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HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
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'he Secret of the Night
TUU11.1.1M) uisium srimvoic
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION SERIAL.
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IIUSSIAN IM-IUGIU IIY M,r,;0 muMcii AUTHOII.
By Gaston Leroux
rr.BorroiiAPTBH.
'.ft1, M M.V&.,r.V KM
nrl . ":- jimned to d" .)."
Klfi. ..l'.Sr.M
1 I'v.Vbii.of ( Malrenn re
lme TMW"th0 U(Dcrri i
trovli.a)
dnuittittr
: i...Hi i
- - . . 'rna ii!iioiui i
',-... mnrrinKv ". -i.u..i
pri"'. "-:,i,i by a iw """
--..... i.hi nr
k a
if hit vlii. .V.Viit-Trftrni T of the lirai io f
iiwr ncd by in "JJf Y n the plots
" V.P?ha life of tho a.ner.1. but Itou-
extended.
in,, ? i . cnrB crect matched llko bensts,
llko boasts on the scent.
m Vi ?Ji' A,ke '"""'. softly, softly,
L 1?.cAt. ""l.then-Mlcncci and then
Ct!;L!l!.1,?'l lm Impatiently.
--- r,tT, lo nel;
- m""1 KoIK out. but ('
:..M. 'inOUKII w -- V. I-.T.,
Jlll t "ll"-4.?-h,?JrA. L unattended.
f" ?.pih.ini. herself durlnic the prom
fr'J.cMn J7lnt cause.. IlouleliibllK be-
0mn "". "iVilli.t the tlencral by
HP.-.,.0.'. Aefilo". a'ndJ.tcl.e. tho door of
ffYrsK"' nS K1I8 .ledger. 'that
0Mn can be forced Into tho Genera
atrne can u fa moans
JffbtBTb tpl Find he and Madame Tro
Ji,wl set themselves to watch
.... i. mmin tier n nltrn and the ro-
S porter, followed by Matrcna, advanced
nn tln-toe to tho threshold of tho gen
era's chamber, keeping closo to tho wall.
t--,tnr Feodorovltch slept,' They heard his
heavy breathing, but ho appeared to been
'lorlng peaceful xlccp. 'Tho horrors 6"f tho
nlitht befoio had fled. Mutrenn was pcrhnps
.likt in attributing the nightmares to tho
; narcotic prepared for hint each nlKlit. for tho
clan from which ho drnnlt It when ho felt
i Miiild not sleep was still full and ob-
tlously had not been touched. Tho bed
of the general was so placed that whoever
OCCIipiCU 11, ceil li nicy "uiu wiuu uviihu,
' could not see tho door kIvIiik on tho sor
tnt' stairway. Tho llttlo tablo whero tho
class and arlous phials wcra placed and
-.mm, hn.l hnrno tlio damrcroun boilnuet.
na placed near tho bed", a llttlo back of It,
and neirer tho door. Nothing could havo
v..,. pn.ifr thmi for someono who could
I- open tho door to stretch nn arm and plnco
the inicrnaj innciiuit? umunv mo wiiu nuw
er. aboo all, as could easily be believed,
If no had waited for that treachery until
the heavy breathing of tho gcnorul told
them outvlde that ho was fast asleep, and
If. looking through tho key-hole, ho had
made sure Matrena was occupied In tier own
chamber. Koulctabllle, at tho thVeshold,
elided to ono side, out of tho Una of vlow
from tho hole, and got down on all fours'.
Hecrawlid toward tho door. With his bond
to the floor ho made nuro that tho llttlo
ordinary pin which ha had placed on guuid
that ecnlntr, stuck In tho floor against
the door, was still erect, having thus addi
tional proof that tho door hajl not. boen
moved. In any other caso tho pin would
hae lain flat on tho floor. Ho crept back,
rose to his feut, pitsscd Into tho dressing-,
room am), In a vomer, had a rapid conver
sation in n low voico wun .tiuircna.
