Diamond Dick, Jr.: The Boys' Best Weekly — page 13: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

DIAMOND DICK, JR. Bertie followed him, and was taken all through the house, then through the glass conservatory the proprietor had men- tioned, and to every other place of iterest. This included the boathouse, which, by the way, was the last place visited. Diamond Dick, Jr., chatted idly the while, taking in all that was told him and praising everything he saw—for he had not yet quite decided whether this man wasa knave or a lunatic. | He was taken through the upper part of the boathouse first, then.the lower, where several boats of different sorts were . kept, and last of all they entered the rear room where the mysterious disappearance had taken place; and here Bertie was aware that the man watched him nar- rowly. Bertie cast one sweeping look around, saw that everything was “apparently as he had last seen it, and turned to go out, as there was nothing there of interest. ‘“‘One moment,’’ said his host. Bertie paused. ‘Vou find nothing of interest here, evidently.”’ ‘‘T see nothing but a bare room,’’ Ber- tle responded. ‘‘Perhaps you have further surprises for me.”’ ‘“VYes, Ihave. You are eager to learn what became of certain persons whom you saw here in the night, and who mysteri- ously gave you the slip.”’ Bertie was surprised, yet not surprised. He now had the right knowledge of Mr. Humphrey’s character. The man was more knave than fool, and now had come the time for locking horns with him. | If stirprised, however, nothing in Ber- tie’s face or manner showed it: he merely looked at the man in a questioning manner. ‘You don’t deny it,’? the man con-. tinued, after a pause. “‘It would do you no good to do so, for we are posted. You heard a screain on the lawn, you left your rooin -by a window, you came here to the boathouse, and here your quarry gave you the slip. Am I not right? ‘Vou must have dreamed all this, sir,’? said Bertie. He wanted to find out whether the man really had the knowledge, though OUT OF SIGHT. 1? there was little room to doubt on that score. ‘‘Nothing of dreaming about it, sir. And now, noted detective though you are, I am going to reveal to you further and final mvsteries of my retreat. You came here out of curiosity, you said; you shall have it gratified co the full. Do you know what this signifies for you, Diamond Dick, Jr. ?” “T take it that you are going to do me the full honors while you are about it,”’ Bertie responded. “Yes, you are right, and more than that.”? ““What more ?”? “After yous have seen all you will be escorted to the gates and dismissed, and it will be death for you to return.”? ‘*Well, things seem to be getting hot here,’’ said Bertie, with a light laugh. ‘All right, turn on the agony, Mr. Humphryes; I guess I'll be able to stand 4 “Vou talk lightly now, but you’ll be serious enough when we are done. And mind, you are to keep secret forever what you will have seen.’? Bertie made no reply to that. The man stepped to the wall at the end of the room, and there pressed a button that was cleverly hidden in what had the appearance of a lamp bracket. ‘Instantly a panel in the wall opened by moving straight up from the floor, and a passage was revealed, the floor of which had the appearance of glass—in fact, was glass. ‘‘Do you see, sir??? the mad millionaire asked, turning to Bertie with a look of triumph. ‘‘Follow me, now, and I will show you wonders stich as you never dreamed of in all your wildest imagin- ings.”? He entered the passage, advanced, and descended some steps. Bertie hesitated for a moment only, while he thought, then boldly entered the passage. He knew there was danger, but he was armed and he believed that he was more than the equal of the man ahead of him. As for the others—— Well, he had braved them all in coming here in the first place, and he was willing to take his chances of holding his own. COMmicloooe S CO