkly
sunburnt young man, with a. soldierly,
somewhat arrogant air; also seven -or
eight strangers, divided Into different
parties scattered about the hall. ,
'How do you' do? '- Is It possible
we're to have the pleasure of enter
taining the famous Mr. Race?" aatd
the young man who came to greet
Christopher. -"My. name is Morley
Chester, and I play host for my cous
ins, Mrs. Chester and her daughter."
Then Mr. Chester Introduced him
to the two cousins, mother and daugh
ter (he meeting the girl as If for the
first time), to the pretty quiet young
woman who was, it appeared, Mrs.
Morley Chester, and added an Informal
word or two which made Sir Walter
'I'LL NOT LET YOU GO," SAID
CHRISTOPHER.' "frHJS
GAME IS UP." , ;
Raven and ' Mr. ' Chrlatopher
Race
known to each other.
Sidney Chester's fiance was, after all,
very pleasant and frank In manner,
his haughty air being the effect, per
haps, of a kind of proud reserve.
Christopher could not help feeling
slightly drawn to the young man, as
ha iiamallv , tit hanitnnm nefmleM
but there was no doubt In his mind ;
that Mr. Motley Chester was an agree
able person. He was not fine-looking,
but his way of speaking was so Indi
vidual and engaging that Christopher
did not wonder at Miss Chester for
referring to him as her dear cousin.
Before Mr. Cheater and Sir Walter
Raven no one mentioned the trouble
In the house: but next morning, sit
ting in the hall, which was the favorite
gathering place, he caught scrape of
gossip. No one present -bad yet been
robbed, but everyone had heard some
thing queer from others who had
left the place, and as a rich brewer,
lately knighted, Intended to go away
In his motor after luncheon that day,
he was being chaffed by his acquaint
ances. .
"I suppose you'll give your watch
and money to your chauffeur before
you sit down for the last meair
laughed an American girl, who had
arrived some days before In her mo
tor car. r ,
"No, I shan't" replied Sir Henry
Smitheon.; valiantly. "1 don't believe
In this nonsense. I'ti show you what
I have got on me, and as I am now
so shall I be when I go Into the din
ing hall.'! - ,
With this he displayed a goreous
reneater, with his monogram and crest
In brilliants; Indicated a black pearl
scarf pin, turned a sapphire and dia
mond ring set in platinum on a fat
finger, and Jingled a store of coins
In his pocket which he announced
to be sold amounting to 60 souhda.
"I've a few notes, too," said, he, "and
I expect- to have them just the same
when I finish my lunch as when 1
go in."
"Well, we shall all lunch at the same
time and watch," remarked the Amer
lean girl. .
Christopher had a table to himself
at the end of the long room, and Sir
Henry Smithson sat at a larger one
not far away. He had Invited the
American girl, her chaperon and Sir
Walter Raven to ahare with him his
farewell meal and much champagne
(lowed. There was a good deal of
talk and laughter at that and other
tables, and two footmen in ceremo
nious style. Mr. Morley Chester un
ostentatiously superintending behind a
screen which; hid the door -used by
the sen-ants. Not one of the three
ladles of the Chester family was In
the room, r- , :i.
All went on in the most orderly
manner, and the food waa good, as
well as nicely served, though It struck
y If -iff Mrl
J'yf a,'" ! ,. . .
m mi ....
Christopher that It was rather long
between courses. Suddenly, as Chris
topher was beginning upon biscuits
and cheese, Sir Henry Smithson sprang
up In his chair, exclaiming, "By Jove!"
Then came a clatter of voices at
his table, both ladles there crying out
In consternation.
"What has happened?" asked Mor
ley Chester, coming out from behind
the screen, while Sir Walter Raven
sat looking pale and concerned, and
the mild-faced butler saved himself
from dropping a bottle of port. .
"Everything has gone!" ejaculated
Miss Reese, the American. "His watch
and chain his ring his scarf pin
ana" r
"And my money," finished Sir
Henry Smithson. 3
"I'm dreadfully sorry," stammered
Mr. Chester. "I begged you to be
careful."
"Oh. I've got myself to blame, I
suppose," broke in the brewer. He
gave a rough laugh, but It did not
sound genuine. "Who on earth would
have thought such things could be?
Well, seelng's believing. This is the
queerest house I was ever In. It's
bewitched."
"So we are beginning to think,
said Cheater, deeply mortified. "I can't
begin to express my regret"
"My own fault," said Sir Henry.
"I'll say no more about it for the
present. But I wouldn't be sorry to
see that repeater of mine again. If
you don't mind I'll send a detective
down on this business."
