The Dermott news., 1916-07-27

"Why Did You Come Here7" was no answer She became quite ex cited about it-and persisted. Sud denly a bored voice broke in:
 Number. please?'
 You cut me offi' June answered sharply.
 What number were you talking to-"
 T don't know. They called me"
 If l can locate the party. I'll cal you again Hang up, please"
 oh bother!"
 June put the received back on the hook and turned to Gordon.
 The reason I'm so put out and irrt tated about it. she explained, lis be cause l thought 1t sounded like my nurses voice It was so like hers as though she were terribly fright ened! It couldn't have been. though she added meditatively. She didn't know 1 was coming here-I didn't want her to. And she hadn't any reason to she'd avoid him. l suppose 1t was only my imagination.
 At the Travis house Mary shranh away from the telephone and covered her face with her hands in terror June at Lamar's officei Why? And secretly, too. Horrors were piling up
 It had been a wild, unreasoning fear that drew her to the telephone to communicate with Lamar A sense of desperation and complete helpless ness. She knew, as soon as the cen tral repeated the number after her. that she had done a foolish thing. And then Juno had answered.
 Mary crept to the foot of the stair way leading up to the attic and lis tened. She thought she heard a slow, measured breathing. Then the sound If something heavy being dragged ovei the floor made her fly to her own room in instant terror.
 There, sitting erect and tense in the comfortable old chair where she wal accustomed to take her afternoon nap she went over the happenings of the past hour
 Hour! Had 1t been only an houri It was incredible to suppose that so much disaster could accumulate iD sixty short minutes. She looked at the little silver boudoir clock, one O. Junes gifts. Just an hour since, shs had looked from the window to see Yama coming up the walk. carrying his suitcase.
 Only an hour since he had put the grip on the front porch and handed her the key to Junes big trunk Mary ticked off the dreadful events in a sor, of morbid tabulation-the events that had followed.
 When she had gone Into June's room to get the rest of the unpacking fin ished Yama had followed her closely. His face must have been unnaturally ghastly at the time. She had not no. ticed until afterward, when it's pallor was hideous
 Then the trunk, A slight difficulty in opening it. on account of the key sticking-the lid flying up suddenly, and squat ugly, grinning face. with cracked lips parted over ugly snags of teeth, showed close to her own!
 Mary now caught her reflection in the mirror over the bureau of her room. There were blue hollows around her eyes and pinched, starved look clung about her nostrils.
 Smiling Sam's" threat rang in her ears.
 Thought you'd shake me, eh? We'll, you've got to hide me now, or by -, Ill-"
 She had hidden him - aided by Yama-the coward who had made this fearsome situation possible. Together they had urged Sam up the steps into the attic. He had gone, snarling at them, mouthing gutter oaths and dire threats. Just before he had closed tho attic door he had hourished . knife with a menacing gesture. It was an indelible warning to Mary. as she sat alone. recalling the scene.
 Suddenly. with . smothered scream. the old woman jumped to her feet and caught at the edge of the bureau to keep from falling. Upstairs from the attic there was . crash that shook tho walls of the room. then . stinsd moan!
 (END OF TENTH rNsTALLMENT ,