Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-01-11

cigars while thus waiting, but that would
have been inexcusable impruLence, for
the odor was liable to betra-J him to auy
one approaching the dwelling.
Fortunately he was. not kent long in
waiting. Less tha.a half an hour had
passed when he ;.dscerned the outlines Of
q man COMING along the lonely street and
entering re dim area of illumination
thrown 'Jnt by the lamp.
AS Che figure came more plainly into
vle'~ and turned to pass through the
Open gate, the watcher identified it.
''It's DR.. Maidhoff, sure enough he
muttered, with thrill of pleasure and
expectation that his surmise had proved
correct. "He has come in answer to
that summons of Miss Glider"
The physician walked briskly up the
path, stepped upon the broad porch, his
footsteps sounding distinct in the still.
ness of the night. Before he could move
forward to sound the heavy brass knock
er 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 his call was not professional
one, since he would not have waited so
long after receiving the letter Of the
young lady.
Tho 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 few Of
the words which now reached him in an
almost inaudible hum, they were certain
to be of the highest importance, SO much
~~~s as $50 - -
30 indeed that he was on the point Of
stealing forward among the trees, though
the attempt was almost 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 attempt, however, which he in
tended to make in that direction was
frustrated in an unexpected manner.
He supposed they would seat them
selves in the lower sitting room or par
lor, but they did neither. The sudden
hd1l llk Va q LII LuC uppC1
(Which had evidently been occupied by
the late invalid) showed they had gone
thither for the purpose of greater privacy.
The scheme, therefore, of creeping up
beneath the window and listening, in the
hope of catching 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 were 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 OF
whether it was done to assist ventilation,
since the sash was also lowered few
inches, was a 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 glimpse of the
occupants nor Of any recognizable article
of furniture.
"There is only one thing to be done,"
he reflected, "and that is to climb that
tree which grows near the building. ]
can hardly hope to overhear their con-
versation, but may see something worth
mowing-good heavensv
Well might the eavesdropper he 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 errand.
Indeed the backward movement of
Simpson, in his effort to gain glimpse
of the interior Of the upper room. was all
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 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 his
head and shoulders were thrown partly
in relief against the faint light, the out
lines, however, being 80 indistinct that
they were barely distinguishable, and
only proved that it was a man that had
appeared so Unexpectedly on the scene
and complicated matters.
While the detective was debating with
himself what he should do, II indeed he
could do anything, the head and shoul.
ders vanished. The stranger was ap-
preaching the house again, having found
that nothing was to be gained by stay
ing where he was.
The officers senses were strung to that
tense point that when, a minute later, he
caught soft, faint scraping sound he
read its meaning.
He is climbing the tree near the win
dow which would have used a minute
later If he had not anticipated me-"
Such was the fact. The form Of the
man was now shown more clearly as
his head and body rose above thewindow
sill, climbing with the agility of a monkey.
HE is one Of those sepoys," muttered
Simpson, "and the fellow means murder" +"
CHAPTER K.