The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-04
CHAPTER III.

OuL utdrQ tut low VI NOiCcS III
the room beyond so my courage holding
out went behind the bar counter, right up
TO the open door, and looked in. The shut
ters were still closed but by the light that
came in through the bar windows saw
Drigo and Putty sitting face 20 face at the
dirty table, with pipes in their mouths and
can OF drink between them, playing
cards. The air was thick with smoke, but
1t was clear enough that no one, dead or
alive, was in the room but those two.
Without looking at me Putty, sorting his
cards, asked me what wanted, embellish-
ing the question with a few foul words.
His calmness astonished me.
~ want to see the fair man." said sud.
denly.
"Then you'll have to wait till he comes
back
"He amt gone out, and you know it. i
amt took my eyes off the door since he
came in this morning at half past g."
"Oh, very WELL IL he isn't gone out,
you'd better look about here and find him.
Two for his bloomin mob" he added, ad-
dressing Drigo as he turned up a card.
On the ground floor there were but those
two rooms--the bar and the parlor. To find
Taras must look in the rooms above. My
retreat would be cut off IL went up stairs,
Il
] knew well enough that should never be
allowed to tell the tale But took Putty
at his word without hesitation, and pre-
pared for the worst made my way down
the side passage to the stairs, and after as
suring myself that the cupboard under the
stairs was empty, save for little coal piled
in one corner, and that the passage itself
contained nothing. went up to the story
above with faltering step, quaking with
the double terror of finding Taras dead and
of hearing the stairs behind me creak un-
der the pursuing feet Of his murderers /
passed from room TO room, laying my hand
against the wall for support, my heart ceas-
lng to beat whenever rotten board creaked
under my foot.
The three rooms that composed the fiat
were absolutely empty; there was nothing
above but the cockloft. To reach that
had to ascend ladder and creep through
the trapdoor. But did it, though / ex-
pected never to come down again.
The loft was empty and thick with the
unstirred dust of years. descended the
ladder and went down stairs, too bewild-
cred by this mystery to reason uponit. The
two men were still playing in the den be-
hind the bar; they had not troubled them
selves to follow me.
swell. ha' you found hims" Putty called
out, hearing my step.
HE amt there" answered stupidity.
"Preaps he's made o. glass, as you didn't
see him along of his friends and can't see
him nowheres about the house."
II wouldn't give him Up," sneered Dri-
10. "Come and sit down with US till he
comes back"
ION, if you're a-goin to stay, you ken
give the bar q bit of a clean up. There's
all them pots''- Putty broke of short as
81 he had received some silent admonition
from Drigo.
Invent behind the counter and began to
put 1t In order mechanically, for my
thoughts were now occupied in solving the
mystery Of this disappearance. / asked
myself II at any time during my watch
had given away to fatigue and dozed. No;
i had sat down only for few minutes, and
certainly had not lost consciousness then.
felt that it was an impossibility for Taras
to have passed me without my perceivipg
him. Had they thrown his body in the
xiverf Mol In the silence of the night
should have heard the door in Ferryboat
alley open second time as / had heard it
the first, nor could heavy body have been
carried down the alley without the scuf-
fling of feet being audible Besides, the risk
was one which Putty, knew, had not the
courage to run. And their composure now
was not consistent with their having dono
dangerous deed, though Drigo might very
well have counseled Putty to assume indif-
ference in order to avert suspicion which
might have led me to communicate with
the police.
The most reasonable conjecture I could
form was that Taras had actually left the
Tow xcft hto frt de md had f,,rx ,aI
20 the water instead of accompanying them
into Sweet Apple lane. He might have or
dered the waterman to return, and so got
away. II this were really the case, he
might return rs Drigo had intended-not
that his wizard was to be taken in earnest;
bis whole tone was ironical and indicative
Of double meaning But the hope that
Tarss still lived and might return put new
life into me. and went about my work be-
hind the bar with such alacrity that thinl
the men inside conceived was trying t
make amends for my misbehavior. At any
rate, after . long silence. in which they cast
furtive glances at me every now and then,
their suspicion relaxed, and they entered
heartily into dispute over some trick
which one had played with the cards while
the other was not watching, and this led to
their devoting more attention to their game.
i had row of washed glasses on the bar
and was standing in front of the parlor
door wiping them when my sense Of hear
ing gradually took recognition of a sound
which did not come from the men at my
back. The silence Of my occupation al
lowed me to listen and yet continue work
ing. The sound was very faint. Its regu-
larity attracted my attention. One does
not notice the single chirp Of sparrow, but
II the chirping is continued persistently for
any length of time it never fails to excite
attention. IL was just the same with this
sound. which / noticed after awhile oc-
cures In this way, with regular intervals
between:
'Tap. tap, tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap,
tap-tap, tap--tap," and so on over and over
again.
! looked round the bar for an explana.
tion. I saw no vibrating bottle on the
shelves such as the sound seemed TO indi.
cate. There was no wind TO shake the yel.
low curtain against the front window. IL
seemed to come from the old disused beer
engine before me, and touched one OF the