' "Vou will go," iialdjio, "and tako your
mattress Into tho corner ot tho dressing
room whero you can still sco tho door but
no ono can see you by looking through tho
key-hole. Do that quite naturally, and
Iheu go to your rest. I will pass tho night
on the mattresB, nnd I beg you to bollcvo
that I will bo mora comfortable there than
on a bed of etalrcaso wood whero I spent
last night, behind tho door."
"Yen, but ou will fall asleep. I don't
wish that."
'What aro you thinking, madamoT"
"I don't wish It. 1 don't wish It. I don't
lsh to quit the door whero tho eyo Is. And
slnco I'm not able to sleep, lot mo watch."
Ho did not InHlst, nnd they crouched to
gether on the mattress. Itoulotablllo was
squatted llko a tailor at work; but Ma
trena remained on all fours, her Jaw out,
her ojei fixed, llko a bulldog ready to
spring. Tho minutes passed by In pro
found silence, broken only by tho Irrgutnr
breathing and puffing of tho gunernl. Ills
faco stood out pallid and tragic on tho pil
low; his mouth was open and. at times, tho
lips moed, Thero was fear at any moment
of -Ightmaro or his awakening. Uncon
irloiisly ho threw an arm over toward tho
tublj where tho glass of narcotic stood.
Then ho lay still again and snored lightly.
Tin nl&ht-lamp on tho mantelpiece caught
tho o icr yellow reflections from tho cor
ners of tho furniture, frota tho glided franio
of a picture on tho wall and from tho phials
and ..lasses on tho table, nut In all thu
chamber Matrena Pctrovna saw nothing,
thought of notuliic but tho brass bolt
w!i. a shone tharu on tho door. Tired of
bi i e on her knees, sho Hhlf ted, hor chin
in '. hands, her gazo steadily fixed. As
tlr passed and nothing happened sho
)i ac a sigh. Bhe could not havo said
whMher sho hoped for or dreaded tho com
lnt, t that something new which noulcta
bi 'lo had Indicated. Rouletablllo felt her
tlm r with anguish and Impatience.
i fo- him, ho had not hoped that any
thvr'j would como to pass until toward
d.twn, tho moment, as overyono known,
W'u ,ieCp Bleep g most upt to vanquish
ii il afiifulness nnd all Insomnia. And
ui N! waited for that moment he had not
bud rd any more than a Chinese apo or
tl e dear llttlo porcelain domovot doukh
in the garden. Of courso, It might bo that
it was not to happen this night.
tiuddtmly Matrcna'a hand fell on Route
tablllrt's. His Imprisoned hers so firmly that
lie understood who wait forbidden to inako
the )ust movement. And both, wlh ;eck
cr'"c -. a giliullng sound
ellgllt UTatfntr nf u , ,... - n ....
I.nll- ..;., .1." ."...".. ."""" "." un ""
.in,.! Z . . .." ",llcn ono ill the sub
L e J. B,ow ot t,' "'Khtlainp. Tho bolt
softly. ery softly, lppld slowly.
.inur'i0.!1 l ,,0' a I'uihed slowly, so
slowly. It opened.
Tin oiigh tho opening the shadow of nn
aim stretched, nn nrm which held In Its
Ilngi-rs Homothing which uliono. Itouletnblllo
felt Mattenn undy to bound. Ho encir
cled hoi, ho precsid hrr In his nrms, ho
rcstinlned lur In sllince, nnd he hud a hor
ilbo foar of hearing her Miiddctily shout,
whlln the nrm stietchid out, almost touched
tho pillow on tho bid hiio tho general
continued to ktp n uleep of pence such
ns ho hnd not known for a long time.
VII
.trfii'iiiilr of Mnl ii.
Tlin mysterious hand held n phial nnd
pouted the tntlu- contonts Into tho potion.
