Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-16
ING blindly at the darkness with eager


hands.
Miss Calendar!" he cried guarded
ly. Miss Calendar, it is Philip
Kirkwood!"
There was a second sob, Of another
caliber than the first; timld fingers
brushed him, and hand, warm ana
fragile, closed upon his own III
passion of relief and gratitude.
ooh, am so g-glad!" 1t was Doro-
thy Calendars voice, beyond mistake.
CT didn't know what ito think.
When the light struck your
face | was sure it was you, but when
Icalled, you answered in voice SO
strange-Not like yours at all!
Tell me-" she pleaded, with
palpable effort to steady herseh;
"wha has happened?'
81 think, perhaps" said Kirkwood
uneasily, again troubled by his racing
pulses, perhaps you can do that bet
ter than t.
"Oh." said the voice guilty; her
fingers trembled on his, and were gent
ly withdrawn. Il was so frightened
she confessed after a little pause, so
frightened that | hardly understood
But you. NJ" uAu Soo
81 worried about YOU" he replied,
in tone absurdly apologize. some
how it didn't seem right. 1t was none
of my business, of course, but L
couldn't help coming back. This Eel
low whoever he is-don't worry; heys
unconscious slipped into the house
in manner that seemed to be susplc-
ious hardly know why | followed,
except that he left the door an open
| invitation to interference
81 can't be thankful enough she
told him warmly, that you did IN
terfere. You have indeed saved me
| from :"
"Yes?"
81 don't know what If l knew the
man"
You don't know him."
81 can't even guess. The light?
She paused inquiringly. kirkwood
| fumbled with the lamp, but, whether
/! it's rude handling had impaired some
vital part of the mechanism, or wheth
er the batteries through much use
were worn out, he was able to elicit
only one feeble glow, which was in
stantly smothered by the darkness.
Its no use" he confessed. "The
things gone wrong
Il used my last before l got hold o
this"
ooh" she commented, discouraged
Have you any notion what he look:
like?"
Kirkwood thought briefly. "Raffles,
he replied with chucllle. He look
, iel,
) Raffles He's in dress clothes, yo'
!, know"
81 wonder!" There was nuanc
, of profound bewilderment in her eS
) clamation. Then: He knocked
against something in the hall-a chair
presume; at all events, | heard tina
: and put out the light, | was i
7 the room above the drawing-room, yo
; see. | stole down to this floor-wa
l within six inches, and never guesse
! It. Then, when he got on the mex
Y floor, l started on; but you came II
l slipped into the drawing-room an
crouched behind a chair. You wen
| on, but l heard some one cry out, an
t you fell down the stairs together.
t hope you were not hurt-?"
l Nothing worth mention; but h
must have got pretty stiff KNOCK ,
, lay him out so completely" Kirkwoo
e stirred the body with his toe, but tn
t man made no sign. Dead to tn
e world =. And now, Miss Calendar?
Y If she answered, he did not hear
l. for on the heels of his query bange
d the knocker down below; and Their
e after crash followed crash, brewing
f deep and sullen laundering to rous
e the echoes and send them rolling, liF
o voices of enraged ghosts, through th
# lonely rooms.
i