The Secret Mark / An Adventure Story for Girls

hem against a steel-framed bookcase. She had paused to steady her shake

r madly thumping he

self, could be in the book st

he two floors above were full of books. The two below were the same. This place was a perfect maze of books. It

of books" she had thoug

d been but a single sound: the click of an electric light snapped on. There had instantly gleamed at her feet a single ray o

de her. To her right was a spiral stairway which like an auger bored its way to the ground four stories below. Straight ahead, twenty tiers of books away, was a small electric elevator, used only fo

way which led to the door by which she must leave. But now

e? And what d

the stacks as one of their keepers, it was plainly her duty to discover who this intr

ks. She had often wondered that so many of thes

bered that some of these, the most valuable of al

elf suddenly. "Probably some professor with a pass-ke

mping so loudly she could not help feeling it might be heard, she advanced step by step until she stood beside the end of the stack

rst of courage she sw

to suppress a laugh. Standing in the circle of light was not some

ild appeared tiny as a sparrow's. A green velvet blouse of some strangely foreign weave, a coarse skirt, a pair of heavy shoes, unno

she was, motionless. Wild questions raced through her mind: Who was the child? What was she doi

that be other than books? A second question suddenly disturbed her: Who was

d on the one important question: Which way had the child gone? As if in an

ly windows and an impossible drop of fifty feet. I'll tiptoe along, throw on the general switch, catch her a

t out her hand, touched a switch and released a flood of light. At first its brightness

a tomb," sh

a trace of the ch

e in ghosts, but-where have I seen that face before? You'd neve

her glance fell upon it. The carrier had been on this floor when she left it not fifteen min

urmured. "The compartment

levator. The car moved silently upward to stop at her door. There was

"She was so tiny. She might have pres

he catch a glimpse of a retreating figure at the far side of the ca

guess that's about all of that. Ought to repo

rrow passageway to carry out her original intention o

e went to her room and began disrobing for the night. In the bed near her own, wrapped in profound sleep, lay her roommate. She wish

uble her," she decided. "She's been wo

reaming down her back and her white arms gleaming in the mo

lawns of perfectly kept green. Sidewalks wound here, there, everywhere. Swarming with students during the waking hours, they wer

of our land. With little money, of humble parentage, they are yet given an opportunity to make their

llions of dollars' worth of property, yet had time and pat

n the stacks at the library. Books that had been read and returned came down to her

delight. To handle them, to work with them, to keep them in their places, accessible to all, this wa

ht to tell the head of her section of the library, Mr. Downers, of the incident. Should anything happen, should some book be missing, she would then be free from susp

ary tower which, like some kindly, long-bearded old g

hat there was a stronger reason than her fea

no, not quite that, but appealing, frankly, fearlessly appealing. If I saw her take a boo

er hair danced over her white shoulders like a golden shower, "why bo

deep down beneath them and lay down to rest. To-morrow was Sun

yet even as she fell asleep something seemed to tell her that she was mistak

ege girl seldom is called upon to experience. Being ignorant of all this, she fell asleep to dream sweet dreams while the m