Then tho hand wllhdiew as It had come,
slowly, prudently, si) ly. ,inl tho Isey luincd
In tho lovk and the bolt slipped back Into
plnco.
I.lko a wol nouletnbllle, warning Mat
rena for a lust tlmo not to budge, gained
tho landing-place, bounded towards tho
, stnlis, slid down the banister right to tho
ornnda, crossed th0 drnwlng-room like a
flash and leached the llttlo sitting-room
without having Jostlfd n slnglo piece of
furniture. Ha noticed nothing, saw nothing.
All nround was undlsttirbtd nnd silent.
Tho llrst light of dawn filtered through
tho blinds. Ho was able to mnka out that
the only closed door was tho ono to
Natncha's chamber. He stopped before that
door, his heart beating, and listened. Hut
no sound caino to his car. He had glided
so lightly over tho carpet that ho waa suro
ho had not been heard. Perhaps that door
would open. He waited. In aln. It seemed
to htm there was nothing alive In that
house except his heart. He was stilled with
hoiror Hint he glimpsed, that ho almost
touched, although that door remained
closed. Ho felt along the wall In order to
leach tho window, pulled aside tho curtain,
Window nnd blinds of the llttlo loom giv
ing on the Neva wei ciocd. Tho bar of
lion lnsldo wan In Its place. Then ho
went to tho passage, mounted and de
scended tho nnriow serx ants' stairway,
looked alt about. In nil the rooms, feeling
vurywhtrc with silent' hands, assuring
himself that irO lock had been tampered
with. On his return to the eniiida, as ho
ruined his head, h -aw at the top of the
main stalrcssn a llguia wan ns death, a
spectral apparition amid tho shadows of
Ilia passing night, who leaned toward htm.
It was Matrena 1'etroviia. Hho came down,
silent as a phantom, and he no longer rec
ognized lur volte when sho demanded of
him, "WhcreT I require that )ou tell inc.
Where?''
"I have looked nor where," ho said, so
low that Mat r na had to como nearer to
understand his whisper, "Everything Is
shut tight. And tin re Is no ono about"
stretched llko a beast, and burled her head
In her arms whlln nlm unm m..it i,m
'"" 1 II 111 irnlMft- i. i.... ., -.., . .. .. . .. . . . . 1." '-.' .v. .vi
tly. of tho littl, ;,., l""l '0 s'cnI u?UB..cr: -Vttlnc"a. Nntachn, whom she hnd
lien niovcmei t call m. Bnroo,n M, tho. .lcast cn5r'!'ll,ln her own child, nnd whd did
. a need to" ' flro n revoIv'- ' Ju i10' hca'- her- Ah. what tiso that tho llttlo
the it. .ti.i . . . follow had gono to search outside when
He slipped Intu Mm imi,i. .. in. ii.. ........
nn? -i on," for 'Honw. from tho corner
nnn,, ;V.,C1U ,0- "tough the doors left
r,,mV n,.rie,,a cou,d follow tho movo
ihn ,,i u' goiter nnd watch Nntncha's
! m . m ,h0 8I,,,, tltnc. The attitude of
llou etnblllo continued to confuso her be
.im li 1.ecxl"cf":l("1- Sno watched what ho
M.,i . "lle l,0"K't him besotted. Tho
l.?i. . .J' gllnul out the roadway also
nf ii., t.1"-' tig in 'ii through tho bnrs
thn! Li.f'VP 'n to"tcinnlIon. as though ho
.i.".'1 '".11 " f001' Min tho paths of
m 5nrUl or cul",iit which offered no
iinnfi. for. rootl'"ts ltoulctublllc hurried
J.. ; .vroVm- lllm ' "tcd that tho
grass of the law n had not been trodden.
