Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-17


frank uneasness then his eyes returned to the
flushed tense face of the girl who held it. She
Italian Her eyes were spendidly black, and there
a CLEAN in them that anything but
assuring Her scarlet lips parted slightly, dis
closing small, regular white teeth clenched tightly
together. brilliant multicolored headdress par
TALLY confined her hair and rippled down about
her shoulders. Her skirt barely to her ankles.
Il feel like the third act of Italian comic
opera" Hatch thought grimly. Then aloud, What
You must be silent, signor!" warned the young
woman in excellent English.
II am going to be, Hatch explained; "but still
You must be SILENT signor!' the girl repeated.
No, don't take your hands from your pockets!'
But look here!''
The stetto point was pressed in until he felt it
against his flesh. He WINGED invountarily, but wisely
held his tongue. 1t was time to stand perfectly
still and wait. He had come to the tenement in the
of his professional duties, and had raped
this door to inquire in which apartment certain
family lived The door had been opened by the young
woman-and now this! He didn't understand it, he
didn't even make a pretense of conjecturing what
it meant. He just kept on standing still.
From outside came the varied noises of busy
city. Inside the gloom grew about him, and gradu-
shadowy silhouette. Then an electric arc light out
side, which happened to be level with window,
spluttered and flashed into brliance almost binding
him. Through the murk of the room only their
motionleSS figures visible.
After awhile the reporter heard vaguely stealthy
shuttle of feet as if some one was passing along the
next room opened and closed softly. The girl
prodded him with the stietto point to remind him
to be silent 1twas needless warning because now
Hatch dimly foresaw some grave and imminent
danger to himself in the presence of this third person,
whoever it might be. Unconsciously he
centrating all his forces, mental and physical, for
for something he didn't know what.
The Shuffing feet in the next room. He
heard them moving about as if coming toward the
connecting door. Then hand was laid on the knob,
the lock ratified little, and the door was softly
closed Hatch took deep breath of relef-Whoever
this third person might be, he evidently had
business in the room with them just at that moment.
With strainlng ears and tense nerves the reporter
listened, and after awhile muffled chatter
as of some one talking rapidly and ncoherently.
Then he heard mans voice, pleasant neither in
tone in the explosives used and several times
he heard the chatter-quck, excited incoherent.
At last the man broke out into string of profanity,
objurgations. The chatter angrily, and burst
finally into strangng, cultural scream of anguish.
With chilly creepness along his spine and nerves
strained to the breaking point Hatch started for
ward involuntarly. The stetto point at his breast
stopped him. He glared at the rigid figure of the
girl and choked back, with an effort an outburst
of emotion. His utter heplessness overwhelmed
Some one is being killed in there!" he protested
desperately between gritting teeth.
'Sh-hl'' warned the girl
From the next room came the shuffing of feet
again then soft thunp thrice repeated, and faint
gurglng cry: Hatch shivered little; the girl was
rigid as marble
Il guess that fixed you'll Hatch heard a man say.
There was silence for a minute The feet
moved stealthlly again, and the door leading from
The footsteps moved rapidly along, then apparently
precauton was forgotten, for they clattered down
the steps and were gone.
Suddenly the girl Strengthened up. "You will
remain here signor," she said, until I am out of
the house? You will raise alarm for at least five
minutes? Believe me, if you do, it will be worse for
you for sometime, somewhere you will have
SION to regret it! You promise?''
Hatch could not make himself believe that he