Show i T E B T CHAPTER X 15 15 The Hidden Room A t few fee tomcats I I liter tier Jack alley P s a n t thin In Glow clow low t ot candle t from Crom the little attic above abort und and lIe s voice olee made wade Ills his nay U up t UI there re lie found them hem In the trunk room room a n dusty dut dingy 81 lined hied high clo closets lt along alons tic tI e the Halls Mails floor littered with Ith an un ns as assortment of o attic two objects two bat lIat battend tend trunks a n clothes hamper b an nn old se sewing IlIg machine a n broken backed kitchen en n chair a pair rail of dress s suitcases 3 and a shabby that might once have e be been a II woman s dressIng c lit case case ln e-ln In ode corner a grimy In lu which 01 obviously I no lire Ure had bad been hen lighted for Cor yeas ens Lut he lie also 0 found Miss Mica Ii Cornell t I holding bolding I 1 er cr curdle cindle to the floor and staring at Ing In Candle se gre gre greisel tse I cl sic 1 e a said sharply staring at nt a u line of ot white spots b by tin tI window She Slie stool ed and touched the spots pots with an exploratory finger Fresh Fn h candle greasel el elow ow r ow who do you sui post pose did that It lends leads straight to the fireplace she murmured In Intone intones Intones tones tone of srn gravity Ity Bailey an Involuntary smile But Buther her lIer next t or words g gave ge e him genuine food for tor thought It Its Its s been Going through m my mv mind for tor tI tl c e III last t few fess minutes that no chim chimney i iney ney Hue flue runs up this side of ot the said saidI ald aldI hou house e she he I alley stared Then why h the tho fire fire- fireplace ure place That s what I m coin going to find I Isaid said the spinster grimli She Slie st to rip the mantel testing It t for secret s Jael Jack Jell Juki It was Ras Diles Olee low and cautious comin from the of ot the stairs stepped lo to the door of ot the trunk room Lome tome in III I e celled In reply nd Ind lock the tile door behind you Dale entered turning the key Ley In the lock locI I L chin I her others s here are nrc the They re still searching the tile hous house Ti II ere eres s no sign of ot an anybody bolly Tl TI ey Inn in t found found- found Mr found Sir lr Ander Anderson Anderton son Dale shook hool her ber head ot ot yet She Sill turned toward her hgr Il r aunt Cornelia had begun to enjoy herself herselt one once more ita Hal Kail ling mug ing on the tile mantelpiece poking and I various corners comer and sec sections of ot the mantel Itself she the remembered Jered all the e storks he he had ever read and thought with Hh a n sniff ot of scorn SOrD that she could better them She be roll rat pd on tie Ile tI e wall all above e the mantel here l there was as the tile hol hollow hollow low echo she wanted Hollow Hollo a as Lizzle LIzzie s head lIend she said triumphantly TI II Tie e fireplace was II ob not what hat It there seemed must be asp a spice ice behind it unaccounted for Cor In the building plans i l 0 os what ns the next nest step detectives lS l'S ah aha always a s stoob look Oh Oh yes they yes e they they looked for panels panels that coned m J And when wilen one them away ny there was US a n button or something She Salie he I I and aud i resse I and something did inov IDO move IDOl l It as a the Ole mantelpiece Itself false orate and all which began to swing out Into the room n revealing resealing behind bellind a dark hot 1101 low cubbyhole I ole some six f feet t b by sh- sh bli blithe the hidden n room at last I Oh Jack be Loe careful 1 breathed Dale Dule u as her lover loser took luck Miss Cornelia s candle and aud moved moM mo ld to toward ud the dark darl i lace Hut But her eyes e es had al already already already ready caught the outlines of ot a n tall lion hon safe ate in the gOlm and In elite ot of other her fears cars his her h lii hi s a formed a cuy of victory I 1 ut tit J Jack al Bailey said at ut all allOne allOne allOne One glance had shown IJ him that the