The Huttig news., 1909-01-09


 Matland's cool retort was lost upon her. What matter? If they disbe- lieved him, persisted in calling him Anisty, in natural course they would undertake to search the Hat. And if she were found. Oh, she must spare him that. She had given him cause for suffering enough. She must get away. and that instantly before
 From distance. tomorrow morning tonight. even-by telegraph, she could communicate with him.
 At this juncture O'Hagan entered with his parcel. The rustic of the paper as he brushed avainst the door, jamb was in itself hint to mind keyed to the highest pitch of excite ment and seeking a way of escape from a position conceived to be peril ous. Tn trice the girl had turned and sped. lightfooted, to the door open ing on the private hal:
 Here, haliiag for a brief reconnais- sanee, she determined that her plan was feasible, if hazardous. She ran the risk of encountering some one ascending the stairs from the ground floor; but if she were cautious and quick she could turn back in time On the other hand, the men whom she most feared were thoroughly occupied with their differences. dead to all save that which was happening within the rooms four walls. curtain hung perhaps a third of the way across the study door. tempering the light in tine hall; and the broad shoulders of the cabby obstructed the remainder of the opening.
 II was a chance. She poised herself on tiptoe, half undecided and-the r,Istling of paper as O'Iiagan opened the parcel afforded her an opportunity to escape, by drowning the noise of her movements.
 For two eternal seconds she was edging stealthily down toward the outer door. then. ill no time at all, found herself on the landing and confronted by a fresh complication. one unforeseen: how to leave the house without being observed, stopped. and perhaps detained until too late? There would be men at the door, beyond doubt; possibly police, stationed there to arrest all persons attempting to leave. .
 No time for weighing chances. The choice of two alternatives lay before | her: either to return to the alcove. | or to seek safety in the darkness of the upper foors-untenanted. as she had been at pains to determine The latter seemed by far the better. the less dangerous. course to pursue And at once she took it.
 There was no light on the first floor landng-it having presumably been extinguished by the janitor early in the evening. Only a feeble twilight obtained there, in part a reflected glow from the entrance hall. partly thin aud diffused rays escaping from Maitlands study. So it was that the first few steps upward took the girl into dark. ness so close and unrelieved as to seem almost palpable.
 At the turn of the staircase she paused. holding the rail and resting for an instant, the while she listened. ere ascending at a more sedate pace to haven of safety more complete in hat it would be more remote from the battle-ground below.
 And, resting so, was suddenly chilled through and through with fear, sheer childish dread of the intangible and unknown terrors that lurked in the blackness above her. It was as if rendered representative by strain and excitement. the quivering fliaments of her subconsciousness like spiritual Sntacles feeling ahead of her. had encountered and recoiled from a shape of evil. sTecter Of horror obscene and malign. crouehing, ready to spring, ihere. in the shadow of night.
 And her breath was smothered in her throat and her heart smote so madly against the fTail walls of it's cage that they seemed like to burst, while she stood transixed, frozen in inaction, limbs stiffening. roots of her hair stirring. fingers gripping the ban ister rail uat!l they pained her. and with eyes that stared wide into the black heart of nothingness, until the night seemed pricked with eyaneseent periods of dim fire peopled with mon- strous and terrible shadows closing about her.
 Yet---it was absurd She must not yield to such puerile superstltions.
 There was nothing there.
 There was something there something t.at like an incarnation of hatred was stalking her.
 If only she dared scream, If only she dared turn and fly, back to the comfort of light and human com pany.
 There arose trampling of feet in the hallway: and she heard Maitlands voice like far echo. as he bade the police good night. And distant and unreachable as he seemed. the sound of his words brought her strength and some reinsurance, and she grew slightly more composed. Yet, the in- stant that he had turned away to talk to the cabman, her fright of that un- speakable and inaorporeal menace flooded her consciousness like a great