Presently after the dining "hall had
been searched in vain for trace of the
lost treasures. Sir Henry Smithson
went off In his motor, a sadder and
a wiser man. ;
Race had almost abandoned his sus
picions of Sir Walter Raven, whom
he liked more and more.' when, on hla
eighth nlghfat Wood House, a sound
startled him from a dream of linen
fold patterned panelling. Usually when
he waked thus It was to find all silent
and he would turn over and fall
asleep once more, telling himself that
the noise had been part of his dream.
But this time it continued. There was
a queer creaking behind the wainscot
In the morning Christopher asked
the servant who brought' his morning
tea who occupied the adjoining room.
"Sir Walter Raven," was the answer.
Race was angry with himself for not
having learned earlier who his neigh
bor was; but during the day, as he
passed, and saw the door of the next
room ajar, he glanced in. It seemed
to htm that there was an Inexplicable
distance between this door and hla
The rooms were supposed to adjoin
each other. . His own door was
near the dividing wall, and so was Sir
Walter's, yet there was a wide space
between.
Through the open door of Sir Wal
ter Raven's room he could see a low
window, with a cushioned seat In the
embrasure. In his room there was one
of the same size and shape- To pre-
vnf
mistake he propped a book
against the losenge- panes of hla own
window and went out to walk around
the rambling house and recon
nolter. Yes, there was the book, and there
waa Sir Walter's window farther on
toward the left But there was some
thing between which did' not puzzle
Christopher as much as It would, had
no not noticed tne aietance separating
the doors of the two adjoining rooma
Halfway between the two low win
dows was a tiny one, so over-grown
with ivy that it was all but Invisible
even to an observant eye.
sir waiter Raven must have a
eunboard In hla wall lit hv thatllttla
window," Christopher decided, "or else
there's a secret 'male hole' between
his room and mine." " ' .
To begin with, he tapped the wain
scoting In his own room, and was
Interested to discover that his knock
gave out a hollow sound. He be
lieved that there" was but the one
thickness of oak between him and the
secret whatever It might be, which
lay beyond.
The paneling here waa simple, with
out any elaboration of carving. The
wainscot which reached from the
floor to the celling, was divided into
large squares framed In a kind of
fluting, v Having examined each of
these squares on the wall heareet Sir
Walter Raven's, he gave up the hope
that there was any hidden door or
sliding panel.
"I could saw out a square, though,"
he thought, "and look at what's on
the other side; or I -could squeeze
through If It seemed worth while. A
panel behind the curtain of my bed
would do; and I could stick It In asain,
so that If anybody suspected there
waa something up they would hardly
be able to see what I'd be doing."
- Apparently no one ever entered the
hiding place except In the night, about
1 O'clock- The noises behind ths wain
scoting continued for a tew minutes
only and after that all was silence- ,
In the afternoon Christonher mo
tored into Ringhurst to buy a small
saw and a bull's-eye lantern, su.-h as
policemen use on the way back he
overtook Sir Walter with Sidney nnd
they accepted his offer to give them
a lift back to Wood House.,
They talked about the robberies as
Christonher drove the car home, Bid
ney sitting beside him, Sir Walter
leaning forward in the tonneau. "After
all, It will end In our going away
from the dear old plate," sighed Sid-
ney, with tear in her eyes. "The
strain is wearing mother out; and, you
know, if neither of us continues liv
ing in the house It will go, as I told
you, to the man who would have been
the heir had the entail not been
broken." , . -
"You'll both com out with me to
Colorado and forget your troubles. Let
the chap have the place,- and be thank
ful It's oft your hands," said Raven.
He spoke with the sincerity of a
lover, not like a schemer who would
force a woman to his will by foul
means If fair one proved not strong
enougn. ; ,
"I feel a beast spying on him and
working against him," thought Chris
topher. "Suppose he knows nothing
about the secret place next his room ?
Suppose the noises are made by rats?
And what If, after all, the people who
think" they have been robbed never
have been robbed? I'll give Raven
the benefit of the doubt until I've tried
one more experiment."
Tea was going .on In the hall when
Scarlet Runner . arrived at Wosd
House. There were letters for Chris
topher, and he announced in the hear
ing of everyone, .Including the serv
ants, that unless he should get a tele-
gram advising htm to the contrary he
must leave wood House, where he had
spent such an enjoyable fornlghLinv
mediately after breakfast the next
morning.'
, Christopher took longer over dress
ing for dinner that night than usual.
