Mexico Missouri message., 1914-04-09
BOOK Il.
CHAPTER Ix.-contInued

-Humphi 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 contented himself
with the belief that the detective had
neglected 70 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 huge range stood. red
with ruet, and everywhere we're cob
webs and layer upon layer OF dirt. A
sleek rat darted into the denser shad-
pws, and the opening door disturbed
hundreds of enormous cockroaches.
Some scuttled away, but others re-
manned motionless and watched him
with malignant eyes that sparkled
wcirdly In the halflight
He shook of his feeling and ad.
vanced toward the stairs, which
doomed dimly before him. But thence
forward he moved with utmost circum-
sDection, pausing frequently at some
imagined sound. or to determine the
mature OF some shape Unexpectedly
confronting him In q darker corner
And scarcely had he arrived at the
nrst floor than his strained attentive
ness was rewarded by q sound that
was unmistakable--one tina. 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 TEN.
porary alarm, however, instantly van.
ished, and instead he was filled with
wonder and curiosity at this unlocked.
for exploration.
Who could have chosen a spot SO
desolate and God-torsaken in which tc
carry on a conversation?
He recalled the Unmatched door;
nanifestly whoever was inside with
him had entered By means OF a key
precisely as he had been equipped tc
do. and had neglected TO fasten tbs
door after them. At any rate. the mat
ter was worth investigating; then, 4
he saw that he was an intruder, b,
"OuAu quietly "lNuOTd".
When they first startled him IN,
voices were so low that he was unabl,
to determine anything about them
how many were talking, or In wha
portion OF the house the speaker
were. Then Of sudden he receive,
fresh shock OF surprise. One of tn
voices rose In note of anger.
1t wac a woman's-nay, a girls.
And now he was able TO locate tn
source OF the sounds. They came fror
somewhere In the second story and &C
ward the rear OF the house With II
finite caution, he crept up the iron
stairway TO the upper hall.
The voices sounded necessarily. fire
mans, hoarse and rumbling, the
the girls, then sometimes both Il
gether. Van Vechten paused at a rea
ization that the two were quarrelin
and that the girls voice was quiverin
with intense indignation.
He advanced more rapidly, and pre-
emily came TO a halt before a close
door, on the farther side OF which II
two disputants without doubt we're e
gagged. And then perforce he BEGAN
an eavesdropper.
60, go, go!" cried the feminiI
voice, shrill with evaporation al
anger, Il tell you, will not star
this annoyance. Whatever In Il
world possessed you 10 follow me
can't imagine. Go-get out OF n
sight. don't want to hear word "
have to say!"
At tks next words Van Vecht,
started 90 violently thaA had the U
s~sn teupie been less absorbed