The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1909-05-27
CHAPTER v.
~ YHAT'S thatT At the first
VNi alarm the girl had caught
wv convulsively at Kirkwood's
CHAPTER v.

THAT'S tnatF at the first
H alarm the girl had caught
wv convulsively at Kirkwood's q
arm. Now. when a pause
came in the growing Of the knocker,
she made him hear her voice. and II
was broken and vibrant with a threat
OF hysteria. "Oh. what can It mean p
Il don't know" He laid a hand re-
assuringly over that which trembled
on bis forearm "'rhe police possibly" !"
"Policew she iterated. aghast. ~whai
makes you think
"A man tried to stop me at the door"
be answered quickly. Il got in before
he could. When he tried the knocker
a bobby came along and stopped him.
The latter may have been watching
the house since then. It'd be only his
duty to keep an eye on It. and heaven
knows We raised a racket coming
head first down those stairs! Now we
are up against IT," he added brightly.
But the girl was tugging at his hand.
Come" she begged breathlessly.
Comet There is wayl Before they
break in'-
But this manT Kirkwood hung
back. troubled.
''They-the police-are sure TO find
and care for him"
so they will he chuckled. And
serve him right. He'd have choked
me TO death. with all the good WIN in
the woridr'
"oh. do hurryr.
Turning. she sped light footed down
the staircase to the lower hall. he at
her elbow. Here the uproar was loud.
est. deep enough TO drown whatever
sounds might have been made by two
pairs Of Tying feet For all that, they
fed on tiptoe. stealthily, guilty shad-
ows In the night. and at the newell post
swung back into the unbroken black.
ness which shrouded the Businesses
backward Of the dwelling. A sudden
access Of fury on the part OF the
alarmist at the knocker spurred them
on with quaking hearts. In half q
dozen strides Kirkwood. guided only
by instinct and the frou-frou Of the
girls skirts as she ran invisible before
him. stumbled on the uppermost steps
Of steep staircase. Only hand rail
saved him. aud that at the last mo
ment. He stopped short. shocked into
caution. From below came a contrite
whisper: I'm 10 sorryi should have
warned you"
He pulled himself together, glarfng
wildly at nothing. ''It's all right"
you're not hurt. truly? oh. do
come quickly
She waited for him at the bottom OF
the tilght-happiiy for him. for he was
all at sea.
"Here-your hand-let me guide you
This darkness is dreadful"
He found her hand somehow and
tucked his Into IL conndingly and not
without IN uncertain thrill OF salts.
faction.
Gomez she painted "comel II
they break in''-
stifed by apprehension. her voice
failed her.
They went forward. now less impet.
uously. for II was very black and the
knocker had fallen still
NO fear Of that" he remarked after
a time. They wouldn't dare break
in."
A huttering whisper answered him:
Il don't know. We dare risk moth.
Ing"
They seemed 70 explore. to pene.
trate. acres Of labyrinthiA chambers
and passages. delving deep into the
bowels OF the earth. like rabbits bur
rowing in warren. bounded BY bea
gles
Above stairs the hush continued un
broken. as n the dumb genius Of the
place had cast a spell Of silence on
the knockcr or else. outraged. had
smittcn the noisy dsturber with q
palsy.
The girl seemed 60 know her way.
Whether guided by familiarity or by
intuition. she led on without besita.
ton. Kirkwood blundering In her
wake between confusion Of impression
and dawning dismay. conscious Of but
one tangible thing. to which he chung
as TO his hope Of salvation-those tirm.
friendly fingers that claspcd his own.
II was as II they wandered on for
an hour. Probably from start TO I'm
ish their flight took up three minutes
no more. Eventually the girl stop
ped, releasing his hand. lie could hear
her syncopatcd breathing before him
and gathered that something was
wrong. He took step forward.
"what Is itf'
Her full voice broke out Of the OBJ
scurity startilngly close In his very ear.
THE door-the bolts-i can't bulge
them"
"Let me-"
He pressed forward. brushing her
shoulder. She did not draw away, but
Willingly yielded place TO his hands at
the fastenings, and what had proved
impossible to her TO his strong fingers