Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-04

Had he expected this stern and self
difference to work and the hopes OF
a lifetime? II SO, this was the first
OF the many surprises awaiting him.
He was gifted, however, with the
patience Of an automaton and contin-
ued to watch his fellow tenant as Ions
az the latter's shade remained up.
When It fell, he rose and took a few
steps up and down, but not with the
celebrity and precision which usually
accompanied his movements. Doubt
disturbed his mind and impeded his
activity. He had caught fair glimpse
Of Brotherson's face as be approached
the window, and though II continued
TO show abstraction, it equally dis
played serenity and g complete sat
isfaction with the present If not with
the future. Had he mistaken his man
after all7 Was his instinct, for the
first time in his active career, wholly
at fault:
He had succeeded IN getting a
glimpse OF his quarry IN the privacy
OF his own room, at home with his
thoughts and unconscious OF any es-
pionage. and how had he found him I?
Cheerful, and natural In all his move
ments.
But the evening was young Retro
Bpect comes with later and more lone
ly hours. There will be opportunities
yet for studying this impassive coun-
tenance under much more telling and
nrOduCfyva cfrcumatapcas tban .ba.o
He would await these opportunities
with cheerful anticipation. Mean
while. he would keep up the routine
watch he had planned for this night
Something might yet occur. At all
events he would have exhausted the
situation from this standpoint.
And 80 It came to pass that at an
hour when all the other Woodworking
people in the building we're asleep,
or at least striving to sleep, these two
men still sat at their work, one in the
light, the other in the darkness, fac
ing each other, consciously to the one,
unconsciously 20 the other, across the
hollow well OF the nov silent court.
Eleven o'clock Twelvei No change
on Brotherson's part or in Brother
sons room; but decided one in the
place where Sweetwater sat Objects
which had been totally indistinguish-
able even to his penetrating eye
could now be seen IN ever brighten
ing outline. The moon had reached
the open space above the court, and
he was getting the full benefit Of it.
But it was q benefit he would have
been glad to dispense with. Darkness
was like a shield TO him He did not
feel quite sure that he wanted this
shield removed. With no curtain TO
the window and no shade. and all this
brtlliance pouring into the room, he
feared the disclosure OF his presence
there, OF. II not that, some effect on
his own mind OF those memories he
was more anxious 10 see mirrored in
Snother's discontinue than in his
own
Was It to escape any lack Of col
cenTation which these same memo
ries might bring, that he rose and
stepped TO the window? Or was /.
under one Of those involuntary i'm
pulses which move US in spite Of our
selves to do the very thing our judg.
ment disapproves?
No sooner had he approached the
sill than Mr. Brotherson's shade few
way up and he, too, looked out Their
glances met, and for an instant the
hardy detective experienced that IN
voluntary stagnation OF the blood
which follows an inner shock. He
felt that he had been recognized. The
moonlight lay full upon his face, and
the other had seen and known him.
Else, why the constrained attitude
and sudden rtgidity observable In this
confronting figure, with it's partially
lifted hAnd7 A man like Brotherson
makes no pause in any action however
trivial, without q reason Either he
had been tFanshxed by this glimpse of
his enemy on watch, or-darinE
thought had seen enough Of sepul-
chral suggestion In the wan face
looking forth from this fatal window
TO shake him from his composure and
lee loose the grinning devil of remorse
from tts iron prison-houEe? II SO. the
movement was a memorable one. and
the hazard quite worth while. He had
gained-noi he had gained nothing.
He had been the fool of his own
wishes. No one. let alone Brother.
son, could have mistaken his face for
that OF q woman. He had forgotten
bis newlJ-Erown beard. Some other
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