The San Francisco call., 1909-01-10

that she had stolen away while
Kirkwood was hanging in irreso-
luton by the passage to Quadrant
News. Again. the space of time
between .ISirkwood's dismissal and
his return had been exceedingly
brief; whatever her errand. she
could hardly have fulfilled it and es-
capped At that moment she might be
70 the power and at the mercy of him
We're not friendly. And in that case
what torment and what peril might
not be hers?
Spurred by solicitude the young man
put personal apprehension in his
pocket and forgot them. cautiously
picking his way through the gloom to
the foot of the stairs. There, by the
newell post. he paused. Darkness
walled him about. Overhead the steps
vanished in a well of blackness; he
could not even sec the ceiling; his
eyes ached with futile effort to fathom
the unknown: his ears rang with un-
rewarded strain of listening. The
silence hung inviolate, profound.
Slowly he began TO ascend. hand
following the balustrades, the other with
his cane exploring the obscurity be-
fore him. On the steps a carpet, thick
and heavy muff1ed his footballs. He
moved noiselessly. Toward the top the
staircase curved. and presently a
foot that groped for higher level
failed to find it. Again he halted,
acutely distrustful.
Nothing happened.
He went on, guided by the balus-
trade. passing three doors, all open
through which the underlined proper
tions of drawing room and boudoir
were barely suggested in a ghostly
dusk BY each he paused, listening,
hearing nothing.
His foot struck with deadened
thud against the bottom step of the
second fight, and his pulses fiuttered
wildly for moment Two minutes
three-he waited in suspense. From
above came no sound. He went on.
as before, save that twice a step
yielded. complaining. toN his weight.
Toward the top the close air, like the
darkness, seemed to weigh more
heavily upon his consciousness; little
drops of perspiration started out on
his forehead, his scalp tingled. his
mouth was hot and dry, he felt as If
stifed.
Again the raised foot found no level
higher than it's fellows. He stopped
and held his breath. oppressed by a
conviction that some one was near him.
Confirmation of this came startlingly-
an eerie whisper in the night, so close
the disturbed air tanning his face.
Is 1t you. Eccles?''
He had no answer ready. The voice
was masculine, If he analyzed it cor
rectly. Dumb and stupid he stood
poised upon the point of panic.
Eccles, is it you?"
The whisper was both shrill and
shaky As 1t ceased Kirkwood was
half blinded by fash of light, strik-
ing him squarely in the eyes. Invol-
UNFAIRLY he shrank back pace, to the
first step from the top. Instantaneous
ly the light was eclipsed.
Halt or--or 1 fire.
BY now he realized that he had been
scrutinized by the aid of an electric
hand lamp. The tremulous whisper
told him something else-that the
speaker suffered from nerves as high
strung as his own. The knowledge
gave him inspiration. He cried at a
venture. in a guarded voice Hands
upr'-and struck out smartly with his
stick It's ferrule impinged upon
something soft but heavy. Simultane-
ously he heard a low. frightened cry,
the cane was swept aside, a blow
landed glancingly on his shoulder, and
he was carried fairly off his feet by
the weight of man hurled bodily upon
him with staggering force and passion.
Keeling. he was borne back and down
step or two, and then-choking an
oath-dropped his cane and with one
hand caught the balusters, while the
other tore ineffectually at wrists of
hands that clutched his throat So,
for a space.i the two hung, painting and
struggling.
Then endeavoring to swing his shoul-
ders over against the wall, Kirkwood
released his grip on the hand rail and
stumbled on the stairs throwing his
antagonist out of balance. The latter
plunged downward. dragging Kirkwood
with him. C1awing. kicking. grap-
pling, they went to the bottom. jolted
violently by each step; but long before
the last was reached. Kirkwood's
throat was free.
Throwing himself off. he got to his
feet and grasped the railing for sup