safe bare Yo was ns empty The ILe collar se Sl of ot all nil it I opts Yo was sas as almost t more wore than they could bear Coming on top of ut the nene racking events l of tie rte It kit them dazed and directionless s It was of course Miss lIss Cornelia who ho re t recovered eo covered ered IJ first I 1 11 sen en without the money sl sI I e a said the mere presence of ot this tills safe here hidden away tell tells the Hie stor story The I he fact that some OlDe one el else e knew and got cot here first t cannot alter altu that Lut tin she could not nol cheer cheu him It ai LIz le who ho created a dh erslon fizzle who oho ho had hind boiled bolted In into to the Hie hall at atthe the first fint Cr t motion mollon of U lie I l mantel leee out ards and cod ohio ho now sith Ith e eual I came caul bolting back she he heI I into the room nom slamming the thedoor thedoor thedoor door behind I er cr and collapsed std d into a heap of ot moaning terror at her mistress feel At lInt first she he was as comI In Inarticulate Inarticulate articulate but Jut after a u time lime she that bile bhe had seen se-en him andU and II U en fell to moaning again fie fhe same Sume thought was as In lu nil all their minds that In some sOllie corner of the up upper upper per Coor fluor hi si I e a had come across it ti e b 11 fly dy of Anderson But Dut wl en to Miss Cornelia I nally flatly quieted her hu and nud asked this she shebl bl 1 ook 1 I er cr head licad it ft It was sas as tI ll tie e a L Lit It 1 I saw was sas as her lIer as astounding statement lie drop ld d through the sk light out tl tI ere cre and ran along the hall I 1 saw aw him I tell you youIe ire Ie IeH went H lIt rigl t by rue mel I Nonsense c said Miss MIS Cornelia I rl How flow can taD you vou OU siy S1 siv such a athing athing thing Out But P ralley Palley all y pus ed forward and tool took I Izele lzzie by the lute shoulder i What did he look like Ule lit lie I adu t any face tace Uc tie was aU all black his flee tue ought to bl bc beDo Do you OU mean he wore sore a mask Maybe Ia be be I don t know She MJe l collapsed again n but when Lulie followed by Cornelia t 1 I A Novel From the Play By Mary Roberts Rinehart Rinchart and Avery Hopwood Hop Bonica Tho rho flit lUO 2920 by Ma Mary Robert nob ru bad aDd Aver Hopwood made a u mo mole mo e toward the door she bhe broke Into sailing ailing Don t to Go out there I she shrieked lI lie Ile s there therl I 1 tell you I in III not crazy craz It If y iou ou open that door he hell II st oot I 1 ut the door was already open and no shot hot came Ith the departure of Bailey and Miss Cornelia CornlIa and the re sui suiting tins darkness due to their taking the candle can cun lie Lizzle and D Dile lie were ere left lefta lefta a one The fie girl pirl Irl was as taint faint with shit and strain she he sat huddled on a trunk saying nothing and after a moment or so Lizzie roused to her condition ot Not feeling sick are arc your you I she asked I 1 feel a u little queer ho wouldn t in the dark here silk that monster loose loo e somes her here near b bi by 1 But she stirred herself and got sot up I Id d better SI get t the smell smellIng Ing salts sails she sir said ald lly liea God Cod s I hate bate to mon nio but If It there s sone sone one place safer In this tills house than an another another other 1 I c se e yet to find It It She went ent out lea leasing Ing Dile le alone The trunk room was dark darl save that now Dow and then as ns the candle appeared end reappeared the doorway doom ay was faintly outlined On this outline she LJ kept t her ber eyes heed fixed by way wai a of ot corn com forI fort and thus i as asked d the Hie ne next t v fl moments She felt ell an and dizzy dizz and und entirely des de i tiring anus Then the Then outline was not Dot so clear r She I lid Id d heard nothing but Jut here thel n was something In till the lie doom doorway a It stood there formless s diabolical and then she saw aw what hat was ns hal i euins euing