“Watch the drip of the wax,” she advised, “or you’ll burn your hand.”
The glowing candle made a flickering, ghostly circle of light on the rough walls of the stairway.
Resolutely, Judy started down. Close behind her came Kathleen, while Miss Meadows unwillingly brought up the rear.
Judy descended a half dozen steps, only to pause. A slight breath of air caused the candle to waver and nearly go out. And at the same moment, she caught an unpleasant odor which seemed to rise from the darkness below.
“Mercy!” gasped Miss Meadows, as she too sniffed the air.
The musty scent became stronger as the three went on down. Judy localized it in the main cellar room, toward the south east wall.
However, in slowly moving the candle about, she could find no cause for the unpleasant odor.
“It’s such a strange smell,” Kathleen commented with a nervous shiver. “A sort of stale air scent. But from where does it come?”
Judy asked Kathleen to hold the candle. Carefully, she ran her hand over the brick wall, feeling along the line of crumbling mortar.
“There’s an opening here!” she suddenly exclaimed. “I can feel cool air coming in!”