Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-07

restaurant on the ground floor was
dark, but a lighted window here and
there on the floors above indicated
that some of the tenants were work
ing late. 1t was therefore fairly safe
to presume that the entrance door.
tho closed, was unlocked. The Hawk
crossed the street unconcernedly, and
tried the door. 1t opened under his
hand-but noiseleSsly, and to the eX-
tent only of a bare inch, in view OF
the possibility of a janitor being
somewhere about. Detecting no
sound from within, however. the
Hawk pushed the door little further
open, and was confronted with dim
ly lighted vestibule,. and a long, still
more dimly lighted corridor beyond.
There was no one in sight. He slipped
inside--and, quick and silent now in
his movements, darted across the
vestibule and into the corridor.
Hallway along the corridor, he
halted before door, on whose glass
panel he could just make out the
words Isaac kirschell,' and, beneath
the name, in smaller letters. the in
timation that the entrance was next
door. The Hawks decision was taken
in the time it required TO produce
| from his pocket u key-ring equipped
with an extensive assortment of skel-
eton keys. If by any chance he
should be disturbed and had entered
| by the designated office door, his
! escape would be cut off; if, on the
other hand, he entered by this unused
! LOFT n hal m
| he would still be quite comfortably
| the master of the situation in almost
any emergency.
| The door seemed to offer unusual
difficulties. Even when unlocked, it
stuck. The Hawk worked ut it by the
sense of touch alone. his eyes busy
with sharp glances up and down the
corridor. Finally, succeeding in open
| ing 1t a little way, it was only to find
| it blocked. by some obstruction with
in. He scowled. A desk, probably,
close against it! The door was Ger
tainly never used. He would have to
enter by the other one, after all. and
mo! He had reached his arm in
side. 1t was only a coat stand, or
something of the sort. He lifted 1T
aside, stepped In, and closed the door
| behind him.
| The Hawks flashlight--not the di-
minutive little affair that had served
| him for his notebool-began to circle
his surroundings inquisitively. He
was in a small, plainly furnished pri-
vate office. There was a desk, two
chairs and filing cabinet. Also
| there were two doors. The Hawk
opened the one at his left. and peered
out. 1t gave on what was presumab-
ly the general office: and ut the up
per end was partition with the
name. Mr.. Kirschell." upon the door.
He looked at the panel of the door
he had just opened. 1t bore no name
This belongs to Kirschell's secre-
tary probably" he decided. 1.-The
other door from here opens, of course.
into Kirschells private office. Won
der what Mr.. Isaac Kirschells busi-
ness is?"
/ He closed the door leading into the
outer office, and moved across the
room to the second door that already
stood wide open, and almost directly
| faced what he had taken for granted
was the secretary's desk. Mr.. Kir-
schells sanctum was somewhat more
deliberately furnished. Apart from a
rather expensive flat-topped desk In
the center Of the room, there was
massive safe, new and of modern de-
sign, heavy rug upon the floor, and
several very comfortable leather up
holstered chairs. A washstand, the
metal taps highly polished. and ma
hogany towel rack occupied the far
corner. The Hawk inspected the safe
with the eye Of connoisseur,
scowled unhappily by way of express
ing his opinion of it. and turned to
the desk. He opened a drawer, and
picked up sheet of business station
cry. The letterhead read: