The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-03-09
(Continued from last issue)

he started anu SIFdlSntcucu Suuucu-
ly; then he listened attentively, and
his skin, warm an instant before.
turned cold and prickled. Somewhere
within the house, Enthusiastically on the
floor below him. door had slammed.
Some one-it was beyond question
now, for the realization was quite diff
fercnt from the feeling he had had
about that befOre-was in the house
with him. Was it . . his father
who had come back? That, though
not impossible, seemed improbable.
Alan stopped quickly, unlaced and
stripped off his shoes, and ran out
into the. hall to the head of the stairs,
where he looked down and listened.
From here the sound of some one NOV
ing about came to him distinctly; he
could see no light below, but when he
ran down to the turn of the stairs, it
became plain that there was very
dim and Pickering light in the library.
He crept on farther down the stair
case. His, hands were cold and moist
! from his excitement, and his body was
hot" and trembling T. 80 -
Whoever it was that was moving
about downstairs, even If he was not
one who had right to be there, at
least felt secure from Interruption.
He was going with heavy step from
window to window; where he found a
shade mp. he pulled it down brusquely
and with Il violence which suggested
great strength under a nervous strain;
shade, which had been pulled down.
flew IN, and the man damned 1t as
though 1t had startled him then, after
an instant. he pulled it down again.
Alan crept still farther down and ut
last caught sight of him. He was a
big, young-looking man, with broad
shoulders and very evident vigor
Alan guessed his age ut thirty-fve; he
was handsome-he had a straight
forehead over daring. deep-set eyes {;
his nose, lips and chin were power
fully formed; and he was extensively
and very carefully dressed. The light
by which Alan saw these things came
from Il fiat little pocket searchlight
that the man carried in one hand.
which threw little brilliant circle OF
, light as, he directed it: and now. rs
the light CHANGED to fall on his other
hand-powerful and heavily muscled
Allan recollected the look and size
, Of the finger prints on the chest OF
drawers upstairs. He did not doubt
that this was the same man who had
gone through the desk: but since he
had already rifed the desks, what did
he want here now? AS the man moved
! out Of sight. Alan cfept on down as
! far as the door TO the library; the
! man had gone on into the rear room.
and Alan went far enough into the
| library so he could see him.
He had pulled open one Of the draw
ers in the big table in the rear room
and with his light held so high as to
show what was in it. he was tumbling
over its contents and examining them.
He went through one after another Of
! the drawers of the table like this;
| after examining them, he rose and
kicked the Inst one shut disgustedly:
! he stood looking about the room queS-
then he started, toward the
lsfrOnt room. 4 -,
4 He had as yet. neither seen, nor
lheard anything TO alarm him.; and as
bic went to the desk in the front room
Eand pecred impatiently into thestlraw-
tEers, he slammed them shat a;Re after
Eanothpr. He Strengthened and stared
Eabout Oh Bent, On Ben - he
calculated violently and returned TO
,sfhe rear room. Alan. again following
thim. found Rim on bis Knees III front
EEot one offthe drawers under the hook
Ec:tseS AS he continued searching
through lie drawers. his irritation be-
came greater and greater. He ierked
one drawer entirely out Of its case,
and the contents flew in every dircc-
ton: swearing ut 1t. he gathered up
! the letters. One suddenly caught his
attention: he began reading it closely.
! then snapped it back into the drawer.
crammed the rest on top OF it, and
went on Ia the next "f the files. He
searched in thTS manner through ha:s
Il dozen drawers, plainly finding moth