"Good. You can play the part."
A look of elation overspread the thin, intellectual features.
"True--I'll do it. I see it in a flash. 'Crazy old Bet,' they'll call
me--"
She sprang to her feet.
"Come upstairs."
He followed her light step up three flights of stairs into the attic.
She pushed aside an old-fashioned wardrobe and opened a small door of
plain pine boards about four feet in height which led to the darkened
space beneath the roof.
She stooped and entered and he followed. A small, neat room was revealed
eight feet high beside the inner wall, with ceiling sloping to three
feet on the opposite side. An iron safe was fitted into the space beside
the chimney and covered skillfully by a door completely cased in brick.
The device was so perfect it was impossible to detect the fact that it
was not a part of the chimney, each alternate layer of bricks fitted
exactly into the place chiseled out for it in the wall of the chimney
itself.
Socola examined the arrangement with care.
"A most skillful piece of work!" he exclaimed.
"I laid those bricks in that door casing with my own hand. The old safe
has been there since my grandfather's day. This is your room, sir. That
safe is for your important papers.
Pages:
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233