Bisbee daily review., 1914-11-18

than 10 was TO look away. SO ne con-
tinued to watch him, albeit but hazily
conscious OF the fact because his
thoughts were occupied with matters
OF vastly more importance to himself.
That is to say, at the time he fancied
they were of more Importance; subse-
quently his opinions on this score I'M
derwent a decided change.
Only a few seconds later, in truth,
he regretted that he had not given the
man more Of his attention-suffcient
at least, to recall something Of his
appearance. But even at that he
never dreamed how nearly the cpl
sode affected himself at the moment,
nor did he have any premonition Of the
extraordinary events that were to en-
sue in the immediate future.
The man was walking with a certain
halting. indefinite slowness, the while
he studied the house numbers, as II
in search Of a particular one.
All at once he stopped stock-still.
Van Vechten, as Il CHANGED, failed to
observe this. for his eyelids, heavy
with loss of sleep. chose this precise
second to curtain the scene. Nothing
had yet occurred to prick his curiosity,
His lids dropped only for an instant
to be sure; but within that brief space
the strange mans bearing, had sud
denly altered He had thrown of his
irresolution, and had gone quickly UP
the steps Of the house directly oppo.
site. Van Vechten opened his eyes
only just in time to see him disap.
pearing through the doorway, and the
door itself swing shut.
The Silent House! The House Of
Mystery! The house wherein nobody
had even been seen to enter!
There was no mistaking the fact
that Van Vechten was galvanized into
an alertness which. had il been almost
anybody else under the same condi-
tons, would have amounted to excite
ment
"Say!" he demanded OF himself I'M
der his breath is this a pipe-dream?
Or did somebody really go into that
house?" And after a reflective pause:
mo wasn't asleep" he deliberate
ly settled the unwonted occurrence in
his mind; 81 saw the chap coming
along the walk. Let's see-what did
he look like? What was he doing?
What the dickens does It mean, any
how?"
There was nothing or nobody to an
swer these puzzled inquiries. He was
! convinced that he had remained
awake, although drifting along the Dor
derland Of slumber, because he dis
tinctly recalled having heard the clock
in the hall strike nine. He glanced at
his watch. Yes. only nine. so he
could not have been asleep. even for
a second
All Of which may seem a Ridiculous
ly trivial matter to be the occasion Of
so much concern; but anybody. &C
| quainted with the circumstances
| would not have thought so.
To begin with, there was something
| positively repellent in the very appear
ance Of the house across the way
! Even the number on the fanlight-by
pure accident, 1913, for It was an old
old number and not the true one at
all-was doubly and reiteratively IN
inviting to persons owning sups st.
! tious weaknesses. And who Of rs q
some extent, does not? Erected in tine
days when high, narrow brownstone
! fronts were accepted as the hallmark
! of afiiuence, II still successfully re
sisted the Entertainments Of improve.
ment which otherwise modernized and
beautihed the thoroughfare.
At the time the Powhatan Club
moved into its new quarters Number
1913 was vacant, and had remained so
up 10 something like three months
prior to the opening OF this story
that Is to say. not quite two years
How long previously 10 that it had
stood empty no club member could
say. During all the period within their
knowledge its begrimed facade had
been an eyesore and an object OF exc
Grafton; somber and brooding, it was a
sort OF memento mort TO the idlerH
behind the big plate glass windows OF
the lounglng-rOom. a silent but per
petual Tebuke TO the folly OF their
lives: which attribute had more than
] once called forth a passionately resent
. full TRADE from some member who had
been unlucky at cards. or had con
. sumed too much alcohol the night be
fore
Then one afternoon the club was
electrified. Tom Phinney had beer
staring unseeingly into the street FOL
some minutes. II struck him all al
once that the windows and the from
door across the way we're no Longer
boarded, and that all the windows
wore blinds; the red stone steps, how
ever, showed no indication OF having
been recently cleaned.
} Il say, fellows" he abrutly sang out
{ -thirteen-thirteen's occupied"
) There was a concerted movement
D .oward the clubs window; everybody
+ present left on whatever he happened
: o be doing at the moment and stool
! hlently gaping at the gloomy front.
Blinds close-drawn," somebod!