The Washington herald., 1916-10-01

the night he heard somebody try
softly to open the door leading into
the suite from the hallway outside
Harold remembered he had bolted it,
not wishing to be disturbed by any
chance visitor before F1orence's ar
rival. He turned to cross the room
and open the door, on the chance that
the newcomer was Florence. Then he
changed his purpose before he had
taken a step.
For, although he could not see the
entire sidewalk beneath him, yet he
had an uninterrupted view of the
street itself from curb to curb. He
had been staring down at it for sew
eral minutes. And no taxicab had
driven up.
Nor, he reflected, would Florence
have tried to open the door without
first knocking. And, an ordinary Wis
itor, even failing to knock at once,
would have done so on finding the
door fastened shut. But there was
no knock; and the soft pressure on
the knob was not repeated.
Harold, still hidden in the curtain
masked embrasure Of the window
Cedure. He was about to step out OF
his tmpromptu hiding place and go
out into the hall to investigate, when
the same muffled sound was re-
peated. This time not from the door,
but from the skylight above the
studio room.
Even as he looked, one Of the two
succeeded in prying loose the sky
lights catch. Gradually and with al
most no noise, the catch was pushed
back and the skylight itself was
lifted.
Then, by the light from the room
itself. Harold had a clearer view OF
the two intruders. He stared in dull
amaze. For, both of them were
strouded in long black domino-cloaks
and both wore masks.
NoiselessIy, the two shrouded fig
ures lowered themselves over the
skylight-edge and dropped lightly
down into the room. One of them
stood there, crouched as If for a
spring. The other sped through the
adjoining rooms Of the suite; pres
emily returning to his companion.
mo one here" he whispered, Stan
ley must have gotten tired Of waiting
and gone"
And if the Montrose girl comes
here" asked the first.
"She won't. That is arranged.
am going to wait for her downstairs.
Be listening. And when I whistle
Join me down there without keeping
me waiting. 1t must be touch-and-
go. And the old deserted house Is
full hours run from here"
He pushed back the bolt, glided
out of the room and closed the door
behind him.
AS he did so, Harold Stanley sprang
forward from his hiding place and
launched himself bodily upon the man.
Even as he switched off the light
the man in the domino had a fleeting
glimpse of his charging assailant, and
wheeled to meet him.
Blindly, murderously they fought
in the enveloping darkness, overturn-
ing tables and chairs in their course.
Once Harold felt the razor-edge of
a knife blade Craze his cheek. And
he knew he was fighting with an
armed and desperate man. Seeking
to seize the knife arm, he ran in.
His foot slipped on the polished
floor, caught in the meshes Of a dis
arranged rug, and he threw out his
arms wildly in an effort to recover
his balance. Before he could regain
his footing a blow on the law
stretched him at full length. His foe
bounded ferociously upon the dazed
and prostrated Stanley.
Two minutes later the shr1lI sound
Of a whistle from far below echoed
through the room. The masked man
in the black domino ran out Of the
suite and downstairs, like a dog at It's
masters call. Within ten seconds he
was at his masked companion's stds
in the darkened lower doorway Of the
building.
A taxi halted in front Of the door,
Florence Montrose got out and
crossed to the doorway. A minute
after she entered the building a man
stepped out Of the vestibule and I'D
to the taxi.
THE lady sent me out to say she
won't want you any more" he told
the chauffeur. Here's a i've SPOT
for you. Forget the change"
The taxi chugged off, At once a
second taxicab took its place at the
curb.
Florence Montrose, climbing to
Clayton's studio, knocked for admit