Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-04-30
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! reached the corner in time TO see
the van turn n%orthwnrd into Sixth av-
enue. At Sixteenth street it turned
westward again. and then n%orthward
into Seventh avenue.
What could Armand be doing in this
part of the town? | asked myself. Did
he propose to leave that priceless cab
met in this dingy quarter? And then
| paused abruptly and slipped into an
archway. for the a had stopped some
distance ahead and was hacking up to
the curb.
Looking out discreetly. | saw the cab
containing Armand stop also. and that
gentleman alighted and paid the driv-
er. The other cab ratified ON Mt a
good pace and disappeared up the ave
nut. Then the two porterS lifted out
the cabinet and. with Armand show
ing them the way. carried it into the
building before which the van had
stopped.
They were gone perhaps five min
utes. from which | argued that they
were carrying it upstairs; then they
%reappeared. with Armand accompany
ing them. He tipped them and went
out also to tip the driver of the van.
Then the porters climbed aboard. and
it ratified away out OF sight. Armand
stood for Il moment on the step. look
ing up and down the venue. then dis
appeared indoors.
An instant later | saw Godfrey and
another man whom I recognized as
SimmondS come out of a shop across
the street and dash i've to the house
into which the cabinet had been taken.
They were standing on the doorstep
when l joined them.
1t a Il dingy building. entirely
typical Of the dingy neighborhood. The
ground floor was occupied by a laun-
dry which the sign on the front Win
dow declared to be French. and the
room which the window lighted ex-
tended the whole width of the build
ing except for Il door which opened
presumably on the stairway leading
to the upper stories.
Godfrey's face vas flaming with ex-
element as he turned the knob of this
door ge%ntly-gently. The door was
locked. He stopped and applied an eye
to the keyhole.
THE key is in the lock-" he whis-
pered.
Simmonds took from his pocket q
pair Of slender pliers and passed them
over.
Godfrey inserted the pliers in the
keyhole, grasped the end of the key
and turned it slowly.
Now" he said. softly opened the
door and slipped inside. | followed.
and Simmonds came after me like a
shadow. closing the door carefully be-
hind him.
Then we all stopped. and my heart.
at least. was in my mouth. for from
somewhere overhead came the sound
of a mans voice talking excitedly.
Even in the seimdarkness I could
see the look Of establishment and alarm
on Godfrey's face as he stood for q
voice. l also stood with ears a-strain.
but | could make nothing Of what it
was saying. Then suddenly 1 realized
that it was speaking in French. And
yet it was not Armand's voice-of that
l was certain.
Fronting us was a narrow stair
mounting steeply to the story over-
head. and after that moments amazed
hesitation Godfrey sat down on the
bottom step and removed his shoes
quietly. m%otioning us to do the same.
Simmonds obeyed phlegmatically. but
my hands were trembling.
When l looked up Godfrey and Sim
monds were stealing slowly up the
stair, revolver in hand. followed
them. but | confess my knees were
knocking together. for there was some
thing weird and chilling in that voice
going on and on. 1t sounded like the
voice of a mailman. There was some
thing about it at once ferocious and
triumphant.
Godfrey paused an instant at the
stair head. listening intently. Then
he moved cautiously forward toward
an open door. from which the voice
seemed to come. motioning us at the
same time to stay where we were.
And as l knelt. bathed in p%erspiration,
I caught one word, repeated over and
over:
Revenge. revenge. revenge"