He hesitated whether to wear the
studs and sleeve links he liked best,
or others which he did not care about
Also- he was half minded to lock his
watch up In his suitcase. Finally,
however, he resolved to make his ex
periment bravely. "I'm not hysterical."
he said to himself, "though I might
get to be If I stopped here much long
er. I shan't Steal my own things and
hide them, If that's what other peo
ple do,"
Througout his stay at Wood House
he had taken his meals at the same
small table, except once or twice when
he had been asked to Join new-made
acquaintances for dinner. But tonight
he Invited Sir Walter Raven to dine
with him, "as It was his last evening."
The young man accepted, and they
talked of Colorado. Sir Walter was
Inviting him to come out to his ranch
some day, when suddenly the expres
sion pz tne once neauny,. aunourui,
now slightly haggard, face changed.
"By Jove!" exclaimed Raven, the
blood mounting to his toreneaa.
"What's the matter?" asked Chris
topher. "I'm not a particularly observant
chap, but I suppose I would have no
ticed If you'd come In without your
shirt studs. You didn't by any chance
forget to put them In, did you?"
v "No: I had them in, right enough,
said Race. Looking down he saw that
the white expanse of his evening shirt
lacked the finish of the two pearl
studs he bad worn when he came Into
the room. His cuffs hung loose, empty
of his favorite pair of links. Hastily
touching his watch pocket he found
it limp and flat.
"Well, yes. It is 'By Jove,' he re
marked, srlmlv.
"Shall we call Morley Chester and
tell him what's . happened?'' asked
Raven. -
"No,", said Christopher, who sat
with his back turned toward the other
occuDanta of the room, his table be
ing at the end by a window, and he
having given his usual seat to his
guest: "I'd rather not make a fuss.
i shall alt till the others have gone,
and no one will be- the wiser. I'm
sick of sensations and don't want to
pose as the hero of one if I can help
it." -. -.,
It was a relief when -the rest of
ths diners left the room, and he was
free to slip away without making state
ments or answering questions, ne
wen to his room, locked the door
and.' having listened with his ear t
the wainscoting, presently began as-i
noiselessly as possible to saw out a
selected square from the oak panel
ing behind his curtained four-poster
bed. The saw was sharp, and he
worked as energetically as If he had
an injury to avenge. In an hour he
had the panel out of Its frame. '
It was difficult to wriggle through
the square, hole In the wainscoting,
but he dlJ" It. nftefridoMng himself
of coat Ind waistcoat Now he stood
in a long, narrow space between the
walls of his own room and Sir WaK
ter Raven's. . He had slipped off his
oumns and In stockinged feet began
cautious explorations, the lantern mak--
ing a pathway of light Tne tnins
he had seen at the far end was not
a beam. It was a box two boxes
three boxes of common wood, such
as come into every household from
the stores. They had lids, but the
lids were not nailed down. Chris
topher lifted one. The box was tiled
with Jewelry, heaped up In neat piles,
according' to Its kind, tin some dark
varment folded underneath. There
were a pile of bracelets a pile of
brooches, a pile of rings and a collec
tion of watches like glittering gold
e?xg in a nest. The second box had
the sums descrltitlon of contents.
though there were more miscellaneous
artlcles-w-gold or Jewelea pen ourKiea,
hatDlns. a diamond dog collar or two,
and several strings of pearla In the
third box. much smaller than the
other two, were purses, some of leath-
er, some of gold or silver netting;
cigarette cases with jeweled mono
grams; and, weighed down by a lump
of gold chains, lay a quantity of bank
notes.
Behind the row of wooden boxes was
a square hole, black as the heart of
night. Christopher's lantern showed
him that from the top of this open
ing descended a narrow - staircase,
winding round unon itself - like a
corkscrew. He set his foot on the first
step, arid it squeaked. Then he knew
wnat it was tnat naa waned mm every
night a root treading upon that
stair perhaps other stairs below.
"i 11 see what s at the bottom,"
thought Christopher; and was in the
act of stepping over the low barrier
of boxes when he heard a distant
sound. - "" '-,
It was faint, yet It made Christopher
pause. He drew his foot from the top
step of the stairway, and, covering
the light lay on his side behind the
boxes, which would until a person ad
vancing had risen to a level higher
than the wooden lids, form a screen
to hide him. -
The sound continued, growing grad
ually more distinct Someone was tip
toeing toward the stairs. Someone
was on the stairs. Someone was com
ing up. There was a wavering glimmer
of light a little light Uke that of a
candle.
Christopher lay very still. He hardly
even breathed.
