The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-03


much alike, and that though he
had been able to save the other, he
himself was being searched for at
that moment IN every corner OF
New York, and that the human
drag-net was spread for him, and
that the wires all over the coun-
try were hot with his description,
and that into every newspaper
office in every State was pouring
the story that would make OF him
an abominable thing.
His head was singing. He stun
bled a little as he made his way
down the stairs and fumbled with
White Jacks key In the lock OF
the Rats door. Well, If the Rat,
who was away, did not return too
soon, and if-he shook his head as
he opened the door and stepped
inside and locked it behind him
no, he was too tired and too near
the breaking point to think any
more. He had a chance to rest
now until morning. White Jack
had said that no one would dare
disturb the Rat, and that was
enough-he did not want to think
any more-until morning.
He CROPPED his way forward TO
the electric light, reached up 20
turn It on-and, with his arm
poised IN mid-air, stood suddenly
tense and rigid, He listened. 1t
came again--as though some one
were knocking cautiously on the
wall-and 1t seemed to come from
the far end Of the room.
Billy Kane's hand shot into his
pocket and closed on his revolver;
and, quick and silent in every
movement now, he tiptoed across
the room In the darkness, slipped
IN behind the cretonne hanging
and waited, peering through a cor
ner of the hanging.
And now It was absolutely silent
again. Perhaps a half minute
passed, and then, grotesquely, as
though 1t came through the wall
Itself, the white ray of a fashlight
streamed into the room, and circled
It slowly and deliberately. And
then a form moved forward-a
woman's form-and crossed the
room to the table. There was a.
slight sound as of the rustling of
paper, and with the ray now food
ing the top OF the table, Billy Kane
could see that she was writing;
but her back was turned, and he
could not see her face. For mo-
ment more she stood there bend
ing over the table, and then, turn
ing, she retreated again to the rear
OF the room.
The fiashlight now was full on
the rear wall-but there was no
opening there. Billy Kane leaned
tensely forward, watching through
the corner Of the hanging. This
den of the Rats that he, or fate
for him, had appropriated, prom.
ised much more than appeared on
the surfaced II was obvious that
there was another entrance than
that from the street, and to obtain
its secret now was a matter upon
which his life, sooner or later,
might very easily depend.
She was stopping now slightly,
and her hand in the glare of the
flashlight was moving in a slow,
tentative way up and down one OF
hand for an instant remained mo-
tionless. Billy Kane drew in his
breath softly. 1t was ingenious,
clever, cunning-and q craftsman's
work. A small door swung open
into the room-a most curious
door! Its top was OF an absurd
zigZag shape--due to the fact that
It followed the natural joints of the
wall board. And the whole, three
boards In width, In no part, there
fore, TO casual OF even critical ex-
animation, would show any signs OF
an opening, since 1t opened only
where boards Joined one another.
and since everywhere in the room
all the wall boards were more or
less warped and ill-fitting!
The light was suddenly shaded,
obliterated almost, as she passed
through the opening-and then was
blotted out. The door had closed
without a sound. She was gone.
Billy Kane did not move. His
eyes, as though fascinated, as
though fearful that he might lose
Il. were fixed through the darkness
'on the particular spot on the wall
where this strange midnight Yisi-
tor had run her hand up and down.
A minute, two, three, passed.
Wherever that opening led to. she
must be far enough away now to
make It safe for him to act. But
he dared not turn on the electric
light. II might throw a glimmer
10 the street. He was none too
sure OF either the sill or panels of
that front door! White Jack had
passed the word around OF tho
Rats return-was this woman one
TO whom that word had conner In
any case, she had thought the room
empty, the Rat away, and there
fore he could not run the risk OF
exposing the fact that he had been
hidden there--he knew too little
and perhaps already too muehl
He stepped silently over to the
wall now. II he only had match.
But he had lost his match-safe with
his coat--no, there we're matches
here, box OF them--his fingers
had been mechanically searching
his pockets-he had forgotteu--it
was not even the coat White Jack
hnA rtvan hin, at tho sppnud hand