The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-10-04


painted bulk window, beneath which
q pair Of cellar doors spread invitingly.
one OF them resting against conven-
tional American milk can, On the
theater's right was a laundry, dim and
evil-looking. two pipe-smoklng celes-
tials decorating It's low step. And be-
yond this was the wide opening to q
basement, above which, In white
Roman lettering on black ground, !
read the legend: Hip Sing Tong"
Again and again my gaze persisted
in returning to this sign and the dim
ly lighted cavern beneath 1t. The
place held for me the inexpressible,
unbelievable charm Of the mysteri-
Gus, beside which the heathenlsh
racket of the theater across the way,
the sinister aspect Of the dismal laun-
dry and It's pair Of pipe-smoking guar
dams, even the constantly changing
procession Of varied types In roadway
and on sidewalks, exerted but meager
allure.
From time to time dark, silent fig-
ures glided vaguely into view only to
disappear within this nav Of mystery.
Once, while l watched, l had seen a
figure issue forth to be lost again In
stantly In the distant gloom of the
curving street. Now, reverting once
more to this magnet, after moments
truancy, my eyes were rewarded by
sight Of another slowly emerging
form. silhouetted nebulously against
the dusk.
At the head Of the steps 1t paused.
uncertainty, and then, instead of Gid
ing swiftly away in the direction Of
Pell street as did the other, 1t turned
in my direction, passing almost at
once into the comparatively glowing
radius of the street lamp opposite.
saw then that it was a man, thin
to emRciation, ound-shouldered, and
crooked llmbed. Whether some one
jostled him, or a voice from the road
way startled him, don't know. But
for some reason he turned his head
suddenly, and the light from the lamp
Fell full upon face, stubble-bearded,
deep-llned, and repellent, the face not
of a Chinaman but of a white man;
face into which I had looked but
twice, and then but for brief mo-
ment; yet face as indelibly fixed in
my memory as were the grim fronts
Of the buildings now behind 1.-THE
face of Peter Johnson, the pretended
castaway.
think I must have had 1t in mind
to pick him up bodily and carry him
away with me that might by inquisi-
torial torture wiring from him a con-
fesslon Otherwise | should have
adopted a less eager and more subtle
method Of bringing the miscreant to
book than that which l rashly at
tempted. Before l considered the sit.
uation was across the street and at
his heels. My finger tips, indeed,
were at his shoulder. In the fraction
Of a second | should have had him
gripped and have been hustling him
through the crowd as my prisoner.
But at the instant Of seeming success,
he eluded me. In some strange way
he, caught alarm and, shrinking be-
meath my han2, larted slnuously off,
between this pedestrian and that with
the flashing speed of lizard.
But, though he escaped my clutch,
my eyes were more uimble. With
them | followed him until saw him
drop between the cellar doors which
CAPPED beneath the white bulk window
Of the quick lunch room. And where
my eyes went, l went after Another
brief moment and, without thought or
heed, l was plunging in pursuit down
that short, steep flight Of steps-plung-
ing from a lighted, peopled, noisy pub
lie street into the cbllied gloom and
grim silence of low underground
basement.
And, as misfortune would have 1t, |
must needs catch my heel on the edge
OF one Of the treads, and go sprawllng
on my hands and knees; while a
poignant pain shooting cruelty
through my ankle told me that a
spraln was added to my mishap.
For q minute lay as had fallen,
prone and motionless; and in that
space l realized the foolhardiness Of
my whole course Of action. My very
intrepldity had contributed to disaster.
Instead Of accomplishing capture l
had cast myself, disabled, into the
mesh Of the enemy.
The inky darkness and profound 81
lence Of the place augmented, of
course, my apprehension. In vain
strained my eyes to distinguish an OBJ
ject, my ears to detect a sound, yet |
knew that the uncanny creature | had
followed must be close to me; lurking,
possibly, with raised or pointed
weapon to mete out my fate once he
made sure Of my position.
The minute-it could hardly have
been more, though, as l think Of 1t, 1t
seemed infinitely prolonged-ended in
sound above and behind me. Very
softly, carefully, some one was closing
the cellar doors. Stealthlly muffied
though 1t was, the faint creaking of
the hinges shattered the spell which
held me, and in spite Of my tortured
ankle, managed to gain my feet. But
by now the silence relgned once again
and In the engulflng blackness l lost
II on,a. - dirankInp