Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-12
CHAPTER XVIII-Continued.

A sudden flame of audacious heat crept
into the bloated face before her. He would
still have tarried an admiring moment or
two, but she returned his gaze, unfalter-
| ingly for thirty resolute seconds. He wa
vered, mumbled something in his throat,
flung one final melting leer at her, and then
turned and crept from the room, nursing his
two bottles in the crook of his arm as he
went.
"Oh. thank God. thank God" she cried,
with a throaty little sob.
Then second shudder as momentarily
benumbfng as a chill, swept over her from
head to foot. A sudden passion to get out
where she could breathe and move took its
place-at whatever ultimate loss-only to
get away from that house, of enguling hor-
rors.
The mood passed, with the passing of her
fright, and she shook her tired nerves to-
gether with an effort. Then still once more
she CROPPED her way out through the dark
ness. Now. however, there was neither
trepidation nor hestancy in her silent move
ments. as she fitted through the hallway
and passed like a shadow down the dark
stairs.
She paused only once-at the door which
she knew was Lydia Van Schacks bed
ROOM In an oriel window, opposite this
door, was little alcove fitted up with book
SHELVES, d HlSHly pOllSiieQ WTltlHS (dDle ana
two low-seated rattan lounging chairs. On
one end of the writing table stood a fiat
silver vase holding spray of roses; on the
other end stood desk telephone transmit
ter and an oblong folio of green morocco,
with Telephone Addresses" stamped in gold
on its richly fooled cover. All this Frances
noticed with one quick glance, as, nursing
the knob in her cautious fingers, she turned
it slowly.
The door was securely locked, from the
inside
One chance remained to her-by way of
the little white-tiled bath ROOM which she
had caught 4 glimpse of on her first jour-
ney up through the house. This bath room
she knew, would open into the girls bou-
doir itself.
This door was unlocked. A moment later
she was inside. and the door was closed be-
hind her. She CROPPED carefully across the
tiled flooring until her finger-tips came in
contact with the second door, which creaked
little at her touch, for it stood few
inches ajar.
This door she opened. inch by inch. in ter
ror OF that tiny hinge-creak. 1t was a
had crept inside; and it held sleeper for
the air seemed laden with it's subtle yet
quite immaterial fragrance Of warmth
vivified, as it were, with some intangible ex-
halaton of its sleeping life.
She listened with strained attention, hop
ing to overhear the quiet and regular
breathing of the sleeper. But no sound
reached her ears.
dimly make out the open doorway leading
into what must be the girls sitting room.
In that room. Frances felt, would stand the
chiffonier.
She felt her way to the foot of the bed
There she stood, strained second after sec
ond. still listening. No sound came from
the sleeper. But. awed, for reasons that
lay beyond the reach of her restless thought
she could feel the presence of the other life
there, as distinctly though the room had
been stepped in MONDAY light; and as she
waited and listened there came to her
sense of the mystery of sleep. feeling that
after all. this briefest midnight slumber was
only lighter and younger sister to that
endless sleep of death itself
Step by step, then, she crawled and edged
her way into the second vault of black 81
lence, feeling with outstretched fingers for
each piece of furniture. The mirror laden
chfonier, some womanly intuition told her,
would stand between the two heavily cur
tanned windows. .=rs'~
Her feelings had not misled her II was
well-made piece of furniture. and the top
drawer opened noselessly This was eX-
plored with light and feverish fingers, as
blind woman might explore it. But it held
nothing hut laces and scattered bits Of jew
elry, and filmy things she could not name
and place.
The second drawer opened less readily.
and a key had been left in the lock. She
touched the little leather boxes. deciding
that they must be jewel cases, and me-
thodic little layers of silk and linen and a
gers fell on something cold, and hard, and
purposeful. 1t was woman's little revolv-
er. obviously, with jeweled handle. She
explored the trigger-guard and the safety
latch with studous fingers, and decided that
1t was 32-caliber hammerless.
Then her startled hand went up to her
lips. and she wheeled noiselessiy about
where she stood. 1t could not have been a
sound that she heard. 1t was only pres
ence that had made itself felt to some sixth
sense in her.
seen, but she leaned forward and studied
the surrounding gloom intently from side
to side.
Acting under some quick sublimnal inn
weapon up out of the drawer, with one
hand, while her other hand explored it's
farther end. This exploring hand felt fe-
Verishly along the edges of what seemed a
mother-of-pearl writing-portfolio and rum
mayed quickly and deftly down among laces
and silk. until her fingers came in contact
with the glazed surface of a little oblong
box.
There could be no two thoughts as to
what that box was. 1t was the glove box
which held that particular package for
which She had already dared so much.
An awakened and alert sixth sense still
warned her of something ominous and i'm
minent; but there was neither fear nor hes
ftation in her actions as she drew out the
little oblong box and with quick fingers
thrust it, along with the toy-like hammer
less, into the bosom of her dress.
Then she took three stealthy steps for
ward-and once again caught her breath !
sharply.
Somebody is in this room!'
The intruder and thief fell back, step by
step, gropingly, until she touched the chif-
fonier once more.
Somebody is In this room.
1t was woman's voice that broke in on
the black silence, quiet but sternly chal-
longing voice, tremulous with agitation yet :
strident with the triumph of conviction, and
with resolute courage.
who is here?"
Frances Gambler did not move. She stood
there, breathing little heavily, watching
For now that sudden challenge neither
thrilled nor agitated her. Consciousness. in
some way. refused to react Her tired
nerves had already been strained to their
uttermost; nothing now could stir her dor
n1ant senses.
Then she felt the sudden patter of bare
feet on the floor.
Still she waited. wondering what this
movement could mean. And, as she had
felt at other times in moments of dire peril.
sense of detached and disembodied person.
ality seized her-a feeling that the mind had
slipped its sheath of the body and was
standing on watch beyond and above her.
She suddenly heard the sound Of a key be-
ing wi hdra Un + rxaS tha