Vil . ,1 " ,,nl'1 no ,"010 attention to his
?;.ll , r0"?0'1 t0 "tudj nttcnthcly tho
ios color In tho enst. breathing tho deli
cacy of dawning morning m the Isles, amid
"crcd tarlh' whlch stl11 slMm"
i ""'-headed, face thrown back, hands
behind his back, eye" raised slid fixed, he
i? .n c' steps, then suddenly stopped
as if ho had boon given an electric shock.
ab soon as he seemed to have recovered
nom that shock ho turned around nnd went
a , cw stops back to another path. Into
which ho advanced, strnlght ahead, his
fnco high, with tho same fixed look that
he hod had up to the time he so suddenly
stopped, ns If something or someono ad
vised or warned him not to go further. Ho
continually worked back toward the house,
and thus ho traveled all the paths that
led from the villa, but In all theso excur
sions he took pains not to plnco himself In
the Held of vision from Natacliu'x window,
a restricted field becauso of Its location
just around an abutment of the building.
To ascertain about this window ho crept
on all fours up to the gnrden edge that ran
along tho foot of tho wall and had suf
ficient proof that no ono hvl jumped out
that way. Then he went to rejoin Ma
ticna In the veranda.
1110 WllOlO truth 1.1V 111-111 llil Ihla Irtnx?
rhlnklng. of him, sh0 was embarrassed lest
ho should find her In that animalistic
posture, and sho rose to her knees and
worked hor way over to tho window that
looked out upon the Neva, Tho anglo
of tho slanting blinds let her seo well
enough what passed outside, nnd what she
yaw inado her spring to her foot. IJelow
her the reporter was going tlnough tho
same Incomprehensible maneuvers that sho
had seen him do In tho gmden. Threo
pathways led to tho llttlo road that ran
along tho wnll of tho villa by the bank
of the Neva. The joung man. still with
his hands behind his back and with his
face up, took them one after the other. In
the first ho stopped at tho first step Ho
dldn t tako moro than two steps In tho
Hccond. In tho third, which cut obliquely
toward tho right and seemed to run to tho
bank nearest Kreslownky Ostrow, sho saw
hint advnnco slowly nt first, then moro
quickly anion tho small trees nnd hedges.
Once only ho stopped nnd looked closely
nt the trunk of n tree, against which ho
seemed to pick out something Invisible,
and then continued to tho bank. Thoro ho
sat jlown on a stone and appeared to re
flect, and then suddenly ho cast oft hU
Jacket nnd trousers, picked out a certain
place on tho bank ncross from him, finished
undressing and plunged Into the stream.
Hho snw nt onco that ho swam llko n por
poise, keeping bencalh and showing his
head from time to time, breathing, then
diving below tho surface again, llo reached.
Krcitowsky Ostrow In n clump nf reeds.
Then he disappeared. llolow him, sur
lounded by trees, could bo seen tho red
tiles of tho villa which sheltered Ports and
Michael. Prom thu villa a person could
sen the window of tho sitting-room In Ck'ii
oral's Trcbassofg residence, but not what
might occur along the bank of the river
Just below Its walls. An Isvotchlck drovo
along the distant route of Krcstowsky, con
vejlng In his cairlngo a company of young
nmcuiH and oung women who hnd been
"No one tins come, lutn th n-nt-iiAu iiit
morning." said he. "and no one has gono feasting nnd who sang ns they rode: Iheu
out of tho villa Into tho garden. Now I deep sllcncu ensued. M iticna's ejcsscnrchciJ'
nm going to look oulsldo tho erouiids,
Wit It here; I'll bo back In llvo minutes."
Ho went away, knocked discreetly on
tho window of tho lodge nnd waited some
seconds. Urmotal c-imo out and opened tho
gate for him. Matrena moved to the
threshold of tho llttlo sitting-room nnd
watched Natachu's door with horror. Alio
felt her legs give under her and she could
not stand up under tho diabolic thought of
such n, crime. Ah, that arm, that arm!
leaching out, making Its way, with a little
shining phial In Its hand. Pains of Christ!
