The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-07-02
BOOK H..
CHAPTER discontinued.

"Humph! Shouldn't think Flint
would have been that careless" was
his immediate conclusion. 1t did not
occur TO him that somebody already
might be within, but contented 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 a shudder. OF
on one side a huge range stood. red
with rust, and everywhere were cob
webs and layer upon layer of dirt. A
sleek rat darted into the denser shad-
ows, and the opening door disturbed
hundreds OF m cockroaches
Some scuttled away, but others re.
manned motionless and watched him
with malignant eyes that sparkled
lweirdly In the halfl!ght.
He shook of his feeling and adj
vanced toward the stairs, which
doomed dimly before him. But thence
Forward he moved with utmost clrcum-
%6pection, pausing frequently at some
Imagined sound. or to determine the
nature OF some shape Unexpectedly
confronting him In a darker corner.
And scarcely had he arrived at the
first floor than his strained attentive
ness was rewarded by a sound that
was unmistakable-one that brought
him nm Ghnrf-n cnund - 5000
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 filed with
wonder and curiosity at this unlocked
for exploration.
Who could have chosen a SPOT SO
desolate and God-forsaken Ia which to
carry or a Conversation
lie recalled the Unattached door;
lmanifestly whoever was inside with
him had entered by mean OF a key.
precisely as he had been equip d 10
do. and had neglected to fasten the
door after them. At any rate, the mat.
ter was worth Investigating; then, II
he saw that he was an intruder. he
would quietly withdraw,
When they first startled 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 a sudden he received
"a fresh shock OF surprise. One of the
voices rose IN a note of anger.
1t was a 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.
'fnite caution, he crept up the front
stairway to the upper hall.
The voices sounded necessarily. first
ia mans. hoarse and rumbling. then
the gi-ls. then sometimes both to.
Igether. Van vechten paused at a real
liSation that the two we're quarreling
and that the girls voice was quivering
with intense indignation.
He advanced more rapidly. and pres
Iently came to q halt before a closed
door, on the farther side of which the
two disputants without doubt were en-
gagged. And then perforce he became
ian eavesdropper.
go. go. go!" cried the feminine
Voice. shrill with evaporation and
langer. II tell you. ! will not stand
this annoyance. Whatever In the
word possessed you to follow me I
cant imagine. Go-get out OF my
sight. I don't want to hear a word you
have to say!"
At the next words Van vechtsn
started 80 violently that. had the un-
lssan soupls been Less absorbed in