Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-05

somewhat annoyed to find on looking
over my shoulder TO make sure OF her
destination that she, too. had paused.
her hand on Miss Octavia's door, and
was watching me with interest She
vanished Immediately, but to throw
her of the track l went to my own
room, closed the door noisily and then .
came out quickly and ran up to the .
third floor.
Bsssfond HOLSTERS mysterious exit
had fingered in my mind as the most
curious incident of the eventfui Friday
night Having been bafHed in my eff |
fort to get hold Of the architects
plans my thought now was 10 await |
in the upper part OF the house a rope
tition Of the various phenomena that
had so puzzled me. By the process OF
exclusion l had eliminated nearly ev-
cry plausible theory, bat II the ghost
manifested himself with any sort OF
periodicity land the hour Of the Chin
ney's queer behavior had been mue)
was now prepared ts meet him In the
regions he had chosen for his eIploits-
l had a pretty accurate knowledge
ton of all the electric switches be-
tween the lower hail and the fourth
floor, but tested them as assembled,
glancing down now and then to make
sure / was not observed. From the
sound of voices in the library judged
that most Of Cecilia's suitors must now
have arrived, and so much the better.
l argued, for. with Miss Octavia and
her niece fully occupied. l could the
better carry on my ghost hunt above
stairs.
At q quarter before 1 switched of
the lights on the third and fourth
floors and Established myself at the
head OF the stairway and quite near
the trunk room door. This door / had
opened, as l fancied that II Bassford
HOLSTER were at the bottom of tbs
business he would probably wish TO
find his way 70 the roof again. So far
as ! was able to manage it the stage
was in readiness for the entrance of
the goblin.
The clock below struck 8. and al.
most upon the last stroke l heard
sound that set my nerves tngling. l
crouched in the dark. waiting. Some
one was coming toward me, but from
where? The bottom OF a well at mid
night was not hlacker than the fourth
floor but the switch lay ready to my
hand and my pockets were stuffed with
matches Of the sort that light any
where. The stairways We're all carpet
ed. rs | have said. and vet some one
was ascending bare treads. lightly and
with delays that suggested furtive
purpose. Meanwhile. as a background
FOR this unreaIity. murmurs Of Talk and
. occasional laughter rose from the IL
brary.
This concealed stairway, wherever IL
/ was. could not be Of interl?inab BILE
length. and had counted. | think, IF
teen steps Of that strange ascent when
it ceased. l heard a fumbliCS as OF
some one seeking n latch. and sudden
Iy light current of air swept by me,
but its clean fresh quality was not in
itself disturbing. / STOPPED and struck
q match smsTtIy On !he carpet and at
the same time clicked the switch.
should say that not more than ten Sec
Ouds passed from the moment the soft
rush OF air had first advertised the
opening Of passage near me .ntil the
hall was flooded with the glow Of the
electric lamps overheard. My match
had also performed its Office. but. find
ing the electric current behaving itself
normally. | blew it out what l saw
now interested me immensely.
Ia the solid wall near the stair and
almost directly opposite the trunk room
q narrow door Lad swung oUtward-a
neat contrivance, so light in its con
struction that it still swayPd on its
concealed hinges from the touch of the
hand that had released it. How it had
opened or what had become Of the
prowier who Ind Unmatched It remain
ed to be discovered. 1t seemed impOs.
sible that whoever or whatever had
climbed the hidden stairway had de-
sCended. nor had | been conscious OF
ghostly passing as on the previous
night. | had only my senses TO apply
10 this problem, and their efficiency
was minimized for moment by fear.