Whnt could thero be In the damnable
books over which Natacha and her com
panion pored that could make such abomin
able crimes possible? Ah, Natucha, Nu
tachal It was from her that she would
have desired the answer, straining her al
most to stifling on her rough bosom and
Ktrnngllng Iter with her own strong hnnd
iiuu sua migni not near mo response. Ah,
for Itoulotabllle, but could not find hlui.
"How long wns ho going to stay hidden
like thiil? Sho pressed her fnco against
tho'chtll window. What wns sho waiting
for? Sho waited perhaps for someono to
innko a move on this side, for tho door near
her to open and tho traitorous figure of
Tho Other to appear,
A hand touched her carefully, film tinned
Itouletnlilllo was there, his face nil
scnircd by red scratches, without collar or .
necktie, hnvlng hirstlly resumed his clothes.
Ha appeared furious as he surprised her
In his dlsnrrny. Sho let him lend her as
though she were n child. He drew her to
his room and closed the door,
(To He Continued )
Matrena looked at Itouletnblllo with nil . Natnchn, Natacho, whom sho had loved so
the power of her ccs. nn though sho would
discover his Inmost thoughts, but his clear
glunco did not waver, Hnd sho saw thero
wns nothing he wished to hide. Then Ma
li cna pointed her finger at Natacha's
chamber.
"Vou havo not gono In thero?'' alio In
quired. .
He replied, "it Is not -necessary to enter
there."
"I will enter there, myself, nevertheless,"
said she, and she set her teeth.
He barred her way with his arms spread
out.
"If you hold the llfo of someono dear,"
said he, "don't go a step farther."
"Hut the person In In that chamber. Tho
person Is there. It Is there you will find
out!" And sho waved him ujildo with a
gesture, as though she were sleepwalking.
To recall her to tho teullty of what ho
had said to her and to mako her understand
what ho desired, ho had to grip her wrist
In the vise of his nervous hand.
"The porson Is not there, perhaps," ho
nald. shaking his head. "Understand mo
Hut she did not understand htm. She said:
"Since the person Is nowhere else, the
porson must be there."
Kut lloulotubllle continued obstinately:
"No, m5. Pel haps he Is gone."
"done! And over) thing locked on tho
much! fib e sank to the floor, crept across
the carpet to tho door and Iny there.
Tho latest figures show thnt tho Stnto
of Washington produced 05 per cent of
nil tho shingles manufactured in tlio
country during tho jcar, tho wood used
being western red cedar.
Real Music at Last!
vf3r jiiiiirTy yw
UUdORd
Surareme
Achievement
frr3l
No Needles
NoTroulalcj
SEND FOK OUU CATALOGUES. THEY AltE FREE.
Inside I"
Tlint la ot a reason." ho replied.
Hut she could not follow his thoughts
any further. She wished absolutely to make
her way Into Natachn'M chamber. Tho ob
session of that was upon her.
if ou enter there," said he, "and if (as
Is most probable) vou don't find what you
seek there, all Is lost! And as to me, I
give up the wiiolo thing."
Sho sank in a heap onto a chnlr.
"Don't despair," h murmured, "Wo don't
know for sure yet." ,,...,,
She shook her poor old head dejectedly.
"Wo know that only sho Is here, slnco
no. ono has been nblo to enter and slnco no
ono has been able to leave."
That, In truth, filled her brain, prevented
hor fiom discerning In any corner of her
mind tho thought of ltoulctablltc. Then
tho Impossible dialogue resumed.
"1 lepeat that we do not Know that the
person has gone," icpenttd the reporter,
and demanded her keys.
Toollsh, he said. 'What do you want
them for?" ,
"To ncnicli outside ns wo have searched
Inside."
"Why. overj thing is locked on the Inside."
"Madame, onco moio, that Is no reason
that the person may not be outBide."
He consumed live minutes opening the
dopr of the vcrandu, no many wejo his pre-
gm
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HmrnivwnafrmitmvtRfint