Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-12
THE LATE TENANT
Continued from page IL

was awake, he made a rush along the longer
corridor into the hail. caught up the hall chair
and table and threw them against the door,
and heaving up the hat stand, placed it
also with them, thus blocking the enemy S
retreat. He crept back in the dark along the
wall again, noselessly, into the corridor, into
his bedroom, locked the door, and, with finger
on trigger switched on the light. Keeping his
ear alert for whatever might happen outside,
he searched the room. No one was under the
bed, anywhere there. He turned off the
light, went out, and, in a similar manner,
searched behind a locked door, wherever he
found key in the lock, each of the other two
bedrooms, and the bathroom.
Along the corridor he crept again, and
entered the drawing-room, locked the door,
turned the light, looked round to search.
At that instant he heard he felt, the flight
of steps out of the dining-room down the short
passage between the kitchen and the servants
room, and, quick as thought, he was after
them.
The door of the servants bedroom on
the left of the cross passage, that OF the kitchen
on the right, just opposite the other. He vert
like a cat which sees in the night, swift and
soft, along the left wall, his breast pressed to
it. until, coming to the servants bedroom
door, he gave a twist to the handle to go in.
The handle turned little, but not much.
The door would not open. 1t seemed to be
held by some one within, for it was not locked,
since there happened to be no key in it.
Here, at any rate was something tangible
at last. And, when it came to be a question
of main force natural or supernatural, David
was in his element He set himself to get
that door handle round, and it turned. He
put himself into the effort to press that door
open, and it opened little. But all at once
it opened too much, and he plunged stagger-
ing within. At the same time he was aware of
something rushing out, and he had Just time
to snatch his revolver from the waist of his
pajamas and fire. when his silent adversary
gone and had vehemently slammed the
door upon him. Almost at the same moment
another door slammed-the kitchen door.
Then all was still again.
1t was as when a mighty momentary wind
seizes upon a house in the dead of night, slams
two doors, causes something to bark, and
passes on its way. The two Slamm1ngs and
the bark of the revolver were almost simulta
neous, and silence swallowed them together.
David flew after the thing which had evaded
him to the kitchen door, but the door would not
open. After some vain effort to force it, he
stopped, painting, thinking what he should do.
There was a little pointed poker in the dining
room by which he might pick the lock; but be-
fore deciding upon this he again tried his power
of shoulder and will against the door, and this
time felt something give within. The door,
too, was not really locked, having no key in
it, as in general the keys of old flats become
displaced. 1t was apparently only fastened,
if it was fastened at all, by some catch or
hook, for, after two or three more thumps it
flew wide
David, catching the handle held it little
ajar and now again the stiffness of the night
was outraged by his shout through the slit:
Hands up! or fire!' At the same instant
he rushed in, and had the kitchen flooded with
light
But no one was there! A pallor struck from
the corners of his mouth to his cheek, even
while his brow flushed, and he stood
aghast, with an astounding question in his
eyes and in his heart.
To be continued next Sunday