It was svgs closing the door Afterward she was as mercifully not to remember what came next the figure was sas ns I Intent on what wh-it was going coins on outside or her own movements may have been ns as silent as Its own That she gut got Into the mantel room room and e even n partially parti clo closed ed It behind her Is certain and that her description of ot what hat followed Is fairly accurate Is borne out by the lie facts as ns known The Bat Gat was working rapidly She SheI I card eard his Ills quick quid nen nervous ous movements apparently he lie had hind come back for tor sonic some something thing and secured It t for now he ed mo moved ell agaIn to toward ard the door I ut tit tithe uthe lie he was as too late ate they were re that way nay ay She heard him film mutter some something something thing and quickly turn the key hey In thic lock lob lien 1 hen he lie seemed to run toward Ile tI e window and for some r reason ason to recoil from It It The next Instant she realized that he be was as coming toward to ard the m room that he Intended to hide in It It There Thereas was as no doubt In her lier mind as to his hb identity It was as the lie Bat Dat and Ina In Ina ina a moment more he would be shut In there Yo with It 11 herShe her herShe She he tried to scream and could not and the next nest she was as In a dead f hInt flint on OD tI tl e a floor Balky BaIlLy hill had crawled led out outon outon outon on the root roof and was as carefully search searchIng searchIng Ing It It But Hut oil oll other cr things were ere hap I ening also A disinterested observer er could have haic seen very soon why wily the Ua Bat t had abandoned the window a as a means of egress Almost before the mantel had swung to the arch criminal the top lop or of ora ofa ofa a tall roll pruning ladder had at atthe atthe atthe the window Indo and by Its sho showed ld that some one was climbIng up rung by rung rune Un u 1 i l enough he came on pausIng at the he top lop to a light Into the room and tI th en n cautiously b a leg les o er the silL It was the lie doctor lIe He gave JJ a alow alow alow low whistle but there was sas ns no reply SJ save e that hind he lie seen eco It the mantel swung out an Inch loch or two t 0 Perhaps lie he was ns never wen r so near death as at that moment but that Instant of thou on his part sa saved a cd him for by coming canting Into the room he be had taken taLen Jut of ot rane Fen r then heas he lie was suns fI very ry close to de- de destruction de destruction for Cor after atter a brief pause and anda anda a second rather puzzled surrey sun e of the room lie he started t toward ard the lie mantel itself Only th the rattle mUle of ot the door doorknob doorknob knob slop ed cd him and a call from frow out outside Dale Balleys Dalley a 8 olce from the corridor Dalel Dale I IDae Dale Dae I l Dale Dalel I The I he door doors s locked cried Miss lIss Cornelia Cornella 1 J he lie doctor hesitated 1 the 1 he call came again Dale Dalel I I and Bailey Dalley pounded on the door as If It he lie meant to breal It do down don n I Tie he doctor ma malt male h up his mind mind alt alt alt a moment 1 I he ho called III stepped to tu tl hi e c door and unlocked It ItI ItI I 1 alley hurled himself dt Into the lie room tollo followed ed by Miss lIss Cornelia with Ith her Ler candle Link Lizzie stool In the Hie doom doorway ready to leap cap ap tor for safety at nt n a moment s a notice liy by hy did you iou OU lock that Hint door said Dillie Ballet angrily tl tI e a doc doe doctor tor Hut But I didn t said tile the he latter truth truthfully full fully enough Bailey made a mo mote moe mo ment e- e ement ment of ot Irritation Thus Then a glance about the room informed him of the amazing the incredible f ct Yo sas w not there therel 1 I She had bad eared 1 I lou you ou iou h tr stammered at the doctor here s Miss lIss Og Oslen Jen V hat ha c you jou OU done with Ith her ber herTie TI c doctor was ns dually C I battled ba Wed Done DonL