United labor bulletin., 1914-01-31
BOOK II.
cHAPTeR Ix-cen,Inued.

"Humph, Shouldn't think Flint
would have been that careless was
his Immediate conclusion. II did not
occur TO him that somebody already
might be within. but contcnted himself
with the belief that the detective had
neglected to make fast the door after
his visit Sunday afternoon.
Settling the Incident thus to his own
satisfaction. he entered and closed the
door behind him.
He glimpsed into the kitchen. and
promptly withdrew with shudder. on
on one side a huge range stood. red
With rpst. and everywhere were cob
webs and layer upon layer OF dirt A
sleek rat darted into the denser shAd-
oN'E. and the opening door disturbed
hundreds OF enormous cockroaches
Some seutiied away. but others re
mained motionlcsa and watched him
with malignant eyes that sparkled
weirdly In the half.light
He shook OF his feeling and ad-
vanccd TOWARD the stairs. which
doomed dimly before him But thence
forward he moved with utmost circum-
spection. pausing frequently at some
imagined sound. or to determine the
nature OF some-shape Unexpectedly
confronting him in n darker corner
And scarcely had he arrived at the
FIRST floor than his strained attentive
ness was rewarded by sound that
~ss unmistakablc-ons that brought
him up short-a sound OF human
voices. A distinctly unpleasant ting.
ling sensation played over his scalp
and at the back of his neck. The tenn.
porary alarm. however. instantly van.
ished. and instead he was iiled with
wonder and curiosity at this unlocked
for exploration.
Who could have chosen n spot SO
dcsolate and God-forsaken In which to
carry on copvcrsationg
He recalled tho unla,ched door:
manifestly whoever was inside with
him had entered by means of a key.
precisely as he had been equipped to
do. and had neglected 10 fastcn the
door after them. Al any rate, the mat
ter was worth Investigating: then. n
he saw that he was an intruder. he
would quietly withdraw.
When they first Liartlcd him the
voices were SO low that he was unable
TO determine anything about them
how many were talking. or In what
portion OF the house the speakers
were. Then OF n sudden he received
fresh shock of surprise. Ono OF the
voices rose In note of anger.
II was n woman's--nay, a girls.
And now he was able to locate the
source OF the sounds. They came from
somewhere In the second story and To-
ward the rear OF the house. With In.
finite caution. no crept up the front
stairway to the upper hall.
The voices sounded necessarily. fret
a mans. hoarse and rumbiing. then
tho girls. then sometimes both to-
gethcr. Van vechten paused at real
ixation that the two were quarreiinE
and that the girls voice was quivering
with intense Indignation.
He advanced more rapidly. md pres
entity came to a halt before a closed
door. on the farther side OF which the
two disputants without doubt were en-
gagged. And then perforce he became
an cavesdropper.
go. go. goi" cried the feminine
voice. shrill with evaporation and
anger. Il tell you. will not stand
this annoyance. Whatever In the
world possessed you to follow me
can't imagine. 0o-get out Of my
eight. don't want to hear word you
have to sayi"
At the next words Van vechtsn
started 20 violently that. had the un-
seen couple been less absorbed IN