Show I 1 Confessions I Of Ofa a Bride What Was Behind That Miraculous Painting in in the Hacienda Hacienca Chapel The hacienda consisted of ot a a. cluster of ot buildings erected In different cen cen- tunes They Vere were connected b by bc ar arcade arcades ar- ar cades cade and tunnels bridges s and galleries gal gal- The original structure be belonged belonged belonged be- be longed to the time of ot the Spanish conquerors conquerors con con- tradition said The exquisite chapter with it its miraculous portrait was the chief glory glory of ot the place Un- Un had taken possession of or the property the chapel had been a n. place of pilgrimage for tourists in Mexico Like Lourdes and St. St Anne Arine it had Its Us history of ot miraculous cures Originally it 11 had been a small private private private vate chapel designed exclusively for tor forthe forthe the use of the owner and his family It overlooked one corner comer of the church and it 11 was elevated like a mezzanine floo floor What was below it I had never considered that point What was above it 11 What was behind behind be be- hind the miraculous painting Mystery at least Danger Who could decide that without investigating jug ing It was several days das before I felt strong enough to undertake an Investigation investigation on my own account I preferred preferred preferred pre pre- to pick a time when and Don Manuel we were e away from home Such a time came at the dusk of a December day I took Bobs Bob's flashlight from the desk deskIn deskin deskin in his room and followed the corridor leading to the famous chapel without a vestige of fear In my heart Tho chapel was as cold as a cave when I entered I was glad that I had put on a long warm cloak Dim lights burned In many corners of the chapel They did little to illuminate the place but I gazed on them with great Interest Inter inter- est The flame name which they carried had come down from taper to taper from candle to to candle for tor many hundred hundred hun hun- dred years years I walked softly down the short aisle of the chapel and dropped into a front pew Below the or three- three paneled altar piece the candles flared softly With what pride Donna Camilla Camma had shown me the picture of the donor and had told me that it had been painted centuries ago and aud had bade me mo see that it was a perfect likeness of the present owner Hamilton Cert ls And AndI I had agreed with her I had seen with my own eyes that it was Very coldly I regarded the donors donor's portrait a second time from my seat in the front pew It wasn't a picture re of or Hamilton It did not even suggest I rubbed my eyes and looked again I s saw sw w a blue eyed curly haired d stout old gentleman clad in an I elegant costume I turned Bobs Bob's modem modera modern mod mod- era ern flash full fun in the ancient persons person's face tace and I felt decidedly disgusted Evidently Donna Camilla Camma had made me mes s see ee on my first visit to the chapel something which was not there thero at all aU The likeness 1 to had been the product of my own Imagination controlled con on- trolled by the old witch's suggestion TI tw s. s a tesso T T will not have hav to repeat I said t to myself Kather r than adding to my dismay the discovery ery gave me courage I proceeded to study my surround surround- ings The chapel occupied third one-third of the height of the church It was the middle third One On ascended a stairway t to enter it What did It rest upon What was between its carved ceiling and the roof of ot the church I 1 settled back in a corner of the pew and tried to work out this problem In architecture Suddenly softly a apanel apanel apanel panel of ot carved w wood od near the altar opened slowly outward like a door pushed by an unseen finger As I ex expected expected ex- ex the old witch herself herselt stepped from tram behind it Without pausing without looking to the right or left she hurried out of ot the church It was a a. most fascinating door I regarded it much as Bluebeards Bluebeard's wife must have regarded the door she had been ordered not to unlock I looked at It curiously a l long ng time then I went up to It and peered into the lighted space beyond it Never had I seen such an exquisitely decorated Interior Lured by its rare beauty I stepped beyond the paneled door I must haVe stepped upon a spring for Instantly and without warning the panel swung behind me and snapped with a no click t t was locked I could tell without pressing upon It I had made myself a prisoner And not a soul in the wide wId world knew what had become of me To be continued |