Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-13
CHAPTER XIX.

Durkin was both puzzled and apprehen-
sive. That hanson should follow his own
at II O. clock at night, for some twenty-odd
blocks, was singular enough coincidence.
That it should stop when he stopped, that 1t
should wait, not square away, for him to
come out of his cafe, and then shadow him
home for another thirteen circuitous blocks,
was more than a coincidence 1t was a
signal for the utmost discretion.
1t was not that Durkin, at this stage Of
the Kaleidoscope game, was given. to vast
ing tissue in unnecessary worry. But there
had been that mysterious cigar light in the
hallway. When he had glanced cautiously
down through the darkness, leaning we'll
out over the bannister, he had distinctly
seen the little glow of light. Yet, with the
exception of his own top-floor rooms, the
building was given over to business offices,
and by night he had invariably found the
corridors empty and unused. No Holmes
Waterman, no patroman, not even central
office man, he knew. INDUCED in fragrant
Carolina perfectos when covering his beat.
But when he descended quietly to recon-
hotter he saw that no one went down to the
street door. And no one, he could see
equally well, remained on the stairs in
the halls, for he turned on the gas. floor by
floor, as he went back to his rooms.
Yet nobody, again, intellgently trying to
secrete himself, would thus flaunt lighted
Cigar III the QdTkneSS. from Cne SudEe ana
mellow odor of that cigar, too, Durkin knew
that the intruder was something more than
the ordinary house-thief and night hawk.
AS he thought the matter over, comfort
ably 1ounging back in a big arm chair up in
his rooms, he tried to force himself to the
pacifying conclusion that the whole affair
was fortuitous. He would keep a weather.
eye open for such casual occurrences, in the
future; but he now had no time to bother
with the drifting shadows of uncertainty.
He had already that day faced more ma
terial dangers; there were more substantial
perils, he knew. rising up about him.
He flung himself back, with a sigh. after
looking at his watch, and through the up
ward threading drifts Of his cigar smoke he
wondered, half-feprOvingly, what was TAX
ing place il the house not two hundred
yards away from him, where Frances was
so wakefuHy watching and working. while
he sat there, idly waiting-since waiting,
for once. was to be part of the game.
He afterward decided that in his sheer
WEAKNESS of body and mind he must have
dozed off into a light sleep.
1t was past midnight when he awoke with
start vague sense of impending evil
heavy upon him.
His first thought, on awakening was that
some one had knocked. He glanced at his
watch, as he sprang to open the door. 1t
was on the point of one.
Frank should have been back an hour ago.
Then he had fallen asleep, of a certainty,
he decided, with electric rapidity of thought.
But this was she. come at last. he conjec-
tured. Yet, with that sense Of impending
turned down the lights. Then he quietly
and cautiously opened the door.
No one was there He peered quickly
down through the gloom of the Railways,
but still neither sound nor movement greet
ed him.
His now distraught mind quickly ran the
gamut of possibilities. battling, indeter-
inmate impression seized him that some
body, somewhere, was reaching out to him
through the midnight silence, trying to
come in touch with him and speak to him.
He looked at the motionless clapper of his
transmitter signal bell, where he had dis
creetly muffled the little gong with a linen
handkerchief. 1t could vt have been the
telephone.
Yet he caugh- up the receiver with a ges-
ture of Endangered Impotence.
g" in this house-send officer at
once!' were the words which sped along
the wire into his listening ear.
An officer at once! Six quick strokes of
conjecture seemed to form the missing link
to his chain OF thought.
my God!' he exclaimed in terror. that
means Frank"
There had been a hitch somewhere, and
in some way. And that was the Van
Schaicks telephoning for the police-yes,
decided Durkin, struggling to keep his clear
ness of head, IT would be first to the 9th
street station that they would send for
help.
He had already learned striven to
learn, at Such work, not only to think and
to act, but to essay his second step of
thinking while he accomplished his first in
action.
He rummag ed through a suit case filled
with lineman's tools, and snatched up
nickel badge similar to that worn by in
spectors of the Consolidated Gas Company
1t was taking odds, in one way, such as he
had never before in his career dared to
take. But the case he felt, was desperate.
Once off the avenue he ran the greater
part of the way round the block, for he
knew that in five ynnnfeS a the
the police themselves would be on the scene
And as he ran he let his alert imagination
play along the difficulties that walled him
in, feeling, in ever-shifting fancy, for the
line of least resistance.
He mounted the brownstOne steps three at
a time, and tore at the old-fashioned bell.
He pushed his way authoritatvely up
through cluster of servants, shiverng and
chattering and whispering along the hall.
At a young woman in crimson quilted
dressing gown; faced with baby-blue silk
| he flashed his foolish little metal shield
She was resolute-browed, well-poised girl
looking strangely boyish with her tumbled
hair thrown loosely to one side.
I'm the plain-clothes man, the detective
| from the police station!
He looked at her abstractedly, and CURLY
shifted his revolver from his hip-pocket to
his side-pocket This caused stir among
the servants.
The resolute-browed young woman in the
dressing gown scattered them with a move
ment of the hand, and slipped a key into his
| fingers. Then she pointed to a doorway.
This thing was half expected. ma'anl, at
headquarters" said Durkin hurriedly as he
| fitted the key. IT'S woman isn't it?''
| The girl with the resolute brow and the
| tumbled hair could not say.
But I think I understand" she went on
hurriedly. II had quite a large sum Of
| money, several thousand dollars, in my
room here!''
Durkin, who had stopped to unlock the
| door, turned on her quickly.
And it's still in this room?" he de-
manded.
mo; it worried me too much. 1 was 90
| ing to keep it. but 1 took 1t down to the
| bank, this afternoon"
| Then the girl said "Sir!" wonderingly; for
| Durkin had emitted quick oath Of anger.
They were doubly defeated. By this time
| the bed room door was open.
"Ah, thought it would be a woman" he
went on coolly, as he glanced at Frank S
staring and wide eyes. And, IL I mistake
| not, Miss Van Schaick, this is Number
! 1883, at the central office"
Frances knew his chortle was one of hys-
terra, but still she looked and wondered.
Once more Durkin flashed his badge as he
| took her firmly by one shaking wrist.
Come with me-" he said, with quiet au-
| thority, and step by step he led her out into