A Daughter of Delilah — page 213: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

204 RUN TO EARTH, The cellar was of the ordinary suburban pattern. In the center was a hot-air furnace, from the sides of which a dozen octopus-like arms clutched at every corner of the floor above. At one end there was a flight of wooden stairs that led to the kitchen. To these Hawkley pointed silently, and after a moment’s reflection said: ‘‘If the door at the top of the steps is fastened, I must work cautiously. As a rule these locks are of the flimsiest make. Do not utter a sound, gentlemen, and be prepared for any surprise.’’ He crept softly up stairs, listened a minute, and then turned the door-knob with his left hand, while his right firmly clutched a revolver. To his surprise and gratification the door yielded to his pressure, and he peeped into the kitchen. It was empty, but in the sitting-room beyond he fancied that he saw the shadow of a woman’s figure through the partially open door-way. Half a dozen cat-like steps, and he was bending over the sleeping form of Lucy Roseberry, who had dropped asleep, her arms and head resting on a center-table. For one instant Hawkley regarded her with sisating eyes; then he pinioned her arms, and before she could utter more than a faint gurgling sound, she was helpless with a gag thrust between her teeth. At sight of the three men her eyes flamed with fear and fury, and she attempted to stamp on the floor, the result being that her feet were promptly bound to the chair in which she was sitting. ‘‘One sound,’’ hissed Hawkley, ‘‘and it shall be your last!” - EOMIE OOO! KS (E(@)