Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

bf, Jeannette I. Helm _ Aether of “The House of the Purple Stairs,” etc. - CHAPTER XXIV. BEHIND THE LOCKED DOOR. TILL thinking that it was only part of S my dream, I pulled myself together with a great effort, and getting up from my chair, walked around the room several times. . There must have been something decid- edly unpleasant in that whisky, for my feet still felt leaden and my head dazed. I pushed up the window, and leaning out, breathed in the fresh cool air until my head felt clearer. It was strange, though, how the idea of the tapping persisted: I could almost imagine I heard it still. I drew in my head and listened: it really was there, although somewhat fainter and at longer intervals. By listening intently, I could make out that it came from the oppo- site side of the room, just back of the book-shelf half-way between the fireplace and the closet door. I pulled aside the shelf, and examined the wall carefully, but it was unbroken at this place, with no signs of any pipes whose leaking might perhaps cause the noise. It was very puzzling, and I couldn’t-im- agine how it was made, or by what; but there was a persistence in the taps, feeble though they were getting to be, that made me sure that there was some purpose be- hind them.° Could it be some machine that was mak- ing the noise, or some one trying to com- municate with me? A wild idea flashed through my head; suppose Shirley’s father had hidden himself in there, and imagining that he was next to her room, was trying to, attract her attention! jured in some way, and be unable to get out. With this idea in mind, I bent down and tapped several times on the wall; the effect was magicak a perfect storm of taps came back, and then everything was quiet. I didn’t know what to make of it, a human being would have gone on answering me; could it be rats, after all, and the last noise be made by their alarmed feet as they scur- ried away? This was more than probable, but I made up my mind to find dut, and with my brain thoroughly awake now, Set about the task. My great-uncle’s room was at the corner of the house, but I had noticed before that the room did not extend completely to the end, the remaining space being occupied, I imagined, by a large closet or a dressing- room. As there was no other door in the room, except that by which one entered, and the door in front of which the dresser had been moved, this last must be the only way to get in. I seized the dresser and pulled it out of the way. As I did so, the door opened and Shirley looked in. ‘‘T heard the noise and wondered if uncle had returned. What are you doing?” she said a trifle suspiciously. “T heard a tapping on the wall there, and I’m trying to get in to see what it is.” ‘Would Uncle Gregory like it?” she began, but I interrupted viciously. ‘““Hang Uncle Gregory! He’s left us here to our own devices, and I’m going to find out what’s up.” I thought she paled a little. This story began in the All-Stery Weekly for July 10. 661 2 J Google Ul QIt lal TFrOM oO He might be in- HRY (EDOOLK (A)