Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-03
FOURTEENTH INSTALLMENT,
I T was an hour later.
THE dogs are quiet enough

FOURTEENTH INSTALLMENT.
7 T was an hour later.
1.-The dogs are quiet enough
now" said Stopford.
i YES" Roscoe replied. "If am
right In my theory, the thing that
IS going to happen is above the dogs"
above the dogs?" Stopford echoed.
when you say the thing that's going
to happen'?"
Il should have said that may hap
pen The death of Armitage perhaps
stalled EN-"
Poor fellow! D'you mean you've got
q notion what he was up to out there?"
Yes. Speak softly. Regain and Bach
are covering this room, but don't know
who else may be doing the same"
Stopford moved closer to the open
window, but:
near! Keep back!! I'm supposed to
be in bed, and you're supposed to be in
your own room. I think we've blinded
the enemy, but I'm not sure"
Stopford, silent in bath slippers, came
back.
Has the truth about Page sutton's
map daWned upon you?" Roscoe said
softly.
mo. D'you think it's a fakeP"
I'm sure of it! And think know
why it was handed over to Sutton"
"Why?"
But Regain thinks that sutton's life
IS in danger"
1T looks rather like it,"
1T was meant to look like it, Stop
ford! But Page Sutton actually isn't
In a bit of danger. The danger is to
mel"
But"
He ceased abruptly.
Heralded by one warning bark, the
whole wolf-dog pack came sweeping
around a corner OF the house.
"Gad!"
The dogs plunged into the shrubbery
Some one on the other side Of the
hedge!" stopford whispered.
Perhaps. Listen"
The uproar prevailed for fully flve
minutes. Then, as If obeying definite
mysterious canine orders, the pack
broke out Of cover and went racing
from moonlight into shadow, from
which they had come.
False alarm" Stcpford murmured.
1T don't think So" SAID Roscoe. Il
think some one has drawn them on on
q false scent"
though your windows wide Open
there's no chance Of anybody gettin
at you, that I can see"
TT would seem So" Roscoe admitted.
Probably you have forgotten that some
sort of an outbreak awakened June
Sutton one night last week?"
Stopford was invisible in the dark
ness, but Roscoe sensed that he had re-
moved his monocle and was busy bur-
nishing; then:
What's the connecticut" he inquir-
MAY be none. Armitage's death
has possibly spoiled their plans. Or
Head Centre may suspect, though ne
can't know, that June saw what was
under her pillow before it was removed"
Before it was--gad! Got you! You
think Armitage was coverin her room
for that very purpose?"
Don't you?"
"I believe I do"
There's only one other person in the
house tonight. Sloppy. who may have
stopford was silent. But the charm
ing image of Madame Czerna leaped
'"Yet--I don't understand" he NUT
"Don't try to: I don't understand
myself: altogether. Be quiet ...' and
listen"
There was silence in the room. Voices
subduded, might be heard about the
house: faint footsteps. Somewhere in
the neighborhood OF the kitchen gar
den, far to the rear, the dogs were
whining restlessly. At last, except for
this muted whining, quiet came again.
A faint breeze, salt from the Sound,
disturbed the leaves and refreshed the
4 minute passed: minutes 10
nN,yo,, hear itp" Roscoe Uhisnered
A curious sibilant sound made it
self audible.
What the"
SSH You're all set?
eyes"
"Wait the word"
The odd sibilance continued. To
Stopford tensed, listening, it seemed
TO come from the bed. To remain silent,
in the circumstances, was mighty Ell
fort. What was happening?-or about
I'VE shall have to take the chance"
Roscoe whispered But if you fash
too soon, 1t will ruin everything.
The odd rustling continued. Other
wise. all was profoundly still. The
sound went on--and on. 1t died down
It ceased. A faint breeze stirred the
trees again.
stopford grasped the electric torch
with which Roscoe had armed him.
"Now!" Roscoe snapped. "On TO the
pillow!" ,,
ness, and q disk Of white light appear
ed upon the pillow where HoScoeS
head might have lain. -
"Merciful heavenw Stopford Whisper
cd. and the light wavered momentarliy
A hideous thing had crept over the
edge OF the lighted circle. a black
thing which now raced about 1everisn-
ly as If looking for something; IL wa
4 spider, with a queerly swollen oooy,
possessing a wasp-ltke waist ana MANY
hairy, active legs. ,;soa
Roscoe sprang forward, arm upralseo
He BROUGHT down the heavy heel OIL
shoe upon the black horror once:
The softness of the pillow AIDING, II
still moved Twice! The nauseous m
sect remained intact--whole. 1t lay
WYATT! Keep the light on 1t j"
Roscoe raced into the bath ROOM 70
4etIlrn In a moment with glass. he
claimed it over the spider, ana:
"Hold It down" he cried: tlga a;
for your life! Switch the loren Oh
DO you hear lt?"
The sibilant sound was audible again!
Roscoe stepped to the open WmdoW
moving his hands all about questioning
~. suddenly he found what he Sought
= tightly stretched strand OF SILK
Even as he grasped it the strand was
Arawn through his fingers; the so1t