New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1921-09-21
CHAPTER III.
Coming of Dawn.

so family, objects just took shape in
| the gloom, coming foggily out of the
| inky blackness that had been, even
| ten minutes ago. Down the corridor
n door creaked, and for a minute or
more after the creak the still was
even more pronounced.
| In the wide doorway of the dusky
place an indefinite. strange figure ap-
peared and stopped. 1t wore slippers,
several sizes too large. 1t wore a
bathrobe of gray, SO long that its
owner held it up from the floor to
avoid triI ing. Past Anthony's door
ii went and past Johnson Boilers
without a sound, without a slip-stop-
ped to listen again, and then scuffed
on toward the far corner, where
stood the little telephone table.
Suddenly visible shock ran
through the stealthy figure at the
telephone. The trembling ceased
abruptly and the figure stiffened,
hand about the transmitter. Thrice
it whispered shriIly. nodding des-
perately at the uncomprehending in
strument; and at last the listener at
the other end seemed to understand,
for the figure pressed lips even closer
and spoke swiftly.
A full two minutes of sharp whisp-
ering and ii waited-listened and
nodded animatedly-spoke again.
enunciating each word clearly and
still so softly that one across the
living could not have heard.
Without the suggestion of a click.
the receiver was returned to its hook.
The figure rose cautiously and peered
all about. through the shadows, get
ting its bearings once more. With
AMI III ID -t1r--
ious way between chairs and little
tables. divans and cases and pedestals.
until it came safely to the corridor.
There IL paused for an instant, and
in the gloom the faintest, excited gig
gle issued from beside the curtains.
At the end of the corridor David
Prentiss' door closed and utter still
ness rested upon the apartment again.
1t was daylight-had been daylight
for some time, apparently. because an
carly sun was reflected from the high |
building on the other side of the |
street. Johnson Boiler stretched and |,
snarled; he had had a wretched night |
of it. He was ugly as sin. too. and |
almost, at once he found his ugliness |
focusing IN young David Prentiss |
Then Boiler suddenly sat up.
That was certainly wilkins voice, |
raised in horror-ah, and wilkins was |
hurrying, too. And now the oldest |
babel of voices had risen, with Will |
kins thrusting in an incoherent word |
here and there-and now the voices |
were growing fainter, all of a sud- |
den, and he could hear Anthony Fry
stirring in the next room. |
Something new had happened! |
Johnson Boiler. swinging out of bed, |
damned his feet into his slippers and |
ot@h hi hat ha R.y
time he had opened the door and |
stepped into the living-room the little |
excitement seemed to have quieted |
down again. Anthony, bath-robed |
also, was Just issuing from his bed |
room.
''wi1kins!" Anthony Fry all but |
gasped. as his servitor appeared in |
the doorway. What under the suns |
the NATTER" |
''The-the woman, sir! The wom-
an that's come to see him."
Whats wrong with you, wilkins?
What woman came?" |
"A young French woman, 1
should judge, sir" wilkins stam-
mered. she came to the door, here. |
getting past the office I don't know |
how. At any rate. she came. sir. and |
said some gibberish about Mr.. David |
Prentiss. and with that she was past |
me and inside. Mr.. Fry"
Where is she now"
We'll. she-she's in his bedroom,
sir. wilkins stated. The young chap
came flying out like a mailman. Mr..
Fry. and threw his arms around her. |
speaking French as / suppose. And
she-she threw her arms around Mr.. |
Prentiss, sir. and with that they
we'll. they're in there now, sir
L.
sands of bachelors who would mere |
ly have grinned interestedly at the
news: Anthony. being impeccable and
q genuine woman-hater at heart, was
not of these thousands. Hence, even
his lean and aristocratic cheeks were
white as he ratified at the knob of
David's door.
He had expected to find it locked, |
and in that he was disappointed. The |
door gave quite readily, admitting
Anthony and Johnson Boiler as we'll
and for n matter of seconds they
stood transfixed before the picture
Beyond question the woman was
there!
She was little and very dark. de-
cidedly pretty. for that matter, and
obviously fond of David Prentiss: she
sat at David's side on the edge of
the bed and her arms were about
David-while young Mr.. Prentiss
himself held her fast and seemed in
a high state of excitement.
"wel1?" Anthony Fry said slowly,
and his voice was terrible thing
to hear.
"well?" David said family.
''This-this woman is a friend of
yours?" asked Anthony.
One of the-best friends I have"
David faltered.
How does she come to be here?"
"I-sent for her" David confessed.
II telephoned and--"
'All right. Tfst's enough" An