The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-12-20
TERROR
Copyright, The Frank A sIunsey Coz
By
MAURICE
LEVEL

solute ignorance Of what any one
could ascertain-the name Of the muir
0ered man From what he could hear,
no one in the crowd was better OF in
tnaI respect than himself A few
nelsno0Ts said that the old man left
the house rarely. and then only to buy
IOCu, tnat sometimes he would walk IN
the garden on hot summer nights, that
no one ever visited him. that he Kept
his house without the aid Of any one,
and that he led a secluded life
Toward noon the chief came out with
his secretary and the inspector The
tnree stopped III the garden. looked Ip
AZ Ine windows, examined the val
closely, and then walked toward the
fence Barton stepped up
Well. chief?''
Your paper is right"
Now that yop have been over the
ground. may / enter for a moment?-'
There's nothing OF much interest TO
you IN there / don't want 70 be hard
with newspaper man, and IL you VIII
step into my cab with me III tell you
what / have seen On my way TO head
quarters I may say, however, that /
have formed a theory, and that vel
settle this case quickly enough
on have discovered clues
My dear II. Barton don't ask so
many questions And what have you
been doing all this timer
OH I've been thinking-listening-
seeing things"
rs that aH2"
That's = oout all
H I
be able 70 write much OF an article
VIII yOu2 III tell you enough. however,
to pack two columns.
Il am not so dependent on you as you
may suppose As I say, 7 have. been
thinking. listening and seinE things
Thinking hasn't helped me much. I
VIII admit Neither has listening But
have been seeing, oh, I have been see
what a man can see when he works
alone Most CT the time our senses are
paralyzed- one sense 0iSTracts another
short time sgO, knowing I could hear
nothing from within, that not even q
y hlSper could reach my ears and con
GLIDING that the crowd could tel me
nothing, I began 10 see things
The chief OF police, who had listened
rather distractedIy. opened his mouth
ana UeSan- But -
Barton continued. without a pause.
y have been looking, looking intense
~ 1Uriouslys as II I had only my eyes
TO guide me, looking as If 7 were deaf
and blind. Ny intellect passed into my
eyes and my eyes. working alone. with
out the aid OF my other senses, have
revealed something 10 which 7 believe
YOU have not paid the slightest atJen-
tion- something that may be without
interest. and Vet OF the utmost impor-
lance something that must be seen to-
day. for il VIII surely disap pear by to
morrow, this evening. IN an hour
What IS II
''If you viii kindly turn around VOC
viii see something. not quite so clearly
as I have seen 1t for II has faded even
in ihe last hour, but still clearly enough
to make LO-t SGrry YOU old not notice
II sooner That something is the foot
print OF a nan on the earth. II IS that
nat impression IN the sod. a little dark
where the sun has melted the frost a
few minutes ago f. was much more dis
tinct-'
let us go back" 'crieI the chief Of
--7,s- IT, -
ne stepped on the sand-cOvered path
ne felt an indescrtba bic sensation Of
pride and fear He IC0krI az his foot
prints mechanically and then at his
Ieet- The long, narrow impression left
D. the patent leather shoes which he
wore on festive occasions coutrasted
stranger with the marks left hv the
heavy American shoes. with their er-
BenGlnE down over the sod. the chief
examined the footprfDt
"a tape measure and a pencil. quick
ne calea, holding out his hand with
out turning around
Here's a pencil replied the secre-
tary- But have no tape
Ihen I'm and get one Mr. Barton.
nave yOn a camera Won't YOU please
take a picture Of this footprfnf for r1e5''
Nia0ly- But photograph viii HELM
NOU DuT very little TIE picture an
not be sharp fn those details which Won
VIII probably want 10 study Besides
it's hard 70 take objects lying on me
ground Special apparatus e necaz-
sGTy-very complicated apparatus. Then
again. re are much too late. TIE sJ0
has melted the frost away already. nv
footprint-r
He heSitated fnpe7ceptfbIv as he said
My footprint but caught himself ve-v
quickly
The footprint which have been
watching Is now very indisffnct It's
edges are disappearing In A minnie
nothing at all viii remain. Look OrI-
ne heel can be seen now The SoIa
t. melting away It's all gone. 7 am
very sorry that you did not come a lit
tie sooner
At the bottom Of his heart he vas
immensely relieved Il seemed To him
that for 4 few rnfnutes-sheer fra Gina
ton on his p7rt-the three men had
been Studying hin closely az II they
saw beneath the leather OF his heavv
shoes small foot quite capabIe 81
leaving on the frosted grass the mark
which the sun had CELEBRATED. To BE-
sure, II was his purpose 10 cast Ssls-
i0tOn upon hiuself-even 70 have him
self arrested Bur whenever he seeTues
likely TO attain that purpose he forceT
a pOstDonement IN spite OF himself
Continuation Of This Story VIII Be
Found In Tomorrow Issue
of The TimeH.)