The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-08-27

% De- na0 foun1 the GeutInepe extern
Dori1ed yarn. proof positive that the
fellow had bad no more right TO pro
hibil tFeapass than KlrkwoOd 20
commit one. az the came time be found
himself pardonably q prey 70 emotions
az the utmost Consideration and alarm
n be feared 10 leave the house be had
40 warrant whatever 60 assume that
be woald BE- permitted 60 remain many
minutes unframed within It's walls Of
mystery.
Tho silence Of Il discounted bim be-
yond measure Il was. IN e word. IN.
canny.
Before him as be fingered At the
door, vaguely disclosed By q wan n
lomination penetrating = dusty and
begrimed fanIight. a broad han
stretched indefinitely toward the rear
Of the building. losing Itself In black.
ness beyond the foot Of a aight Of
stairs. save FOR a few articles Of FUR.
niture-a bail table. an umbrella stand.
a tail. dumb clock banked by high
backed ehairs-it was empty. Other
than KirkwOOd's own restraihed res
piration not a sound throughout the
house advertised its inhabltation. not
a board creaked beneath the pressure
OF a foot. not a mouse rustled IN the
Wainscoting or beneath the floors. not
a breath Of air stirred sighing IN the
stiffness
And yet a tremendous racket had
been raised az the front door within
the sixty seconds past. And yet with
IN twenty minutes two persons al
least had preceded KlrkwoOd into the
building. Had they not henrdl The
speculation seemed ridiculous, Or had
they heard and. alarmed, been too ef.
fectually hObbled by the coils OF their
nefarious designs TO dare reveal them
selves, to investigate the cause Of that
thunderOus summOnsi or we're they,
perhaps. aware Of KirkwoOd's en-.
trance and lying hidden In some dark
corner TO ambush him as he passed.
True. that was hardly like the girl
True. on the other hand, II was posi-
BILE that she had stolen away while
RIrkwOOd was hanging IN iFresOlution
by the passage to Quadrant news
Again, the space Of time between Kirk
woods dismissal and his return had
been exceedingly brief Whatever her
errand. she could hardly have fulfilled
Il and escaped. Az that moment she
might be In the power and at the mer
CT OF him who had followed her. pro
Vided he were not friendly. And Us
that case what torment and what peril
might not be hersl
Spurred by solicitude. the young man
put personal apprehenslons Ia bis peck.
ct aud forgot them. cautiously picking
his way through the gloom 10 the foot
Of the stairs Slowly be began 10 az.
send, a hand following the balusters.
the other with his cane exploring the
Obscurity before him. on the steps a
carpet. thick and heavy. muffied his
footballs. He moved nOiselessly. To
ward the top the staircase curved. and
presently a foot that CROPPED for o
higher level failed 90 end t. Again be
halted. acutely distrustful
Nothing happened.
he went on. guided by the balus-
trade. passing three doors. al open.
through which the underlined proper.
lions Of a drawing room and bOudoiT
were barely suggested IN a ghostly
dusk. BY each be paused. listening.
hearing nothing.
His foot struck with a deadened thud
against the bottom step OF the second
flight and his pulses Suffered wildly
for a moment. Two minutes-three-
be waited IN suspense. From above
came no sound. He went on. az be
fore. save that twice a step yielded.
complaining. to bis weight
Again the raised foot found no level
higher than its fellows. He stopped
and held bis breath. oppressed by q
conviction that some one was near
him. Confirmation Of this came star
tllngly-an eerie whisper IN the night.
60 close to him that he fancied he
could feel the disturbed air tanning
his face.
lis Il you. Eccles3~
He had no answer ready. The voice
was masculine. n he analyzed lt cor.
reetly. Dumb and stupid. be stood
poised upon the point Of panic.
"Eccles. II Il your
The whisper was both shrlll and
shaky As Il ceased Kirkwood was
half blinded By a dash Of light strik.
ing him gauareiy Ia the eyes lnvoiuD.