The light was moving up the dark
hall, and throwing a strange black
shadow, which might be the shadow
of a head. A stair creaked. Another
stair. That clock must have been
slow, or else the ghost was before
time. Now there was a long-drawn,
tired breath, like a sigh, and in the
advancing light gleammed something
white and small. For a moment it
hung 'in ' the midst of shadow, then
it descended on the lid of the middle
box. It was a woman's hand.
Quick as thought Christopher seized
and held it tightly, at the same Instant
rising up k.nd flashing his lantern.
There was a stinea gasp; tne nana
struggled vainly; he pulled It toward
him, -though its owner stumoiea and
nearly fell, and Chrlatopher found
himself face to face with Mrs. Morley
Chester.
'Let me go!" she panted. . "Oh, I
Implore you!" - .( -
"1 11 not let you go," said Christo
pher, in a voice as low as hers, but
mercilessly determlnedV'Thls game is
up. You shall tell me everything or
I swear I'll alarm the house, send for
the police, and have you arrested, you
and your husband!"- . -
'If you wish to sava him you know
what to do," the young man said.
You won't send us to prison If I
tell you the whole story?" , .
i II ao my nest ror you, u you
make a clean breast of it; but the con-,
tents of these boxes must be restored
to their owners, for your cousin's sake
If nothing else. I promise to shut my
eyes to your escaping with your hus
band, before any publld revelation is
made, provided I'm satisfied yhat you
tell me the whole truth now."
"I will, oh, I will; You know, Mor
ley would have had. this place if com
mon Justice had been done it tne en-
tall hadn't been broken," '
'Ah. he Is the heir of whom Miss
Chester spoke!" "
"Of course,--whQ- else could be. He s
the only one left in the male line. And
think what it was for him to find out
through an expert whose .word he
couldn't doubt that thgre's coal
enough under the park to make him
an Immensely rich man, If only he
hadn't been robbed of his rights,"
- "He didn't tell Miss Chester of this
discovery?" , f ,
"Naturally not. if she or her
mother gave up living here the es
tate would come to him after all. He
hoped for that And when he heard
of her plan to open, a kind of hotel
he helped her to get a license and
offered to manage the business. That
was because he had an Idea, which he
hoped he could work. His father, who
died -when. Morley was a boy, was
a orofessor of chemistry, and made
some clever inventions and discoveries,
but they never brought him in money.
There was one thing he found-after
spending a year in Persia for. his
health. He discovered that out of a
plant there a plant no one had ever
thought of -Importance before an ex
tract could be produced which would
make people unconscious, at the same
time causing their 'muscles to remain
so rigid that if they were standing
they would remain on their feet, or
would not drop what they might be
holding In their hands. When they
eame to themselves again they would
not feel 111, would not even know they
had lost consciousness for a moment
"Moreley's father was much excited
about this oreDaratlon. and hoped it
would be as Important as curare, if
not chloroform. He named the stuff
arenoform. as nearly as possible after
the plant, and published his discovery
to the medical profession. But then
'came a dreadful blow. After many
experiments to change ana improve
it nothing could be done to prolong
unconsciousness enougn to mase aren
oform really useful to doctors and
surgeons. The effect wouldn't last
longer than five or six minutes,! and
the patients were terribly exhausted
next day, so that the stuff would .not
do even for dentists in extracting
teeth: as It was more depressing than
g&s. - One of this most wonderful
things about It was that a lot of peo
ple could be made unconscious at
once, even in a big room, by a spray
of arenoform floating In the air. But
though that was curious ana interest,
mg, It was not of practical use, st
arenoform was a failure.
"The disappointment was so great
that Morley'a father was never the
same again. - He alwaya hoped that
some experiment " would make the
thing a success, and. instead of gain
ing the fortune he expected, he spent
more monevihan he could spare from
his family In Importing .quantities of
the plant rrom rersia, cnu mwiuiiui
turing the extract in his own lubura
tory. Then he died.vnnd there were
hundreds and hundreds of the bottles
in ttu hntisA. of no use to anybody;
but Morley had promised his dying
ErpctinA
.. mthr.tn -
. .nrf
M,tnt
Mend ot
hahv'a health
Imnortance and
"Mother's Friend" In preparing for such an eveuu uei u
at your drugftist. Write
THE BRADPIKLD
210
father not v to let them" be destroyed.
