“It is old,” Judy agreed. “When Mr. Krumm built the cottage, he tried to save money by using the foundation of Captain Hager’s place.”
Judy negotiated the stairway safely and waited for the others at a jagged doorway which opened into the main cellar chamber.
The basement was very still, except for the shuffle of the descending feet.
“No musical chimes or the like?” Ardeth demanded with a suppressed giggle as she reached the bottom of the stairway.
Moving through the stone archway, the three found themselves in a large room. The chamber was dry, but nevertheless gave forth a musty odor.
The ancient brick walls were lined with shelves, all of which appeared empty. In fact, the only visible objects in the room were a half dozen old barrels. The casks lay helter-skelter, some on their sides, and others up-ended.
Judy deliberately walked around the barrels, inspecting them closely and kicking at them with her foot. All gave forth a hollow sound, which echoed in the chamber room.
Satisfied that every cask was empty, Judy next turned her attention to a smaller storage closet off to the left.
“This must have been the fruit and vegetable storage room,” she declared. “It’s been cleaned out though.”
The shelves were completely bare, and the roving flashlight revealed only an undisturbed layer of dust.