Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-05-27

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into the hall to the head of the stairs,
where he looked down and listened
From here the sound of some one ml0y-
ing about came TO him distinctly; he
could see no light below, but when he
ran down to the turn of the stairs. II
became plain that there was very
dim and tllekering 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.
Whoever II was that was moving
about downstairs. even II 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 up, he pulled II down bruSquely
and with a violence which suggested
great strength under nervous strain ;
shade. which had been pulled down,
flew up, and the man damned II as
though II had startled him: then. after
an Instant. he pulled II down again.
Alan erept still farther down and at
last caught sight of him. He was .
big. young looking man, with broad
shoulders and very evident vigor
Alan guessed his age Mt thirty.five he
was handsome--he had 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 fat little pocket searchlight
that the man carried In one hand.
which threw little brilliant circle OF
light as he directed It; and now, as
the light CHANGED to fall on his other
hand--powerfnl and heavily mnscled
Alan 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 Ind
gone through the desk; hut since he
had already rifled the desks. what did
he want here now? As the man moved
out of sight. Alan crept 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 1t, he was tumbling
over It's 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 last one shut dlsgustedly;
he stood looking about the room ques-
tioningly, then ne started toward the
front room.
He had, as yet, neither seen nor
heard anything to alarm him, and as
he went to the desk In the front room
and peered ilnpatlently into the draw
ers. he slammed them shut. one after
another. He Strengthened and stared
about. "D---n Ben! On Ren!" he
calculated violently and returned TO
the rear room. Alan, again following
him, found him on his knees In front
of one of the drawers under the book
cases. AS he continued searching
through the drawers, his irritation be-
came greater and greater. He jerked
one drawer entirely out of its case,
and the contents flew In every dlrec-
ton; swearing at II, he gathered up
the letters. One suddenly caught his
attention: he hegup -eading II closely,
then snapped II back INTO the drawer,
crammed the rest on top of It, and
went on to the next Of the files. He
searched In this manner through half
dozen drawers. plainly finding moth
ing at all he wanted: he dragged some
of the books from their cases. felt he-
hind them and showed back some Of
the books but dropped others on the
floor and hlasphemy burst from him.
The beam of light from the torch In
his hand swayed aside and back and
forth. without warning. suddenly It
caught Alan as he stood In the dark
Of the front room: and az the dim
white circle of light CLEANED into Al
ms face. the man looked that way
and saw him.
The effect of this upon the man was
40 strange and so bewlldering TO Alan
that Alan could only stare AT him.
The big man seemed to shrink into
himself and to shrink bark and away
from Aim. He roarpd ont xon"thing
In a heilow thick wifi fear and hor-
ror: he seemed to choke with terror.
There was nothing In his look akin to
mere surprise or alarm nj realizing
that another was there and had been
seeing and everhearing him. The
Hight which he stiIl gripned swayed
hack and forth md showed him Aim
again. and he raised his arm before
his face as he recoiled.
The Consideration of the man was
SO complete that II checked Alun rush
toward him; he halted. then advanced
silently and wntehfuly. As he 9ronl
forward. and the light sbone upon hts
face again. the big man cried out
hoarsely:
"D--n you. d--n you. with the hole
above your eye! The bullet got you .
And now you've got Ben But you
can't ge, me Go hack to hell You
can't get mel I'll get you-rii get
you. Yau-can't save the hIiwakn =
He drew back his arm and with all