The Washington herald., 1907-09-22
CHAPTER III.


Then, stepping nearer. until he was
within half dozen yards Of the window
which was some eight or nine feet from
the ground, he heard the words repeated.
even more family than before:
Help Help, Mur-"
The feeble voice died away entirely on
the unfinished word but St Quiutin had
heard enough to~be sure Of two things:
the one was that the voice was that of
a man. and the other that It came from
the room on the left Of the front door.
Who is It? What has been done to.
you2' he asked in a clear whisper.
But there was no answer but a faint
groan.
st Quintin debated within himself for
a fev oeeouds what 10 do Then ne
stepped back. With the intention Of max
ing a running leap up at the window, in.
the hope that he might be able to raise
himself high enough and 70 hold on long
enough 10 see into the darkened room.
But just as he turned TO run. he saw
the window closed softly and sIowly.
without being able 10 see the hand that
did it.
listened intently But he could hear
no further sound, and the feeble voice
never spoke again.
With a mind full Of hideOus suspi-
cions and fears. s.. Quintin ran up the
half dozen shallow steps 10 the front
door Of the house and rang the bell
I want to sec Monsieur Leblanc for
a moment" said he scarcely knowing
what he said, 70 the servant who
opened the door.
The man was alarmed by the EXPIRES
sion Of his face Indeed S.. Quintin felt
himself that he was scarcely in a con-
/ dition 20 make himself understood, so
overwhelmed was he with the horror
he felt and with bewilderment al the
/ position in which he found himself His
I face was ashy white, and he felt as il
/ he scarcely had cOmamnd OF his limbs
/ or OF his tongue.
I After a moments hesitation the foot
man was about 10 lead the way 10 the
/ Idrawing-room, when St. Quintin stopped
/ him. shaking his head.
/ No. said he. hoarsely. 7 want 10
see him alJne
/ And then there came over the face OF
/ the servant a look which suddenly made
I the visitor aware that strange scenes
must have happened in the house before
I "A look Of inquiry. Of yelled concern and.
interest. which made St. Quintin real
/ ize that what he had heard was no fancy.
no freak Of his Imagination.
The man led the way 70 the dining
room and turned Up the lights.
/ III tell my master. sir. 1e said as
T he left the room. with another curious
glance.
ST. QuiEtin was in a fever He paced
UP and down the room. unable 10 stand
still. looked fxedly at the paintings on
the paReled walls. al The heaVIly-Carved.
. sidebOaTd glitJeTing with silver and sill
! ver-gilt plate. al the beautiful COlOriugs
OF the tapestries that hung over the
doors. al the richly embroidered Jap7-
nese silk curtains that he had admired
that evening as the handsomest things
OF the kind he had ever seen.
Everything around him, from the thick
carpet under his feet TO the enormous
Empire clock and old-fashioned. beauti-
ful candelabra on the mantelpiece. spoke
Of wealth and luxury and prosperity.
Could it be possible that there were dark
secrets kept within its doors; that the
courteous hosts were not the people OF
leisure and hospitality they appeared 10
be?
Strong as was the impression made
[ upon him by the faint muTmurs and
cries he had heard, St Quintin would
not have been so utterly overwhelmed
but for the mysterious. covert glances
Of the fOotman who had let him in. TIE
mans obvious uneasiness seemed suS-
! gestive and uncanny, he thought.
| It seemed a very long time before any
one came 10 disturb his unpleasant re-
fections Not a football could he hear,
not a voice not a sound but the ticking
Of the clock. He might have been
hundred miles away from London instead
Of in one Of its outer suburbs II last
impatient and suspicious. he decided on
leaving the room 10 60 in search of his
host himself. when TO his great relief
he heard footsteps across the han, the
door opened. and Monsieur Leblanc ap-
lpeared. smiling, trim, courteous. charm
ing as ever.
All Mr. St Quintin, forgive me for
having made you wait so long But YOU
know What we Frenchmen are when
we talk, Ny friend Marbeau has not
lived in England long enough 10 get
his vivacity tempered by your English
dignity, and I thought I should never
get away from him! What is il that
has brought you back? Not bad news
Of some sort, I trust?'
And as he spoke. suddenly becoming
aware OF the strange look on his visit
or's face, Monsieur Leblanc regarded the
young man intently. with concern on
his own fine features.
Well I-I-Tm afraid you viii think
me fanciful, but il was something strange
that I heard-or fancied I heard-that
brought me back. Is there do you think
II mean. I want yor 10 90 into the room
on the other side of the hall. in the front
of the house, and to see whether there
is any one there
His host looked at him steadily with
obvious suspicion that's he was seized
with an attack Of temporary insanity.
ANY one where2 The room on the
other side Of the haI is my study. There
is no one ever in there but myself Tn
less-do you mean you have reason TO
think that a burglar may have got in?-
All! mon Dieu, But l have precious
things-and valuable things in there, 1t
would be TERRIBLE,
And. with sudden anxiety apparent in
look and tone. Monsieur Lablanc. now
thoroughly reused, made a dash for the
door But before he could reach il he
suddenly remembered the courtesy that
was due TO his guest, and turning to-
ward him said, with bow and an in
viting gesture toward the door:
"Butd am forgetting! You will come
with me. will you nOt?-sO that we can
; satisfy ourselves together and"-a hu-
morous twinkle appeared in his gray
! eves-'you are younger than ! am Per-
haps, IL there is a burglar IN there. you
, will be able to do more for me than
could for myself. You shall show your
athletic British training Mr. ST. Quintin.
You shall-what YOU call 'tackle'-the
burglar.
! 60 BE CONTINUED NEXT SUNDAYJ
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