Show I 1 M LOCK jar i 3 r i fa X y criares CSia reS les I 1 walt W jc 01 G syer Q g ar ger baade fa r K i 0 d e 7 etc e lecta 2 ecta SYNOPSIS van vechten lets leli lellure ure li Is astonished a young man no to eee see a man enter 2312 a house tan th across the street from powhatan club long unoccupied and spoke of a t the he house of mystery BOOK boniti 1 CHAPTER 11 II continued Contin tied first of all 11 a van VAU vechten was truck struck by thie this coincidence even before in ying the man maas semblance eem blance be he baked asked himself how many bail bad preceded him how many were yet to come and how did they time their arrival nicety nicely I 1 there had been something furtive about the secund fellow fellows admittance van vechten recalled not particularly on in the mans part but suggested rth tr r by the narrow crack which the open door at fant making one on think that the chain had not released until after a parley and then the till aperture had widened only enough for the to squeeze bla his bulk through whereupon the door had promptly banged hut shut van vechten retained merely a sens of absolute darkness belond tho the threshold not he the slightest glimpse bad had he caught of errant servant or attendant the door might have been tended by 0 bands again he asked himself himi elf would the incident be repeated in another hour the wait between tea ten and eleven 0 clock dragged with moot ing slowness lov nesi but the elf appointed at chera interest Inte waa was at auch such high pitch ditch that be he left bla his third cocktail un uri tasted As A the hour approached he darted quick glance glances along the street la in ad as ol 01 a new arrival and aure sure enough at a minute or two before the hour here came a third muscular mue cular reeo roea young man not oter oer tu fas attired who wae was scanning the home house numbers an intently As nil his two predecessors bad had done and arid jul just an the chime chimes in the hall liggan tolling eleven he its mounted the tepa steps and rang ring the tb bell van vechten carcell scarcely car cely breathed 00 latently intently wae w he following the proceed inci 1098 across the alreed aa As before the door waa was opened an inch a brief colloquy ensued then the cap gap widened barely enough or the young man to squeeze through and alao also aa as before the door waa was slammed without van vechten obtaining the kaat least sl impose of whatever wha mysteries might he ile beyond by now be waa was taking account of at time only with reference to number 1313 he waa wu in auch such a state of mind that be he forgot that he waa was tired and sleepy or that he ever bad had been bored other club member members the few unfortunate dunate anchored to the city were be ginning to drop in I 1 but van vechten waa was too intent to give any of them particular notice until tom phinney arrived J it waa was impossible to ignore tom funer no not that van want ed to became because he aa as a i rule franu dreir friendship antedated he the irrol lege legs daya days which waa was odd enough if it one cared to aum sum up the differ atess between their two charac terN tom plinney Phia never celebrated wae was once inspired to epigram byan bruits appreciation of theme tempe ruenta dissimilarities and aa as hie his ct tt terance la Is tot without pith it la Is worth quoting he confided to bla his hand sleigh bor bar at a certain mi u rude dy not only belon gaito a half halt of the world cot rot wise the other hal bait lives but ite we the half hall that domant care a rap and would be tired to death if it you tried to tell it t with a las lifting of botne jone lender slender hated van vechten arrested noisy progress across the lounging room aa As boon soon las aa ton tom comprehended who waa was hailing him hla his good humored expression died away with rIth corn cour leal ical r a look of milu sled amaze 1 and 1 ue 1 yla 9 boseo and green ol he voiced lo 10 aeto youl out of t bed this time of day sunday tool lie ile hurried to ble his friend a ide aide and ex him c critically 0 C seen been a doctor yet yett batt r it youre noi not eblo able ill go to fetch latch old sleeps here you know these rema cemarka were Ign ignarra ignored draw up a chair waa was the response ree ponee ori oria no cot not ilia stuffy one me pe pea spire pire only to took at atthe wll wit low rocker 61 tom did precisely as be he waa direct ed well acut Wc UT be he grunted eyeing van vechten with a it c concern that waa was only hat simulated elm but nut in a moment he be felt hia his gese gaze impelled to follow hta L 1 1 friend friends