Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-25

was now near the top of the buttressed
wing of the keep.
Breathing in deep gasps the keen night
air Renwick waited, listening. and now
heard again from outside the thunderous
reverberations of the battle at the head
of the pass.
He had been so intent upon his mis-
sion that he had forgotten IL Prt now
the furious character of the engage
ment was obvious 1t was far distant.
perhaps four or five miles away, and
yet the wild heavens were aglow with
strange flashing fires. the reflections of
the bombs and star-shells which pated
the Intellectual lights of the armament.
Battle Schloss Szolnok. too. should see
battle-his own with Goritz. But Rem
wick would take no chances this time.
The heavy reverberations rose and
died away. but fainter spatter OF
sounds continued the deadly counter
melody of machine-gun and rifle which
went on without intermission. Far be-
road along the Dukla. he heard the clat-
ter of transport and the calls of men.
All of this Renwick's mind assimi-
lated in his moment of rest and re-
clearly defined by the flashes in the
heavens. his searching glances made out
the uprights of another door. Here. per-
haps-- He bent forward, listening at
its cracks. and then knelt, searching for
latch or keyhole. Nothing. But as he
turned his back to the loQphole, shut
ting out the starlight. he imagined that
he saw something white upon the stone
tagging. He leaned forward to pick it
up and found that his fingers were softly
illuminated. The spot was the reflection
of dim light within the room. He put
his face close to the floor and found the
aperture. small hole of irregular shape
in the Dashboard of the door. A candle,
Some one. then, was within? He put his
! ear to the chink and listened. 4 muffied
sound, faint. but agonizngly definite,
a woman's sohs Renwick Strengthened
and then listened again. ~Silence. Per-
haps he had been mistaken. No. There
il was again-fainter now. He ran his
fingers softly along the edges of the
woodwork, seeking latch handle, but
spring, it was so deftly hidden that he
could not discover 1t. But in the brief
moments of his search he had decided
that he must enter this room. at all
costs. And so rising to his feet. he gave
up trying to find the secret of admit
tance and slowly put his weight against
the woodwork. 1t made no sound nor
yielded to his pressure. He tried it again
with the same results. Then despairing,
and desperate. he struck match and
ran it quickly along the jamb5 The
hinges were concealed, but he found
signs of them at the right. To the left.
then-anOther match-a handle. knob
where? And then just as the third
match went out he found it-a fiat. iron
| lever which moved around swivel, cum
ningly let into the WoOdWork. he caught
it quickly in his fingers, twisted it down,
and then, automatic in hand. he pushed
the door which opened and swung in
ward upon it's hinges.
Renwick waited for moment in the
doorway, pistol in hand. blinking at the
candle upon the table, like a cat emerg-
ing from cellar. searching the vast
room for its occupant. A huge room
with wainscoted walls, with heavy hang
ings at the windows, massive furniture,
high canopied bed
He took few steps forward into
the room, for figure clothed in soft
white had started up from the bed was
staring at him with startled eyes-Ma-
rishka