Part 19 (1/2)

The sheriff was regarding him with particular attention

”What did I understand your name to be?” he demanded

”Laurance Donovan,” Larry replied coolly

Pickering seereeably

”I think I have heard of your friend before,” he said, turning to ratulate you on the international reputation of your counsel He's esteee reward for his return Sheriff, I think we have finished our business for to-day”

He seeave they aiting

”Now, I'ate ”We've spiked one of his guns, but I've given hiainst myself But come, and I will show you the Door of Bewilderment before I skip”

CHAPTER XXIV

A PROWLER OF THE NIGHT

Doe plunged into the cellar, through the trap and to the Door of Bewilderment

”Don't expect too le Spanish coin”

”Perish the a else h the hole in the wall and lighted candles The room was about seven feet square At the farther end was an oblong wooden door, close to the ceiling, and Larry tugged at the fastening until it ca with it a mass of snow and leaves

”Gentlee of the ravine Do you see the blue sky? And yonder, if you will twist your necks a bit, is the boat-house”

”Well, let the scenic effects go and shohere you found those papers,” I urged

”Speaking of mysteries, that is where I throw up my hands, lads It's quickly told Here is a table, and here is a tin despatch box, which lies just where I found it It was closed and the key was in the lock I took out that packet--it wasn't even sealed--saw the character of the contents, and couldn't resist the temptation to try the effect of an announce Now that is nearly all I found this piece of paper under the tape hich the envelope was tied, and I don't hesitate to say that when I read it I laughed until I thought I should shake down the cellar Read it, John Glenaral-cap paper on which ritten these words: HE LAUGHS BEST WHO LAUGHS LAST ”What do you think is so funny in this?” I demanded

”Who wrote it, do you think?” asked Stoddard

”Who wrote it, do you ask? Why, your grandfather wrote it! John Marshall Glenarrandest old man that ever lived, wrote it!” declaireat big ga--but principally you, you blockhead! Oh, it's grand, perfectly, deliciously grand--and to think it should be lad you're a so awfully funny Suppose those papers had fallen into Pickering's hands; then where would the joke have been, I should like to know!”

”On you, entleman wanted you to study architecture; he wanted you to study his house; he even left a little pointer in an old book! Oh, it's too good to be true!”

”That's all clear enough,” observed Stoddard, knocking upon the despatch box with his knuckles ”But why do you suppose he dug this hole here with its outlet on the ravine?”

”Oh, it was the way of him!” explained Larry ”He liked the idea of queer corners and underground passages This is a bully hiding-place for man or treasure, and that outlet into the ravine et out of the house with nobody the wiser It's in keeping with the rest of his scheay, comrades! To-morroill likely find us with plenty of business on our hands At present we hold the fort, and let us have a care lest we lose it”

We closed the ravine door, restored the brick as best we could, and returned to the library Wenotes and spent an hour discussing this new feature of the situation

”That's a large amount of money to lend one ue that Mr Glenar all he had There's more somewhere If only I didn't have to run--” and Larry's face fell as he re, oldonly of my own affairs But I never relied on you as ainst Donovan, without a doubt, on general principles and to land a blow on you,” reet away, Larry We'll help you off to-night I don't intend to stand between you and liberty This extradition business is no joke--if they ever get you back in Ireland it will be no fun getting you off You'd better run for it before Pickering and his sheriff spring their trap”

”Yes; that's the wise course Glenarm and I can hold the fort here His is a e of a thousand years,” said the clergyo to jail in the end, too, I suppose”

”I want you both to leave It's unfair to er than mine, Larry And yours, too, Stoddard; why, your whole future--your professional standing and prospects would be ruined if we got into a fight here with the authorities”

”Thank you forhed Stoddard ”No; your grandfather was a friend of the Church and I can't desert his orous Church ht to go, if he will allow me to advise him”

Larry filled his pipe at the fireplace

”Lads,” he said, his hands behind hiently as was his way, ”let us talk of art and letters--I' to stay It hasn't often happened in e has pleased entle the citadel; a private chaplain on the preht; sheriff, school-girls and a Sisterhood distributed through the landscape--andduskily in the distance Glenar hie of loyalty Stoddard stayed for dinner, and aftere began again our eternal quest for the treasure, our hopes high froerness born of the knowledge that theus face to face with the real crisis We ranged the house from tower to cellar; we overhauled the tunnel, for, it seemed to ht, after Stoddard and Larry had reconnoitered the grounds and Bates and I had s, I sent them off to bed and made lad of the respite, glad to be alone--to consider atha's, and her return with Pickering Why could she not always have been Olivia, roaray, or that wonity, who cas'? Her own attitude toward me was so full of contradictions; she had appeared to ed the whole gaht of her But it was the recollection of Pickering's infa had always been in my way, and here, but for the chance by which Larry had found the notes, I should have had no weapon to use against him

The wind rose and drove shrilly around the house A bit of scaffolding on the outer walls rattled loose sorew restless, myforward to the future Even if I won inI had yet my way to make in the world His notes were probably worthless, --I did not doubt that I ht use them to procure his removal as executor, but I did not look forith any pleasure to a legal fight over a property that had brought o below, and, taking a lantern, I tra apparatus, and, reuarded, followed the corridor to the trap, and opened it The cold air blew up sharply and I thrust my head down to listen

A sound at once arrested ht at first it must be the suction of the air, but Glenarm House was no place for conjectures, and I put the lantern aside and juht showed for an instant, then the darkness and silence were complete

I ran rapidly over the smooth floor, which I had traversed so often that I knew its every line My only weapon was one of Stoddard's clubs Near the Door of Bewilderment I paused and listened The tunnel was perfectly quiet I took a step forward and stu which we had closed carefully that afternoon, and at the instant I found it a lantern flashed blindingly ininvoluntarily, and clenching the club ready to strike

”Good evening, Mr Glenarm!”

Marian Devereux's voice broke the silence, and Marian Devereux's face, with the full light of the lantern upon it, was bent gravely upon me Her voice, as I heard it there--her face, as I saw it there--are the things that I shall reo hence froers, as they clasped the wire screen of the lantern, held aze for a second The red tam-o'-shanter that I had associated with her youth and beauty was tilted rakishly on one side of her pretty head To find her here, seeking, like a thief in the night, for so, was the bitterest drop in the cup I felt as though I had been struck with a bludgeon

”I beg your pardon!” she said, and laughed ”There doesn't see to say, does there? Well, we do certainly meet under the most unusual, not to say unconventional, circuo away or turn your back I want to get out of this donjon keep”

She took e Then I broke upon her storravity of what you are doing! Don't you know that you are risking your life in crawling through this house at , a life is a pretty big thing to throay? Your infatuation for that blackguard see the lantern at arth back and forth so that its rays at every forward motion struck my face like a blow