The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-07-20
THE SIGNAL OF DEATH

an awed voice, that he could have had
/ premOnition of what was going to
/ happen2'
But the detectives, not being mem
/ bers of the Society OF PsyChiCal Re
search, shifted the conversation back
to more prosaic lines of inquiry.
Did he mention any particular thing
of which ne was afraid % they asked
COR give you the impression that he had
an enemy or any sort down hereg'
No she shook her head. He spoke
only in general terms, telling US Il was
a bad quarter of town TO knock about
in, and such things as that"
Yet he seemed to regard this res
/ taurant as safe. Ell. or at least stipu-
lated 1t as the only place to which
he was willing to take your
Yes, she assented, but see how
terribly he was mistaken. Why, the
place is fitted up for just such as
sassinations."
Now, that is exactly the point we
want to get at interposed one Of the
detectives searchingly. Are you GER
tain, Miss Ward, that hole appeared
IN the Ho0r, as you insisted TO the
patrOlman?
Certain" she repeated impatiently.
"Of course, I am certain. Oh, why do
you delay opening it up and following
on the heels of these outlaws
Well returned one of the men,
trife hesitatingly' the chief reason,
and perhaps it is only fair to tell you
so, is that we have found absolutely
no evidence to support your asser-
ton"
mo evidence? What do you meen?'
Just what we say. We have care
fully examined the entire premises,
and have discovered not the slightest
indication of any secret passage, or
trap in the floor such as you describe ~
She gaZed at them inCredulOuSly.
But there must be-" she insisted.
''NO; # seems impossible. Under
meath here is only one Of The ordinary
back rooms 20 the little stores COM
mon in this locality, and although we
have sounded every inch Of the walls
and ceiling and made the most careful
measurements Of its dimensions, we
have failed to reveal a single sus-
picious circumstance"
Nevertheless, you are mistaken,
she declared vehemently. Il tell you, l
distinctly saw a gaping aperture right
under the piano, and men pouring out
Of il into the room. Surely. surely, you
are not going to rest content with q
mere perfunCtory examination from be-
low
ooh, no." both the men assured her
We have orders from the chief 10 probe
this thing TO the bottom, and we are
not overlooking any chances. Men VIII
be here with axes and croWbars IN a
minute to tear the whole shack 10
pieces, if necessary; but W. tell you In
advance that we have very little hope
of any result
Muicent made no response, for at that
moment the tools appeared, and she felt
that what they must disclose would be
the strongest refU tatlOn she could offer
Nor was any time wasted in getting
down to work. While sh6 eagerly
watched the piano was Wrenched loose
from its clamps and moved aside TO
show the bare noOring underneath. Then
board after board was ripped up until a
wide aperture gaped at the spot she
had indicated, but still no sign appeared
of what they were searching for.
Indeed. the space between the floor
and the ceiling of the room below was
hardly Of sufficient dimensions TO shell
ter a good sized rat. much less the score
Of men she had described as issuing
from II.
Nevertheless, in order to fully satisfy
her, one Of the detectives made her bend
over and gauge the situation for her
self.
She saw that the boards were spiked
down fast 10 the jOists, and the JoiSts
fixed and immovable; that the srace
under the floor offered no hiding place;
that the walls back and on either eide
of where the piano had stood were
solid brick and mortar, and that, In
short, such an avenue of admission 20
the restaurant as she had reported was
on the face Of it impossible.
But" she gasped completely taken
aback, "how then did 7 come to Sc
such a thing, and how else were Flor
so suddenly spirited away?
The Continuation of This story VIII
BE Found In TomOrrOw's
Edition of The Times.