termost plank.

"I will not; but you will come just the same; you can not help it," I
hazarded, as with the point of my knife-blade I lifted the small round
of wood which filled into the ring and thus made the floor level.

"Now, if this door is not locked, we will have it up," I cried, pulling
at the ring with a will. The door was not locked and it came up readily
enough, discovering some half-dozen steps, down which I immediately
proceeded to climb.

"Oh, I can not stay here alone," she protested, and prepared to follow
me in haste just as I expected her to do the moment she saw the light
withdrawn.

"Step carefully," I enjoined. "If you will honor me with your hand--"
But she was at my side before the words were well out.

"What is it? What kind of place do you make it out to be; and is there
anything here you--do--not--want--to see?"

I flashed the light around and incidentally on her. She was not
trembling now. Her cheeks were red, her eyes blazing. She was looking at
me, and not at the darksome place about her. But as this was natural, it
being a woman's way to look for what she desires to learn in the face of
the man who for the moment is her protector, I shifted the light into
the nooks and corners of the low, damp cellar in which we now found
ourselves.

"Bins for wine and beer," I observed, "but nothing in them." Then as I
measured the space before me with my eye, "It runs under the whole
house. See, it is much larger than the room above."

"Yes," she mechanically repeated.

I lowered the lantern to the floor but quickly raised it again.

"What is that on the other side?" I queried. "I am sure there is a break
in the wall over in that corner."

"I can not see," she gasped; certainly she was very much frightened.
"Are you going to cross the floor?"

"Yes; and if you do not wish to follow me, sit down on these steps--"

"No, I will go where you go; but this is very fearful. Why, what is the
matter?"

I had stepped aside in order to avoid a trail of footprints I saw
extending across the cellar floor.

"Come around this way," I urged. "If you will follow me I will keep you
from being too much frightened."

She did as I told her. Softly her steps fell in behind mine; and thus
with wary tread and peering eyes we made our way to the remote end,
where we found--or rather where I found--that the break which I had
noticed in the uniformity of the wall was occasioned by a pile of old
boxes, arranged