The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-10-16
OUT of the NIGHT
Copyright, 1897, NEA Service, Inc.

to open your door 20 anyone. UNI
derStand that? Not to soul, You
don't know who this fellow may
be. No matter who rings your
bell, or whom you see standing
out there in the hall, you're not
10 open the door. Remember
that"
II won't" Cilly promised.
Good. As soon as | can round
up our fingcrprint expert. I'll be
back to go through that apart
ment thoroughly. And I'll bring
along a good stout pohcewoman
to spend the night here with you.
Now. if you can just stick it out
for 10 or 10 minutes.
"Oh. | won't be afraid, Cilly
assured him.
"All right. If YOU hear any
thing that frightens you, yell your
lungs out. Johnson will hear you.
I've asked him to keep watch
downstairs. We don't want any
one tampeuing with the lights, or
hiding I'm the engine room. .
I'll be getting along; every MN
ute | lose gives our gentleman
friend that much longer to plan
his getaway. want the finger
prints in that place upstairs
they'll tell the story"
Left alone, Ciuy shuddcred.
She was not nearly as brave as
she had pretended to the ser
gcant. She sat there on the divan.
where hc had left her. straining
her eyes 20 watch every nook and
corner Of the apartment at once.
From where she sat, she could
see into the bedroom next door;
she could watch the fire escape
window. If but shadow crossed
that window, she told herself, she
would scream loud enough TO
wake the dead. $50.
She watched the banjo clock on
the wall. listened to it tick away
the seconds. She wondered which
echoed loudeSt through the room
the sharp, StaccatO ticking Of
the clock. or the dull, laundering
beat of her own heart.
Ten minutes, Sergeant Dolan
had said. Fifteen minutes at the
latest. until there would be u po-
liccman on guard upstairs and 4 .
uoliccwoman down for company.
She would breathe easier when
they arrived.
But nothing could happen TO
her now. Over and over. she as
Surcd herSelf'of that. The muir
derer would never risk a visit to
her apartment, where all the
lights were on, where he could
not enter without her seeing him
Immediately. That would be walk
ir~ into his own death sentence. !
He wouldn't dare. -.
NervouSly, she rubbed a moist
palm down her throat; 1t still
panied from the pressure of the
mans iron fingers she re-
membered his hand as it slowly,
reached in and switch
ed out the lights.
Suddenly she wanted 10 scream.
She imagined she could see that F.
hand now, reaching TO the switch
on her wall; once more she felt
those stranglng fingers on her
throat. Why, that man would
dare anything. He was a fiend,
diabOlical and cunning, and he did
not fear q dozen Sergeant Dolans. .
If he suspected that she knew
he would not hesitate
now. $50.
Then her eyes, glued on the fire
escape window in the bedroom,
noticed something she had quite
forgotten. The window - that
alone OF all those in the
apartment-waS not latched. She
leaving it open that
an inch-so that she
could open it if she came down
the fire escape.
She must close that window,
and lock it. But her feet would
not carry her into that other
room. She was shaking like a
leaf: she could imagine q thou
sand demons at her back if she
but stepped beyond the living
room.
Then, in the next instant, the
room spun around OF the insist
ent, intense ringing of the front
doorbell. In sheer relief, Cilly
ran TO press the lock-releaSe buzz
ger i'm the foyer. Anything was
better than the terrifying uncer-
tainty of the empty apartment.
Halfway across the room, she
stopped. Sergeant Dolan's words
rang in her ears: "No matter who
rings your bell. you're not to
open the door,
She stood there, afraid to open
the door, and equally afraid not
10 open it. The bell rang again,
.oud and demanding. Still she
heSitated. i
For the third time it sounded,
but this time il was not one long,
ring. Three short rings
sounded this time, three short,
friendly rings. 4
Instantly, Cilly ran to the foyer
and pressed the buzzer. She
pressed it eagerly, joyously, a
new courage in her eyes trans
cending every veStige of the
previous moments fear. +
Three short rings she had heard
distinctly, and the one person in
all the world who rang a bell with
three short rings was jim Ker-
rigan. a
Ito be continued)