Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

B42 “Thanks. I'll look in on you again when I’m down this way. Good night.” Out on the street once more, McCarty and Dennis made their way to the house indicated without delay and halted in the | vestibule while the former scrutinized the cards in the bell plate. ‘“‘ Here they are. Fourth floor,” he ob- served. “If Mrs. Hildreth is the dame I think she is,.she’ll not be answering a ring - at this time of night.” “ There'll be no need, for some one’s left the door unlatched.” Dennis pushed it open as he spoke. ‘“‘ You can make some excuse to get her to let us in. Come on!” In silence they mounted the creaking stairs through an atmosphere redolent of stale cooking to the fourth floor and paused before the rear door upon which had been tacked a card bearing the name “ F. Hil- dreth,” written in a small, neat hand. “IT guess the front flat is empty, for there’s no card up, and there was none in that space over the bell down-stairs,’”’ Den- - nis whispered. ‘“ What are you going to do, Mac? ‘Take a chance and break the door down?” “Not if I can get in peaceable,” Mc- Carty replied in a whisper. ‘“ I’m going to be real sick, Dennis. Hold me up!” Emitting a loud and realistic groan, he leaned limply against his friend with such suddenness that the surprised Dennis was almost borne to the floor, but he recovered himself in time. Another groan welled from McCarty’s throat, and a third before finally there came the sound of footsteps. within, the door was opened cautiously, and a woman peered out. She was tall and Junoesque in form, with a thick braid of fair hair falling over either shoulder, and great, soft,. blue eyes darkened now with apprehension and concern. Her loose, dark robe fell'in almost classical lines about her, and the light of the flaring gas-jet in the _ hall gleamed softly on her creamy throat. Dennis gasped with astonishment and in- voluntary admiration at the vision and stepped back while the woman asked with just a trace of an-accent: ‘What is it? Some one is ill?” McCarty straightened, and his foot reached out to the door-sill. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “TI want you, Ilsa Helwig—” But he was too late. At his first word a sudden change came over her expression. Before his foot could intercept it she had slammed the door in his face and they heard a bolt shoot into its slide. “We've got to work fast now; down with the door!” McCarty cried, and Den- nis lunged, using his brawny shoulder as a battering-ram, at the same moment that the sound of a subdued crash came from within. At first the stout bolt resisted their efforts, but finally it snapped with a loud report, precipitating them into a nar- row, dimly lighted hallway. Two doors facing them stood open revealing their emptiness at a glance, but a third at the back was closed, and they rushed toward it. It was bolted, as the entrance door had been, but its flimsy fastening gave way at the first onslaught, and they found them- selves in a tiny kitchen. No other door led from it, but its single window was wide open, a fire-escape showing beyond, and a row of flowering geraniums lay overturned, their red earthen pots shattered. At a bound they had crossed the room and craned their necks out into the night. Lights were springing up in one or two of the rear windows across the network of clothes lines, but no human figure was vis- ible on the fire-escape nor in the yard be- neath. , “Well,” vouchsafed Dennis after a pause in which an eloquent glance had passed between them. ‘I hope the next time you tell any one they’re wanted you’ll have your hands on them first! Martin did not make the only bonehead play, the night!” CHAPTER XXIII. THE FIFTH FLOOR BACK. HE Hildreth flat consisted only of four small rooms and bath, the latter evidently converted from a clothes closet, and McCarty and Dennis searched them thoroughly, but found no trace of the woman. The quick, double honk of a motor horn in the street below came to their ears as they were on the point of departure, and COM Goo _: (CO wo