The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-05-01

>
one or them resting against q couyen-
tlonal American milk can. On the
theaters right was laundry, dim and
eVil'I9oking, two pipe-smoking celes-
tials decorating its low step. And be.
yond this was the wide opening to a
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 It. The
place held for me the inexpfessible,
unfathomable charm of the mysteri-
ous, beside which the heathenish
racket OF the theater across the way,
the sinister aspect Of the dismal laun-
dry and its pair Of pipe-smoking guar
dians, 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 Elided vaguely into view only to
disappear within this nav of mystery.
Once, while | watched. had seen q
figure issue forth to be lost again In
stan.lY In the distant gloom OF the
curying street. Now. royerting once
more 10 this magnet. after n moments
truancy. my eyes were rewarded by
sight Of another slowly emerging
form Bilhouetted ncbulously against
the dusk.
At the head of tho steps Il paused,
uncertainty, and then, instead of Gid.
ing swiftly away In the direction OF
Pei street as did the other. 1t turned
in my direction passing almost at
onto into the comparatively glowing
radius Of the street lamp opposite.
saw then that It was u man, thin
TO .maciation, ruund.shouldcred. and
crooked limbed Whether some one
Ioslud him. or n voice from the road
way startled him, don't know, But
for some reason he turned his head
suddoHB, and the light from the lamp
fell fun upon q face, stubble-bearded,
deCrlnad. and rcrcilcnt, the face not
OF 70 6hiUaman but Of a white man;
n fa." into which ! had LOOKED but
twice, and then but for brief mo.
mont yet a face as indclibly fixed in
my memory as were the grim fronts
OF The buildings now behind 1.-THE
face o.. Peter Johnson, the pretended
caEtaway.
think | must have had It In mind
i'll / ftr, I'm
away with me that might by inqusi.
,oral torture wiring from him con
fcssion Otherwise ! should have
adopted a less eager and more subtle
method Of bringing the miscreant TO
book than that which rashly at.
tempted Before considered the sit
uatiun was across the street and ut
his heels My finger tips, indeed,
we're nj his shoulder. In the fraction
# second | should have had him
-rIpped and have been hustling him
through the crowd as my prisoner.
But nj the instant Of seeming success.
he eluded me- In some strange way
he caught alarm and. shrinking be-
meath my hand, Larted slnuously off.
between this pedestrian and that, with
The flashing speed of a lizard.
But, though he escaped my clutch,
my eyes were more nimble. With
them followed him until ! saw him
drop between the cellar doors which
gaped beneath the white bulk window
Of the quick lunch room. And where
my eyes went. went after Another
brief moment and. without thought or
heed. | was plungIng in pursuit down
chat short, steep flight of steps-plunE.
ng from lighted, peopied. noisy pub
lie street into the collied gloom and
grim silence Of n low underground
basement.
And, as misfortune would have 1t,
must needs catch my heel on the edge
Of one of the treads and so srrawling
on my hands and knees. while
poignant pain shooting cruelty
through my ankle told me that
sprain was added to my mishap.
For n minute lay as mad fallen.
prone and motlonless; and in that
space | realized the foolhardiness OF
my whole course of action. My very
intrepidity had contributed TO disaster.
Instead Of accomplishing capture
had cast myself, disabled. into the
mesh of the enemy.
The iRky darkness and profound ST.
lenco of the place augmented, OF
course, my apprehension. In vain |
strained my eyes to distinguish an OBJ
Ject, my cars to detect 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
Tho minute--it could hardly have
been more, though. as l think of It. 1t
seemed infinitely prolonged-ended in
a sound above and behind me Very
softly, carefully. some one was closing
the cellar doors. Stealthily mufiled
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 reigned once again
and in the engulfing blackness | lost