Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-10
other and use the darkness to take the
cords from her. by stealth If possible,

cords from her. by stealth If possible,
force II necessary.
once for his place of ambush. He knew
the house so well that the lack of a light
did not trouble him at all. AS he passed
Eva's door he stopped and listened. He
hoped to have heard something to show
that Sadie was with her, but there was
not sound.
Then he passed on to the door of Sadie's
room and, lying at full length on the
ground and putting his ear to the floor.
he could hear her movements.
uttermost, and at length he began to
fear that she was not coming out of her
room at all. The fear started fresh per-
plexity. If she did not come out he must
find some way to enter. the room. The
door was locked. With deft and noiseless
movement he ran his finger up to the key
hole and felt the protruding end of the
key.
He cursed himself for not having
thought of this before. He had had to
open locked doors before, and there was
no difficulty in It, He had in his room
a pair of pliers specially adapted for
such work; but to get them he must
leave his post, and in the meantime she
might come out and his chance would
be lost.
But those pliers he must have at any
cost. Taking a postage stamp from his
pocket, therefore, he fastened it SO that
If any one opened the door in his absence
1t would be torn. The stamp would have
to act as sentry while he was away.
He was soon back; and as he passed
Eva's door. he. stood again to listen.
tried the handle very gently. finding the
door locked like the other. Then he
passed on to his old position.
The stamp was intact. No one had
passed out, and he resumed his watch
with an inward smile of satisfaction.
Soon afterward his sharp ears caught
the sound of Eva's voice; and putting his
ear to the ground "a an, he heard Sadie
go into the other room. and then the
voices of the two as they spoke together.
In moment he was at work on the
key. Cleverly and noiselessly as skilled
burglar be went. about the work and.
while the two we're speaking, he turned
first the key and then the handle of the
door and opened it.
He could then easily hear all that
passed. and as soon as Sadie began to
read. he crept into the room to search
for the cloak.
This was difficult task. The room was
all but In darkness, and he had to move
about with the greatest care and stealth
as the door between the two rooms was
aJar. Success was SO long in coming that
he had at length made up his mind to
risk the daring step of shutting the door
of communication. turn up the light. trust
to fortune to get what he sought, and
then braZen the thing out
In rising for his purpose he made q
slight noisa. and Sadie hearing it, pa used
in her reading Then luck befriended him
Putting out his hand to steady himself
where he stood. it came in contact with
the cloak as it lay on the back of
chair
He waited until Sadie began to read
again and then picked 1t up and felt for
the pockets. While he was doing this,
Sadie stopped again and rose. With a
smothered curse at the turn of tn luck.
he hurried out of the room, taking the
cloak with him, and leaving door
OPEN
He hurried straight TO his room and ut
tered an exclamation of delight at finding
that he had after all been successful. He
had only half gained his end, however.
He had meant to take the cords from
the cloak. replace it. and shut and lock
the door behind him, thus covering mis-
movements. But the turn of matter had
prevented that, and the open door would
reveal the fact that he had been in the
room.
Only half a victory though il was, he
breathed sigh of intense relief and
satisfaction. He had drawn Sadie's
teeth. She could do him no harm now
She might tell what story she pleased
about his visit or about his part in Jack
Petherby's death. She had no proofs and
his position and reputation would easily
carry him through any trouble.
Go be continued tomorrow