what bats a up apt I 1 demanded tarlo lard belligerently at the silent house of mystery Mye tery kt yan van vechten a list lesky consulted hia bin added a yawn and then aid said twenty two minutes to twelve ill lay you a hundred the tha clock at the noun hour a chap chip will go up that loop stoop ring the bell and mull admitted what do you nian I 1 bluntly been tipped off oil to anything about house of Mye Mystery tery 11 tho the second question with kindling interest Inte reet the other however shook hia his head the bets a fair one 11 he tie eald said he be repeated it you are alway always 0 devilish hard up that I 1 thought would like to pick up a hundred can take it or leave it oh I 1 ll 11 take you tut fast enough made haste to agree your money moneys aa as good as anybody a dut but bit sit here noon ngoot I 1 dont think I 1 break plated yet yoa YOU pamp r that gross appetite your well breakfast together will be something om ething to tk talk bout about who ever over wine wins tor for truly wm lem ething happening across the wa we at last 11 10 tom 12 waa immediately all eager in autry but to his hi importunities van vechten opposed the one injunction walt wait bo so ton tom grumbled gr and growled to no purpose ae and war wao in and out of at his hl chair a doxen dozen time timm during period of galung though he made it point to bottle settle himself there thore rome nan utes before the hour of noon he H sat glowering darkly at bla his friend and ut bering sarcastic remark remarks which latter r apparently sp pa bently did not hear best however the alert that lay ay behind van vechten teno imperturbability wae was infectious Infect lou and ar as the pregnant moment drew nearer and nearer tom himself tell fell to ji scanning canning the treet street which waa was quiet and lad opples ively respectable and never crowded with of any eort sort evea even on work day days on Sun sunday dayta it waa was practically deserted all day long especially mid ummer summer sunday there waa was no word from van vechten until he be quietly announced here he cornea comes tom tor a craned forward he beheld behold stalwart at alwart well met et up young man in a arby Y 5 ulf nit approaching on the intently 0 apo it 0 41 1 H he scrutinized him i ti excepting that it was io weal nicely y there them wa was nothing dramatic c about the mane mans advent tom even indulged bulged tn in a disdainful buhr not withstanding which he wu was son sIble of a distinct thrill when a few low seconds later the young man mounted th the a steps of at number 1313 rang rane the bell and after I 1 now familiar preliminary measures autho part of the unseen door tender wu admitted and all the while white the clock in b the club hall wa was chiming the hour of nood CHAPTER lit II 11 t i an RAL c Alex anderl A pape ue hastening cat footed after the manner of all well trained page pages swerved abruptly from his hi coure course and ad bore down upon the window where whom the two friend friends were ere seated van aran vechten waved in the direction of number Alex buder 11 is he said we are going to and we want you ad to hold these two chain chairs for ue no keep aa an eye upon that house across the way thir teen thirteen observe whether wh ether tf wjk body departs pr whether anybody ar or rayes and make careful note of at theta if it anything unusual happen happens come to me ins in immediately Amed lately in the grill under tand stand 1 1 0 alexander signified Igal fled that he under tood stood and that b be waa was willing to wait and A 11 d watch for even tho clubs sell ea vanta snared the general interest Inte reet in the hauae ouse us ut ana Alax alexander andt wa was already acted in on of the vp v caked chairs his eye eyes glued to tb th doot cootway away N there were only oaly ta to 0 athar diners in the egtill van and tom bought a tt secluded corner where the latter listened in blinking bewilderment to an account of the mo mornings happen ings but bul after all H he be wae was oo 00 more mystified than the narrator 11 he wae was however ull at once in fired 1 I 1 have it he impetuously announced lets let hurry mud eat im not hungry now A what say ay tome walking blind up v and ringing the bell at oue t r 4 but van Vech tena tens co comment wa was not no encouraging crude waa was hie his word I 1 I 1 tear fear you will aver learn anything beyond squash yacht yachts and polo ponies thoe those ien are not wandering blindly into the bouse house the indication indications all point to a prearranged meeting athey may le be the tenant tenants themselves theme elve ome some