Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-05-25

path, stepped upon the broad porch; lis
footsteps sounding distinct in tho still
ness of the night. Before he could move
forward to sound the heavy brass knock
err the door was drawn inward, and by
the light Of the lamp in the hall beyond
Simpson saw the form of Miss Glider
Beyond doubt she was waiting for
him, and mis- call was not professional
one, since he would not have waited SO
hong after receiving the letter of the
young lady.
The two did not enter the house at
once. The partly open door showed the
dark figures ON the threshold, where they
talked for some moments in low tones.
If Simpson could only catch q few of
the words which now reached him in an
almost inaudible hum, they were certain
to be Of the highest Importance. SO much
so indeed that he was on the uoint Of
stealing forward among the trees. though
the attempt was almost a hopeless one,
when, to his chagrin, they passed inside,
and the door was closed behind them.
He heard the click of the lock and the
sliding Of the old fashioned bolt
They don't mean to be interrupted. ="
was his conclusion, land | don't think
there is much danger of their being over
heard
The iettempt, however, which he in
tended to make ia that direction was
frustrated in an unexpected manner.
He supposed they would seat them
selves in the lower sitting room OF par
lor. but they did neither. The sudden
haring Of light in the upper front room
(Which had evidently ben occupied 10y
the late invalid showed they had gono
thithcr for the purpose of greater privacy.
The scheme, therefore, of creeping up
beneath the window and listening, III the
hope of catching q word or two, was
nipped in the bud.
The detective passed among the trees
back and forth until he had surveyed the
two front and each of the single side
windows. The former We're impenetra-
bly, screened by curtains, as was the one
on the left, but the one on the right had
its curtain raised about half way to the
top. Whether this was an oversight or
whether it was done to assist ventilation,
since the sash was also lowered a. few
inches, was Il question of no importance.
Simpson moved silently back among
! the trees until he was several rods from
the side of the house. The change of po-
sition did not give him "a glimpse of the
occupants nor Of any recognizable article
of furniture.
There is only one thing to be done. >
/ he reflected, land that is to climb that
tree which grows ncGr the building.
can hardly hope to overhear their CON
versation, but may sec something worth
knowing-@oo heavens
Well might the eaVesdropper be star
tied, for at that moment he made the
! discovery that he was not the only indi-
! vidual moving among the trees and seek
ing to penetrate the mystery of the Liv-
ermore homestead. There was another
person engaged on the same Grand.
Indeed the backward movement of
Simpson, in his effort to gain glimpse
Of the interior Of the upper room, was al
that saved him from discovery by this
second intruder, who came upon the
scene as noiselessly as shadow.
The same obstacle which shut off his
| prying attempts caused him to do as
Simpson had done only a minute before
He moved toward the boundary fence in
the effort to inspect the window whose
curtain was partly raised This took
him so far from the dwelling that hi,
head and shoulders We're thrown partly
in relief against the faint light, the out,
lines, however. being so indistinct that
they were barely distinguisha Die, anG
only proved that it was ii man that had
appeared so unexpectedly on the scene
and complicated matters.
While the detective was debating witt
himself what he should do, if indeed ht
could do anything, the head and shoul
ders vanished. The stranger was ap
preaching the house again, having fond
that nothing was to be gained by stay
ing where h. was.
The officers senses We're strung to that
tense point that when, minute later, h,
caught a soft faint scraping sound he
read its meaning.
He is climbing the tree near the win
dow which | would have used minute
later if he had not anticipated me.
Such was the fact. The form of ths
man was nov shown more clearly az
his head and body rose above the window
sill, climbing with the agility of amonkey
He is one Of those scpoys," muttere(
Simpson, land the fellow means murder.
CHAPTER X.