Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-11-05
CHAPTER III.

There was no one In the bar OF the
Jov, but | heard the low murmur OF
voices in the room beyond; so, my cour-
age holding out. / went behind the bar
counter, right up to the open door, and
looked in. The shutters we're still
closed, but by the light that came In
through the bar windows saw Drigo
and Putty sitting face 10 face at the
dirty table, with pipes in their mouths
and a can of drink between them, play
ing cards. The air vas thick with
smoke, but it was clear enough that no
one, dead or active, was in the room but
those two.
Without looking at me Putty, sorting
his cards, asked me what l wanted, en-
bellishing the question with a few foul
words. His calmness astonished me.
81 want TO see the fair man." said |
suddenly. ~
''Then you'll have to wait till he
comes back"
ssHe amt gone out, and you know II.
Amt took my eyes oil the door since
he came in this morning at hslf-past g."
ooh, very we'll. II he isn't gone out,
you'd better look about here and find
him. Two for his bloomin mob" he
added, addressing Drigo as he turned
up a card.
On the ground floor there were but
those two rooms-the bar and the par
lor. To find Taras | must look In the
rooms above. My retreat would be cut
off II I went up stairs, and II Taras was
murdered and lying there | knew well
enough that l should never be allowed
to tell the tale. But l 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
assuring myself that the cupboard I'M
der the stairs was empty, save for q lit
tie coal piled in one corner, and that
the passage itself contained nothing, l
went up to the story above with d fall
tering step, quaking with the double
terror Of finding Taras dead and Of
hearing the stairs behind me c~reaking
under the pursuing feet OF his murder
ers. l passed from to room, lay
ing my hand against the wall for sup
port, my heart ceasiLg TO beat when
ever a rotten board creaked under my
foot.
The three rooms that composed the
fat were absolutely empty; there was
nothing above but the cockloit. To
reach that / had to ascend a ladder and
creep through the t~rapdoer. But did
IL, though l expected dever to come
down again.
The loft was empty aud thick with
the unstirred dust Of a descend
ed the ladder and went down stains, too
bewildered by this mystery to reason
upon 1t. The two men were still play
ing in the den behind the ba-; they had
not troubled themselves to follow me.
''Well, ha' you found him?" 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 nowherss about the
house"
81 wouldn't give him up" sneered
Drigo. Come and sit down till he
comes back"
"Oh. IL you're a-goin TO stay, you ken
give the bar a bit OF q clean up. There's
all them pots"- Putty broke of short
as il be had received some silent admo-
milton from Drigo.
| went behind the counter and began
to put IL 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 1 had given away TO fatigue and
dozed. No; / had sat down only Tor a
| few minutes, and certainly l had not
lost consciousness then. / felt that It
was az impossloility for Taras
to have passed me without my
| p~erceiving him. Had they thrown
| his body in the river? No! In
the silence Of the night 1 should
have heard the door in Ferryooat
alley open a second time as had heard
IL the first, nor could a heavy body have
been carried down the alley without the
scufling OBJECT being audible. Besides,
the risk was q which Putty, ! knew.
had not the courage TO run And their
composure now Was not consistent with
their having done 3 dangerous deed,
though Drigo might very well have
counseled Putty 70 assume indifference
10 order TO avert suspicion which might
| have led me to c~ommunieata Ae
police.
krO BE ~cOsTIzus