Evening star., 1916-06-04

i III NOT HlucIl dlTdlu vi tlc lToHl uOoT.
That's strong spring lock. But there's
the kitchen door and window. They're
putting up new building on the further
side of the block, you know-back there
on Dacia Street. A man could come in
through the skeleton of the new building,
and so into the little court and to our back
door. I'll have TO see to that he medi-
tated aloud. "Of course you mustn't let
a strange man into the house on any
account
In this way came, so to speak, into the
affair; and | saw at once that Costello let
the landlady and her daughter know
was in it, Neither of them ever men
toned the subject to me then or at any
later time; but in their dark eyes, their
low voices, their whole manner toward
me there was subtle acknowledgment
of me as friend ESPECIALLY on the
daughters part.
She glided about the little house, pale
as when | first saw her at the door, and
very nervous as one could see by the
swift turn of the head and widening of the
eyes when she heard any noise. She was
only girl-a little past eighteen; graceful
and lovely, with gracious lips meant for
SIIllles, anu clolucut eyes WHtIt soIIlctHlIlS
other than terror should have lived. |
didn't care to try imagining what she had
lived through this last year-that made
Costello say, "He has killed my dove"
and sigh.
I NOTED the details of Costellos de
fensive strategy. The front door of the
little house and the tiny vestibule and the
inner door We're painted black. In the in
ner door was a long panel of Opaque loaded
glass. Costello broke out one of the little
loaded panes in the glass panel, perhaps
two feet and IA half above the floor. He
kept the electric light in the ceiling of the
tiny vestbule burning of evenings, while
the light in the hall was turned out. Thus,
If a summons came at the door either by
day or night, one on the inside, by squat,
ting and applying his eye where the little
pane was broken out, could see who stood
in the light vestibule.
walked around to Dacia Street on the
farther side of the block, and saw at once
what he meant by his reference to that.
The block was solidly built up on all four
sides without an alley in the regular New
York fashion. So there was no access
w WIG Souit S\'SPt pS SoilS lHIouSl
building. Now, however, one of the
buildings on Dacia Street had been torn
down. A new structure was going up in
its place. SO from Dacia Street one could
walk through the skeleton of the new
structure through the court, and to our
back door. ! supposed Costello had put
bars on the kitchen window and stouter
lock on the door, but | didn't ask or at
tempt to see.
Indeed, couldn't take the situation as
seriously as he did. When looked around
our dull little house, or along our shabby,
commonplace street, really couldn't i'm
agine Tragedy leaping up in there, furious
eyed and rcd-handed. | felt pretty con-
tident nothing would happen.
Days went by, and nothing did happen
Once, going downstairs, saw Blanche
in Costellos sitting-room. kneeling beside
his chair, her face in her hands bur
led on his knee. One of his hands rested
on her head; the other twisted his mus
tache; and there was the frowning, per-
picked line down his forehead Sad, of
course, and poignant; but she was safe