The Argosy, April 1916 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

A MYSTERY OF ROSCOE CONKLING PARK. With tight lips he stood till he heard the breathing close to him, sensed the near- ness of another human being. He swung the chair with all his might, and it crashed against something that went down under it. But curses, rather than blows, came from the victim. And loud curses. “Ho, ho!’ he shouted. “Ill have you for this.” He shouted so loud that Yale wondered. It was possible, of course, and circum- stances made it seem probable, that the burglar, or would-be murderer, or whatever he was potentially, knew that Adolphus was away. Yale forgot that he ever had a sore foot. He bent, swung the chair again, and more loud curses were the result. : “Blast you,” he said, swinging the chair again, ‘T’11—” A blinding electric torch flashed in his face, and the shock to his eyes made him recoil. There was a mocking laugh, a shout, and then all was silence and the darkness of the tomb once more. CHAPTER XXVI. MIDNIGHT INTRUDERS. YALE began feeling in his pockets for a match. Suddenly he stiffened, and reached for the chair. He heard another noise, this time inside the room, and away from the window. He prepared to strike again. “Kenneth, are you here?” came the anx- ious voice of Beverly. “I heard a noise that sounded like a window opening. Are you here, Kenneth?” : Her voice was soft, and low, scarcely more than a whisper, and so welcome and dear to Yale that he could have shouted. “T am here, Beverly. Wait till I get a light.” He found his match, and soon the big lamp on the dining-room table was alight. It was a very white face, with somewhat paler lips than usual, that he found turned toward him. She had thrown some of her clothes on, and over these had improvised a wrap of a comfortable from her bed. She had drawn on her stockings, but wore no shoes. “What was it?” she asked. came.” “Yes, some one came in that window,” “Some one 53 he answered, pointing to the raised sash. ‘But he’s gone, I hope, with a sore head.” ‘But you had nothing with which to fight! And your foot—”’ “Oh, my foot went into the discard. I forgot all about my foot. I knocked him down with this chair, although in the dark- ness I don’t suppose I got in a very terrible blow.” He turned the chair upside down and ex- amined the legs and the edges of the seat. “T don’t see any blood. Guess it wasn’t a very hard knock.” All the time she was looking at him strangely, with eyes wide and brilliant. “But Kenneth! ‘It couldn’t have been that window I heard. My room is so situ- ated that I doubt if I could have heard this window. I fancied the noise was on the other side of the hall, in the living room.” “YT heard nothing there, Beverly,” said Yale. “And I am sure I heard nothing here. When you knocked him down didn’t you make more noise than he did opening the: window?” “Why, yes, and he made more noise curs- ing than I did knocking him down. Did you hear that?” | “No, Kenneth. I heard no voice at all.” “This is a matter for investigation,” said Yale. “I'll put this window down and take the lamp to the living room.” He pulled down the sash, picked up the lamp, and started. Beverly followed. “Vou stay here,” he told her. ‘There may be another one.” “Very well, if there is I’ll be at your side. I'll hold the lamp while you do the fight- ing.” “Then there might be something doing,” he said. ‘Come along, brave one.” “Oh, don’t call me brave. Why, all the time I was listening to that noise my teeth were chattering.” . “Mine would have chattered if I’d dared let them,”’ answered Yale. They crossed the hall, Yale carrying the lamp, and Beverly opened the door of the living room. “Why, I left—” “Ha! ) This explosion came from Yale, and was the forerunner of a greater one that did not come from him, but which he produced. It was natural enough that by this time his nerves had become pretty tightly strung. Beverly gasped “Oh, Kenneth!” COnmicloooks Cc C@