The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-08-06

nc pocHea "'s windows He
'"''''e'''' pulled the bell
In the wall, and the door was at once
opened and instantly closed.
Armitage, following at twenty yards
on the opposite side Of the street.
paused abruptly at the sudden ending
Of his chase. 1t was not an hour for
lettering, for the Genevan gendarmerie
have rather good eyes, but Armitage
had by no means satisfied his curiosity
as to the nature Of Chauvenet's errand.
He walked on to make sure he was
unobserved. crossed the street and
again passed the dark, silent house
which Chauvenet had entered He
noted the place carefully. 1t gave no
outward appearance of being occupied
He assumed from the general plan Of
the neighboring buildings that there
was a courtyard at the rear Of the
darkened house. accessible through a
narrow passageway at the side. AS
be studied the situation he kept NOV
ing to avoid observation and presently.
at moment when he was quite alone
III Iuc SIIctl, Wdlhcu Idpluiy W LIZ
house Chauvenet had entered.
Gentlemen in search Of adventures
do we'll to avoid the continental wall.
Mr.. Armitage brushed the glass from
the top with his hat 1t jingled softly
within under cover Of the rain drip.
The plaster had crumbled from the
bricks in spots, giving a foot its op-
portunity, and Mr.. Armitage drew him.
self to the top and dropped within.
The front door and windows stared at
him blankly, and he committed his
fortunes to the bricked passageway.
The rain was now coming down in
earnest. and at the rear Of the house
water had begun to drip noisily into an
iron spout. The electric lights from
neighboring streets made a kind of
twilight even in the darkened court.
and Armitage threaded his way among
network Of clotheslines to the rear
wall and viewed the premises. He
knew his Geneva from many previor"
visits. The quarter was undeniabl'
respectable, and there is, to be sure no
reason why the blinds Of a house
should not be carefully drawn at night
fall at the pleasure Of the occupants,
The whole lower floor seemed utterly
deserted. Only at one point on the
third floor was there any sign Of light.
and this the merest hint
The increasing fall Of rain did not
encourage lettering in the wet court
yard, where the down-spout now ratified
dolorously, and Armitage crossed the
court and further assured himself that
the lower floor was dark and silent
Balconies were bracketed against the
wall at the second and third stories.
and the slight iron ladder leading thith.
er terminated a foot above his head.
John Armitage was aware that his
position, if discovered, was, to say the
least, untenable, but he was secure
from observation by police. and he as
sumed that the occupants Of the house
were probably too deeply engrossed
with their affairs to waste much time
on what might happen without Ar
mitage sprang up and caught the low
est round of the ladder, and in mo-
ment his tall figure was a dark blur
against the wall as he crept warily up
ward. The rear rooms Of the second
story were as dark and quiet a.
those below. Armitage continued to
the third story. where door as well
as several windows gave upon the
balcony. and he found that it was
from a broken corner of the door shade
that sharp blade Of light cut the dark.
All continued quiet below. He heard
the traffic Of the neighboring thorough
fares quite distinctly, and from a kitten
en- near by came the rough clattef Of
dishwashing to the accompaniment Of
a quarrel in German between the
maids. For the moment he felt Sc
cure and bent down close to the door
and listened.
Two men were talking, and evidently
the matter under discussion was of i'm