with pith her ho lie said Indignant Indignantly ly Iy I don t know what you re talk lag Ing about I about I lia ha Cn t seen terl TI Tien en you ou didn t lock that door Bailey menaced him The doctor doctors 15 denial dental was Ras ns firm Irm not I 1 was th through rough the w win In low s hen hn 1 I 1 I el rd your our olce at nt the tho door I Baileys s eyes leapt to the window window- window yes yes-a yes a lad ler Ier was ns there the there the doctor be speaking the truth ruth after atter all allBut allBut But Dut If It so how liow and why had bad Dale dis disappeared appeared The doctor doctors s admission of ot his hh ma map nor ner of entrance did not make male Lizzle LIzzie any the happier In at the tir just Indo window Just like Ilke a ball bat she muttered In sinking sh tones She would not hn lia e e stayed In the doorway It If the she had not been afraid to move mon anywhere else elseI I saw lights up op here from outside continued the doctor easily And And I thought thought- Ml MI s Cornelia Interrupted him She had laid aid do down don n I ler ter er candle and re rc ol 01 u on the top lop of ot the clothes er and now stood gazing cazin at nt the mantel n 11 rt n TI c e mantel montel closed s-closed s closed she slie said Tl Ti c e doctor shred red So the secret secretor or of the he hidden bidden room was as a n secret ecret na no j jI tr i I 45 r 1 n S Sr r i n J Dale Called Bailey s a Voice From the Corridor longer lie Ill saw ruin gulag Ing Lecture him him-a a bottomless abyss ab s Lion he lie cursed under hl his breath Ballet turned turnell on him sa Did you OU shut that mantel o ol ol l III I II see er you shut It or not Palley leapt toward the fireplace Dale I Dale Dalel I lie he called de desperately leaning the mantel Ills fin leers bers groped for the knob IJ that worked Use tle mechanism of ot the hidden en entrance entrance entrance trance The doctor picked up the single lighted candle from Crom the lie hamper as ns It if to throw throes more light on Bailey Batley s ta task k Ballet Balle s fingers found the lie knob lie turned it L The Jeg began n to S SIng Ing out Into the room As It did so the doctor deliberately snuffed out the of ot the candle he held Ica leasing ins Ing the room In abrupt and obliterating darkness Doctor wily why did you iou OU put out that candle Miss Cornelia Cornelias s olce cut the black blackness ness like a knife I didn t-I- t tIlou tIlou t I Iou lou ou did I did I saw you ou do It It The rhe brief exchange of ot and dental denial tork I but an nn In Instant tant of ot time lute as the mantel s sung swung ung wide tilde Ide open 1 lie he nest Instant there wo n a rush of ot feet Ceet acro across the Hie floor from the ho tI tic I e a shock of ot a collision lon between een two the bodies the sound of a hea heasy i tall fall hat hat wn was that queried Bailey daze with silk a feeling as It If some teat icat winged singed creature had brushed at hIm him and i asked Js ed Lizzie Lizzle erell from the Hie lie do U Ua rss a Oh Oh oh oli oh she clIe In stricken accents Somebody I knocked me medo medorm dorm do 0 and led on me mcl I Matches latches quick I I commanded liss Cornelia liere here s the llie cundle candle I 1 hie he d ci clr tr was still tr trying Ing to explain ex explain plain his curious action of ot a moment bete re Vw fully sorry surry I 1 assure you you-It ion ou-It ou cd ell cut t ut of ot the holder all holder all here hereIt hereit hereIt It I I Ilie Ue lie held It up triumphantly triumphant Ballet sll ud a match and lighted It It The II ering wavering wa little time sho ed Lizzie t I ate but vocal In U ll tie e a dOOr doorway and Dale I lying Ing on the floor of ot the hidden room her eyes cs shut and her face as drained of color as the lute face ot of a u marble statue lor I or one horrible In instant Bailey thought she must roust be dead lie Ill rushed to her lier wll sil 1111 Hi lly and picked I er up In lu hl Ills his arms arnn o still No still breath |