The Detroit times., 1912-06-25
MeMAN IN Ms..
BROWNDfRBY
&,
Wells HASTINGS
s00 Author Of ceo0
The Professors Mystery
l0rishtSllb, BobbIlem1 "a
CHAPTER XIV.
(Con.Inuec.l

climbed the steps very cautiously,
and for a moment stood at the door
listening. Then. with infinite care, |
softly and slowly turned the knob, and
pushed the door open an inch or So
| could hear a murmur OF voices that
was almost articulate, and surmised
that our mercenary had been unable
to close the door of the ONCE. Never
tleless, although II was not now or
never, at least II was now | pushed
me door still farther open, just far
enough 10 admit my body. and, slip
ping I'm. softly closed II behind me.
To my satisfaction | found the hall
out dimly lighted, so that the bright
ness from the Office door at my left
aand made a broad, truncated V on
the worn boards OF the hall floor, a
space OF light not four feet away from
ne, through which | must pass into
the safer dmness on its farther side.
could now hear plainly Doctor May
hews voice. debating what | suppose
was some rascally letter or other. and
drew back into the corner at the
right OF the great door In the hope
that, leaning forward, / might be able
TO see him. AS did so his
shadow passed before me on the
floor. Evidently he was pacing
up and down as he wrote. | watched
the grotesque shadow pass four or five
dimes, shadow whose strlding, giant
legs commenced somewhere in the
office, fell fatty across the floor and,
bending at the wall like some huge,
black, paper doll, staggered In vague,
Hn ht1ll- oil fA ha l..
though the intervals Of its passing
and repassing were short they were at
least regular. and when | judged that
Doctor Mayhem was, just approaching
the farther wall and had his back turn
cd toward me, | crossed the strip or
light in two long tiptoeing strides. and
veering across the wall on my LETT,
stole softly along ii, until almost to Its
end 1t was cut at right angles by an
other hall. At this corner ! stopped
again and listened.
My straining ears were still able to
catch the distant murmur OF Doctor
Mayhew's dctation Once, as | lis
tened, something seemed TO fall In a
distant room. Save for these sounds,
the place was In silence. | turned the
corner and found the newell post OF
the stairs, carved and dilapidated
griffin, whose stately and menacing
dignity had been much marred by the
loss OF an ear. was foolish enough
TO pat him on the head. as a school
10y might have, as | started TO climb
the stairs
If these stairs had been built for
the purpose Of giving alarm they could
scarcely have been better contrived.
The first one groaned beneath my feet,
and the second. to which hastily
transferred my weight. gave shrek
OF protest that seemed to my strained
senses almost human. tried the ex-
pedient OF testing each one OF them
with my hand. but even those that
SO proved silent, yelled betrayal as
soon as | trusted the full weight OF
my body to them. Indeed, | think
every stair OF the flight was potential
ly vocal, and differed from Its fellows
only in the key and volume OF It's pro-
test. A skilful and acrobatic musician
could. | think. have trampled dirge
from them. After had tried four or
FIVE in momentary apprehension OF
discovery, cast myself astride the
balustrade thinking to work my way up
in hand-over-hand; but the balustrade
was the prima donna of the whole
chorus. and bawled out such a shril-
ling vibration OF protest that | slid
back TO the stairs again. and without
more ado and taking three at a stride,
mounted them on the run.
AT the top | stopped again and
listened. feeling very much as a bur
glar might, who had undeftly dis
lodged stack Of tin pie plates; for |
was certain that by now the whole
house must be alarmed, that In anoth-
er moment Doctor Mayhem and his
janitor must rush from below, and
some unknown guard OF the floor
where | now stood come at me from
the other side. But nothing at all
happened. Some one In one OF the
closed rooms had AT OF coughing,
and brought IL TO loud and success
full conclusion. Below me the dim
well of the hall lay In silent mystery,
like waters that had parted to let me
through and closed again after my
passage. stole along again, counting
tho doors as | passed At the one
knew to be Mrs. Lathrop's | stopped
and listeend, but there was no sound.
debated for moment whether or
not | should tap and whisper all
well" TO her, but decided against 1t
end bent tiptoelng on | had come
to the next door when there came a
rattle of the latch at the farther end
Of the hall; the door | took to be
Nancy's opened and into the sudden
brightness stepped the square figure
OF Mrs Olsen.
! shrank instnctively against the
door a. my side, and, because | was
sure that In spite OF the dmness OF
the hall she must have seen me, /
abandoned my foolish attempt at con-
cealment and risked a very doubtful
strategy. II was dubious expert
ment, but as far as ! could see. the
only one left open to me. Mrs Olson
was still too far away to take by sur.
prise. or by any sudden move OF mine
he prevented from giving the alarm
so. there being nothing else for IT,
tried TO impersonate Doctor Mayhem,
although | knew myself so much
larger than he that | was desperately
uncertain OF success Nevertheless.
stopped TO the bolt as nonchalantly as
| could and shooting IL carelessly
back. turned the handle and stepped
quietly into the room, closing the door
behind me, | found the room in the
half-light OF turneddown lamp. and