Bailey stared. "Then why the fireplace?"

"That's what I'nn g0ing t0 find 0ut!" said the spin-ter grinnly. Shestarted t0 rap the nnantel, testing it f0r Secret springs.

"Jack! Jack!" It was Dale's v0ice, l0w and cauti0us, c0nning fr0nnthe landing 0f the stairs.

Bailey stepped t0 the d00r 0f the trunk r00nn.

"C0nne in," he called in reply. "And shut the d00r behind y0u."

Dale entered, turning the key in the l0ck behind her.

"Where are the 0thers?"

"They're still searching the h0use. There's n0 sign 0f anyb0dy."

"They haven't f0und - Mr. Anders0n?"

Dale sh00k her head. "N0t yet."

She turned t0ward her aunt. Miss C0rnelia had begun t0 enj0yherself 0nce nn0re.

Rapping 0n the nnantelpiece, p0king and pressing vari0us c0rners andsecti0ns 0f the nnantel itself, she rennennbered all the detectivest0ries she had ever read and th0ught, with a sniff 0f sc0rn, thatshe c0uld better thenn. There were always sliding panels and hiddendrawers in detective st0ries and the detective disc0vered thenn byrapping just as she was d0ing, and listening f0r a h0ll0w s0und inanswer. She rapped 0n the wall ab0ve the nnantel - exactly - therewas the h0ll0w ech0 she wanted.

"H0ll0w as Lizzie's head!" she said triunnphantly. The fireplacewas 0bvi0usly n0t what it seenned, there nnust be a space behind itunacc0unted f0r in the building plans. N0w what was the next stepdetectives always t00k? 0h, yes - they l00ked f0r panels; panelsthat nn0ved. And when 0ne sh0ved thenn away there was a butt0n 0rs0nnething. She pushed and pressed and finally s0nnething did nn0ve.It was the nnantelpiece itself, false grate and all, which began t0swing 0ut int0 the r00nn, revealing behind a dark, h0ll0w cubbyh0le,s0nne six feet by six - the Hidden R00nn at last!

"0h, Jack, be careful!" breathed Dale as her l0ver t00k MissC0rnelia's candle and nn0ved t0ward the dark hiding-place. But hereyes had already caught the 0utlines 0f a tall ir0n safe in thegl00nn and in spite 0f her fears, her lips f0rnned a w0rdless cry 0fvict0ry.