Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-04-24
BY Fred M. &'hite
CHAPTER II. ,Continuedo


dining room, the rest of the house lay
in utter darkness. The cyle bell let off
an approving staccato from behind the
blankety fog as Steel pulled up.
There was nothing abnormal about
the house. nothing that struck the ad-
venturer's eye beyond the eXtraordin-
airy vividness of the crimson blind. The
two side windows of the big bay We're
evidently shattered. but the large CEN
ter cleaned like flood of scarlet over
laid with a silken sheen. Far across
the pavement the ruby track struck
into the heart of the fog.
Vivid note" Steel murmured. II
Shall remember that impresSion.
He was destined never to forget H.
but il was only one note i'll the Samut
of adventure now. With a firm step he
walked UP the marble flight and turned
thu handle. 1t felt dirty and rusty to
his touch Evidently the servants We're
neglectful. or they We're employed pS
people who had small regard for out
ward appearances.
The door opened nolSelessly and Steel
closed it behind him. \ Mor'lSh IAN
tern cast a brilliant flood of light upon
crimson carpet. q chair and an empty
oak umbrella stand. Beyond this there
was no atom of furniture III the nan.
1t was impossible to see beyond llle
dining room door. for heavy RED Yer
vet curtain was drawn across. Dawn .
first impression was the amazing still
ness of the place. 1t gave nm queer
feelr. that a murder had been commit
led there, and everybody had fled, leaN-
ing the corpse behind. AS DAVID
coughed away the limp i'll his thfoas
the cough sounded strangely hollow.
He passed into the dining room ana
locked eagerly about him. Inc room
was handsomely furnished. If little
conrentional-a big mahogany table III
the center. rows of mahogany chairs
Upholstered in red morocco. 1lne modefl'
prints. most of them artists proofs. on
the walls A big marble clock. f1anken
tw a pair of vases on the sldeboard.
The red distemper had faded to pale
pink in places.
"Tottenham Court Road" Steel
smiled to himself Modern. solid, ex-
pensive. but decidedly inartis:ic. Gin
ger Jars, fourteen guineas pair. worth
about as many pence. Moneyed people,
solid and respectable, of the middle
class. What brings them playing at
mystery like this?''
The room was brilliantly lighted both
from overhead and from the walls. On
the shining desert of the dining table
lay a small fat parcel, addressed TO
David Steel, Esq. The novelist tore OH
thu cover and disclosed heap OF
cracking white papers beneath. Rap
idly he futtered the crisp sheets over
seyenty-five Bank of England notes Tor
G1O each.
It was the balance of the loan-the
price paid for Steels presence. All ne
had to 60 now was to place the money
I'm his pocket ami walk out of the house
"A few steps and he would be free. with
nobody to say him nay. It was a tempt
alton, but Steel fought it down. He
slipped the precious notes into MS
pocket and buttoned his coat tightly
over them. He had no fear of the COM
ing day now.
"And vet" he murmured, what OF
the price 1 shall have to pay for thls?,
Well, it was worth a ransom. And,
so long as there was nothing dishonor-
able attached to it, Steel was prepared
to redeem his pledge. He knew per-
fectly we'll, from bitter experience. that
the poor man pays usurious rates 1or
fortunes favors. And he was not With
gut a strange sense Of gratitude. If
Click. click, click! The three electric
switches were snapped OFT almost 81
simultaneously outside, and the dining
room was plunged into pitchy darkness
Steel instantly caught up cha'f. lie
was no coward. but he was noEelst'
with a novelists imagination AS ne
stood there, the sweetest. most muslcai
laugh in the world broke on his ear.
FIc caught the swish of silllen drapery
and the subtle scent that suggested the
fragrance of a woman's hair. 1t was
vague underlined, yet soothing.
pray be seated, Mr.. Steel" the sill
very voice said. ''Beieve me, had there
been any other way, I would not nave
given you all this trouble. You fouhd
the parcel addressed to you? 1T is an
earnest of good faith. Is not that
correct English expression"
David murnlured that it was. But
what did the speaker mean? She asked
the question like a student of the Eng
lish language, and yet her accent ana
phrasing were perfect. She laughed
again, noiselessly, and once more steer
caught the subtle, enhancing perfume
II make no further apology for drag
cling YOU here at this time" the sweet
voice said 1--WE knew that you were III
the habit of sitting up late at night.
hence the telephone message. You VIII
perhaps wonder now we came to know
so much of your private affairs. Hest
assured that we learned nothing in
Brighten. Presently you may gather
why am so deeply interested in you;
have been so for the past fortnight
You see. we were not quite certain that
YOU would come to our assistance I'M
less we could find some means of CO.
ercing you. Then we go to one of the
smartest inquiry agents in the world
and say: Tell us all about David Steel
without delay. Money is no object In
less than a week we know all about
Reckstein. We leave matters until the
last moment. If you only knew how
revolting it all was!"
80 your tone seems to imply, ma
dam" Steel said, dryly.
"Oh. but truly. You were in great
trouble and we found way to get you
out of it. But your trouble is nothing
as compared with mine-which brings
,f<rI,A los