Adventure, November 1915 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

The Gold Lust on his masters, his chest heaving from his long run through the darkness. Addams turned at the click ofthe latch. “Selim!” he cried. ‘Miss Peggy?” “T show you,” said the Arab. “Come.” CHAPTER XVII IN THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD HE hack, Selim on the box beside the Chinese driver,. quickly covered the distance to the cemetery and stopped a little beyond the entrance to the house to which the Arab had trailed the girl. Ad- dams and Winton stepped out with Ah Sing as Selim jumped from his seat. “Tf sabby this house,” whispered the Chinaman. “One time befo’, Misteh Hen- ~ ley live this place, long time he smuggle opium.” They advanced cautiously through the garden wilderness and rounded the dark- ened house to where Selim pointed out the palm and the window at which he had seen the woman wearing the girl’s miniature. “T can to the window jump,” he said, stripping off his shoes. ‘‘Bars a long way apart. I theenk maybe I can get in.” “Try it,’ said Addams. ‘“‘We’ll tackle the front of the house. If we can’t break in we'll create a diversion. Up you go!” The Arab climbed nimbly up the palm as the rest slipped through the shadows to the front door and mounted the porch cat- pawed, on the balls of their feet. _ Addams tried the handle. It yielded and the door opened. Fearful of surprise, he took out the automatic he had brought from the hotel cottage and entered the silent, dusty hall, Winton following his example, Ah Sing close behind. They stood listening. The house was void.of sound. Addams felt for the loose sleeve of the Chinaman’s blouse. “Get one of the hack-lamps,” he whis- pered. ‘Cover the light as you come back.” The two white men waited until Ah Sing was silently beside them again, the lamp shrouded with his loose jacket. Addams took the light and they explored the lower floor. All the tight-shuttered rooms, Save one, evidently the kitchen, were empty of furniture, the floors soft with dust on which their feet left trails. The kitchen had been swept and appar- ently lately occupied. There were four or 45 five chairs and a cheap table, on which stood a half-filled lamp. In the sink were piled some dirty dishes with grimy finger- marked glasses on the drain-board, and be- neath it three or four emptied bottles. Ona shelf showed a row of unopened canned goods. Ah Sing approached the stove, looked into the pots that stood there and took off a lid from the fire-grate. “Stove plenty hot,’ he said. ‘‘Some one he cook, I think mebbe three, fo’ hour ago.” A closet disclosed a bundle of dirty rags _ on the floor beneath empty shelves. Win- ton lit the lamp and they proceeded noise- lessly to the upper story. In one room a pine wardrobe and a cot with the bed- clothes neatly arranged set them to greater caution. The room adjoining was similarly furnished. A bath-room held towels, used and clean. The other rooms were as those below, dusty and long deserted. In the last they entered. At the back they found Selim beyond the casement bars, tugging to bend them sufficiently for entrance. Ad- dams opened the window. | “Can you make the tree again, ”” he asked. Selim, crouching on the wide sill, nodded. “Then come ’round to meet us at the front.”’ The Arab turned on his haunches and, measuring his distance sprang for the palm, sliding down its trunk in safety as the three men descended the stairs. The house was vacant. There seemed to be no cellar. Its coral-stone foundations rested on the solid ground. Selim joined them, and the group assembled in the kitchen in perplexity. “Tell us your story again, Selim,” said Addams. “You are sure you saw the wom- an at the window.” The Arab recapitulated the details he had already told them in the hack. There seemed no clew, no suggestion of a lead. ““Moon’s down,” said Addams. ‘We might find footprints in the garden, but they may have heard or seen Selim and gone away by motor. The Arab shook his head. ‘They not see—not hear me.’ he de- clared. Ah Sing, whose eyes had been puckered to blindness, matching the furrows in his forehead, suddenly threw up his head like a hound that had caught the scent. He caught up one of the empty bottles and 33 CORMELOOC S (E)