Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-10-24
Continued From yesterday,

y"
-
We both sprang for the stairs, Lady
a little before me. AS l tried to pass
her at the foot. she caught ME by the
arm and chung desperately to me, her
breath coming hard and fast.
NO, you mustn't. Don't come, do
you hear? Wait until / call YOU" The
dry tension in her voice was not a thing
to disregard blindly. 1 waited with
my foot on the lowest step. my heart
staggering In my ears, while she sped
above out of sight. The scream had
broken into a choking wall of utter
terror. A door slammed. Sheila's
strong voice rang out angrily, then
sank under a broken clamor of stumb-
ling steps. A nan leaped roughly down
the first few stairs. stopped and turned
as l bent forward just enough to get
a half glimpse of coarse clothes and
clumsy feet, and sprang back again,
trampling across the upper hall. /
hesitated an instant, then followed him
three steps at a stride. Whatever hap
pened, I would not leave the three
women alone with him.
In the hall l paused, for it was
empty. From the front room which /
took to be Mrs. Tabor's came voices,
Lady's full and sweet, her mothers
frightened and childish, and the reson-
ant whisper of Mrs. Carucci.
He was here, l tell you, Lady" Mrs.
Tabor's treble rose above the murmur,
and as suddenly ceased. [ looked about
me, uncertain. / had only been above
stairs once before, and then at night.
Ny room Their had been at the rear of
the house. with the whole length of
hall between it and Mrs. Tabor's; and
the stair-head where / nov stood was
an even midway between the two. I
felt vaguely Ill at ease. / knew that
I should look for the intruder, and look
for MIN upon the instant; but some
thing held me back-perhaps a feeling
that I had little right to blunder about
upon this floor, to stumble perhaps into
Lady's own room, an intruder upon
her intimate privacy. This, however,
was no time for doubtful sentiment.
Minutes were passing, and the man
must be found, l was sure that he
was still in the house. Very carefully I
tiptoed down the hall toward the room
that I had occupied. Fate might grant
that he was hidden there. and so l
should have to search only where l
had already seen. But before | reached
my door, | paused before another. 1t
was slightly ajar; and half instinc-
lively I pushed it open.
In the doorway I stood looking about
me. This was Lady's room, after all.
A deep bed stood in the corner against
the outer wall to my left; and close
by a little table with a book face down
upon II. A dress of some hlmy blue
stuff Law across the foot of the bed, and
from beneath peeped a pair of little
slippers. My face burned at my in
trusion, but | held my ground. The
sunlight fell heavily through the two
closed windows, across the wide rug,
and almost to my feet. In the outer
light hand corner was a small desk.
A low table. piled with dainty femi-
nine miscellany. stood in the centre of
the room. A riding-crop lay carelessly
across It; and | remembered absently
that the Tabors had no horses. |
stepped within and cautiously closed
the door behind me. Then I knew.
There was someone in the room. It
was unmistakable, this feeling Of a
presence. I listened closely, but there
was not a sound. The skin crawled at
nv temples, and l could feeel the stir
of hair upon my scalp, h strange
pr1raal bristling that has stirred mar
conscious of the unseen, since the be-
ginning Of time. For a heartbeat. 1
stood there with much of the clutch
ing terror of a child, a child willing
enough to face a fight. but h~esitating