San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-25

Couldn't you measure the rooms under
meath and add EN- together? There's no
way of getting through all this junk that
could ever find"
81 should say there must be-" returned
Lenpile, and excitement was clearly audi
BILE in his tones. "Therc's breeze blow
ing in-there must he a window open
somewhere. I suppose YOU wouldn't
leave it open all night He began to
move CXpcrimcntaIly along the tortuouS
way TO the writing table.
Bertha had by now reached once moro
the clearing by the window. She shook
her white cloak from her shoulders and
realized for the first time that the books
she had been going to take to Mr. Brum-
mctons room were still in her hand. For
moment she contemplated locking them
away in their drawer, but from what she
could hear Lenpile, followed by the pro-
testing Block was steering a determined
course through the lumber and would
reach the writing table in time to see her
manipulating it. She shrugged; from a
weak fool like Lenpilc. even when he
came as a spy, there could be nothing to
fear.
She laid the books upon the shroudcd
table and dropped her handbag upon them.
She opened the handbag and crooked
finger inside, coaXing into the palm of her
hand the toy automatic that she always
carried. She had her back to the
window and her face in shadow by the
time Lenpe came into view.
"Mrs. Yeldngr'
"Quite surprise, isn't it,"
In a flash she had seen that Lcnpilc was
not surprised to find her there; on the
contrary, he was triumphantly well pleased
with himself for having laid his little trap.
Decidedly, he must 90 the way
of Block Her eyes met those of the
"caretaker" and fickcred him a message.
He made his heavy way across the floor
and took up his position behind Lenpilc.
Lenpile, meanwhile, was celebrating the
theme of his surprise and pleasure in
voice that was almost falsetto.
81 had a sort of feeling there was some
one in the room. I'm like that. I'm ex-
traordnarily senstive-you know what l
mean If come into a dark room | can
tell whether there's anyone in it or whether
someone's Just gone out, or anything of
that nature"
How very wondcrfulw smiled Bertha.
81 wonder if that means that you are
psychiC?"
He snatched at the lead, and while he
volubly described his powers she studied
him with the dispasSonate interest of the
GNCcutlO0ef. ne was ulliltISILtN, w lllI
pale eyes and large ears. and even with
out his spectaclcs and the small case he
carried one would have known him for
clerk She noticed that his eyes were
darling to right and left and that in his
eager triumph he was barely troubling to
simulate conference in his speech.
"Always seem to feel spirits round me,
if you know what | mean" he said for
the third time. and Bertha. her pretty
smile unfaltering, decided that faxed
suicidc-with some kind of letter to his
cmployer-would not present the slight
est difficulty.
But | mustn't stand here talking, Mrs
Yielding. I'm here on business, and my
business at the moment is to measure this
room | can take it width-ways first,
can't I? And let me see''-he took a
look sideways and peered down the mar
row passage that led to the door in the
wall-'I can take that wall almost to the
end Almost seems as if someone had
been making a little path along there,
doesn't it," He looked fully at her and
Uttered.
Contemptuously, Bertha recorded the
fact that this amateur sleuth had forgot
ten to pretend curiosity as to her own
presence in the attic. She glanced at
her wristwatch. Having confirmed her