Everyone forgot the discovery of aren
oform, for you see Dr. Chester has
been dead twenty years. Only Mor
ley didn't: and It was the existence
of the quantity- of arenoform In the
house left him by his father which
put-the idea of -coming here into his
head. He experimented with the stuff
on a dog, and found it was as power
ful as on the day It was made. Then
he told me, and I promised to help
In any way I could.
"Next to the dining hall on one
side, and separating it from the two
rooms , used as private sitting rooms
for the guests, is a long, rather ugly
room which Morley asked Sidney to
give him as a private office. Night
after night he worked there before
the house was opened to the public,
and afterward, too, perfecting his
scheme. He perforated the walls, so
that, by means of a little movable
machine which I could work1 a spray
of - arenoform could be showered
through the oak wainscoting ettheri
Into the dining room on one side or
the two sitting rooms on the other. .
Then he had the tables arranged along
the wall; and as one peculiarity of
arenoform is that it smells like wood
wonderfully like old oak no de
tective could have suspected anything
by coming to sniff about the place
afterward. Besides, the perforations
In the wainscoting are so small that
they seem no different from the worm
holes which are slowly spoiling the old
oak. '
"When Morley was In the dining hall
or"one of the sitting rooms whichever
place we planned to have something
happen I would be In the locked
office, and at a signal which he would
give me when most of the servants
were out of the room waiting to bring
In -a qew course, 1 would turn on the
spray. He always kept at the very
farthest end of the room, behind the
screen, and put his face to an open
window there. Then, when everybody
in the room was under the Influence,
which they were in a minute or two,
be would take whatever he wanted
from , some unconscious man or
woman, or even several persons, be
fore anyone woke up. We've had no
one to help us except an assistant of
the cook, whom I bribed to make it
as long between courses as possible.
When 1 waa ready to have the ser
vants go in with the next dish I
would touch a little electrlo bell
lnv
in.
the office which Morley had arranged
to communicate with the kitchen.
The oook'a assistant knows nothing,
though, except that for some reason
It was convenient to me not to have
the meals hurried and to be able to
regulate exactly - the moment when
the different courses should go In.
'Ot course, the horrid stuff has af
fected our health Morley's and mine
is wen as that of everybody else
who has, been near when the machine
worked, or lived In the house for
any lenghth of time. But we hoped
that Sidney and her mother would
soon give up. Then the place would
be Morley's, and we would be repaid
tor everything. While If they held on
we should at least have the jewels.
"When Morley was working at the
walls he discovered the way Into this
secret place out 'of, our office not
the only 'hidle hole' in the house but
neither Sidney nor her mother knows
of its existence. We thought it would
be useful to get things out of the way.
for fear of detectives searching our
boxes, and so It has been. Morley
has always sent me up because I am
so light, -and small. Now you have
the whole story. And if you have any
sense of Justice you'll admit that Mor
ley lsn t to blame when the place1
should have been his, and not Sidney's
or ner motners.
Long before dawn Mr. and Mrs.
Morley Chester left Wood House. Next
day Christopher told Sidney and Sir
Walter Raven the tale as It had been
told to him. Advertisements were out
in the papers informing the victims
of the strange thefts where they could
recover their property. Christopher
would not accept any payment from
Sidney Chester only a piece of her
wedding cake to "dream on." V
' A uaual Mrs. Merton enllvesed th dinner
table -conversation with an account of tho
new servant, V
'I don't know much about hfr fmt," sh
said, "but she is sjood-natured and harmleits,
at any rate."
"How did you find that out?" askd Mr.
Merton.
'By her slnglnfcV She Is always aiming'
at her work."
Mr. Merton slapped viciously at th back
of hfs neck. -
"That's no mign," he said. "A mosquito
does that." Philadelphia ledger.
-621
residents of Ne
braska registered
at Hotel Astor
during the past
year.
Single Room, without bath,
I2.ee and 13.00
Double til.10 and 14.00
Single Rooms, with bath,
. $3.60 to 18.00
Double - 14.10 to $7.00
Parlor, Bedroom and batk,
$10.00 to $14.04
TIMES SQUARB
At Broadway, 44 to 45 Streets
the center of New York'l wjoal and
business senvitie. In 60s pnmmity 10
' , all railway terminal. v
:':!.-!'.!;:'!V:Mi:;;:t!:;;;:'!!;!;i;;i''t
the Stork?
he should be in the miasi
enmfortablee surroundings.
ner of "Mother's Friend" the.
eioectant mothers. The future,
and that of its mother Is ot utmost J
nothing can taae me piece 01
for free book on Aiomernooa.
Address "
UEULATOB CO,
Lamar Uldg..
Atlanta, Oa.
1