Produced by Suzanne Shell, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. THE KEEPER OF THE DOOR By ETHEL M. DELL AUTHOR OF "The Way of an Eagle," "The Knave of Diamonds," "The Rocks of Valpre," Etc. A.L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Published by Arrangements with G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS, 1915 BY ETHEL M. DELL Fourth Impression BY ETHEL M. DELL The Way of an Eagle The Knave of Diamonds The Rocks of Valpre The Swindler The Keeper of the Door Bars of Iron Rosa Mundi The Obstacle Race Tetherstones The Passerby and Other Stories The Hundredth Chance The Safety Curtain Greatheart The Lamp in the Desert The Tidal Wave The Top of the World The Odds and Other Stories Charles Rex The Unknown Quantity A Man Under Authority This edition is issued under arrangement with the publishers G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS, NEW YORK AND LONDON The Knickerbocker Press, New York Made in the United States of America I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THE DEAR MEMORY OF ONE WHO WAITS BEYOND THE DOOR FOR THOSE HE LOVES "And the keepers before the door kept the prison." _Acts xii. 6._ "A deep below the deep And a height beyond the height! Our hearing is not hearing, And our seeing is not sight." _The Voice and the Peak._ ALFRED TENNYSON. CONTENTS _PART ONE_ CHAPTER PAGE I. THE LESSON 1 II. THE ALLY 16 III. THE OBSTACLE 27 IV. THE SETTING OF THE WATCH 37 V. THE CHAPERON 47 VI. THE PAIN-KILLER 62 VII. THE PUZZLE 74 VIII. THE ELASTIC BOND 86 IX. THE PROJECT 97 X. THE DOOR 108 XI. THE IMPOSSIBLE 120 XII. THE PAL 129 XIII. HER FATE 149 XIV. THE DARK HOUR 155 XV. THE AWAKENING 167 XVI. SECRETS 177 XVII. THE VERDICT 189 XVIII. SOMETHING LOST 198 XIX. THE REVELATION 205 XX. THE SEARCH 217 XXI. ON THE BRINK 228 XXII. OVER THE EDGE 235 XXIII. AS GOOD AS DEAD 243 XXIV. THE OPENING OF THE DOOR 252 XXV. THE PRICE 264 _PART TWO_ I. COURTSHIP 281 II. THE SELF-INVITED GUEST 287 III. THE NEW LIFE 297