ort sort of secret society K istel tom yelle yelled d A r thong t had but to ente ent erbis head held to emerge at hie his mouth no other two diner locked looked up the corce source of the outburst out buret they returned to their meal meals with expressions of patient endurance yee yes anarchists liu van vechten agreed even so 10 and yon you would havea nice pleasant time getting in or once la in setting oat out again oh well we might try breaking in i utter after dark jimmye you know and all that eon eort of thing a sarcasm which wae was frankly ignored it haa has occurred to me pursued van achten picking daintily at hs bs 1 that a person who has been at euch such pains to keep hie his identity hidden from the rest of the world la to stimulated to do to by some powerful po erful motive if he la Is a person of intelligence it will vill be no light matter penetrating his secret it might be dangerous for the meddler and it ie Is no business of cure ours tom phinney exploded in disgust youre losing interest al ready I 1 the other elevated his brows and leaned comfortably back in hie his chair tommy he be returned 1 I am willing to try anything once and aa an you know whatever I 1 undertake I 1 aee see through to the end what ever that end may be just now I 1 am a M too depressed depree eed by this uncertainty s about bout pat pale 0 e o not 0 o mention tta its dis agreeable consequences to become in te terea rested ted in anything it la Is deuced queer you don dont t hear bear from her lent itt it tom ell felt called upon to how show a polite concern ilia ills friend sighed since my cousin Is a woman he eald said queer la is not he the word her tier disregard for my and uncle theodores plane plans la to just what might havo have been expected it to so to thoroughly ho roughly feminine as you would inow know well enough if it you had a will tul ful pretty cousin like paige but by the he same token I 1 am no more resigned to aft lt twiddling vay MY thumbs la in this bakeoven bake oven of R town until she he choose chooses to come comi home or r at least let me know about when to loot tool for her just the same insisted tom 11 II it she was MY cousin id be worrying 1 I am tommy tor for myself though not for her put I 1 ws going to say bay that we would better lei lot thi n matter drop the affair Is none of at our ours but tom phinney once hie his head was wait let set was not easily turned aside no telling what devilish conspiracy Is afoot buddy ruddy he urged it its our out duty as good clUse nel to interfere it we have some reason to think that 0 blush 1 remarked mr ur van vech ten WIM feeling 1 I am not a good ci algen to paige I 1 belong to the least desirable class of all 1 I the spender spenders the wasters of substance and I 1 toll not neither do I 1 spin tom snorted his disgust at such sea sen what bluffers girls arel are declared he from height of years accumulated ill bet miss carew dont believe any such rot as that cant a raan man do as be he pleases w with ith hie bc money A she says not A mans 1 money Is not his own he is merely holding it in trust tom however bad had never act met paige carew who had lived most of her twenty year years abroad and ho he had bad no more torance tora tor oce ancs for her opinion than he had tor for anybody olis that mat did not agre with hil they may way be to rob roba A bank he abruptly bent the talk nick to paramount topic 1011 L van vechten regarded him with a faraway far away look or starting a dramatic school he added or condemn g C vivisection or woman suffrage or iome something thing equally ghast lyp drop it tom my advice sitting colfo comfortably arta bly at a window and waiting for or whatever surprise surprises oar our house of mystery nay rw have to disclose to one thing actively interfering with something that doe does not la in the least concern us I 1 if alte another if it there really Is i any mystery and it to is to b be dealt ia it calls man for a thih thin keen blade not riot a bludgeon it thava some of lif your pink tea tes wit IV growled ton tom a bludgeon Is a mighty good thing to hare have whom yon you arc dealing with ith crooks when the crook crooks do not fight at with rapiers lapiers ra piers sigive you a chance to break even you dont want to owe me a hun hundred hu atred ered I 1 supposal Bupp sup the troubled look took result mutt of unwonted menta leffort was instantly erased emed from the handsome band soo boyish face no I 1 doat dont im on it youre bet ting ung nobody will show up at one either elther end you liko A hundred say BILYs no man will enter thirties thir teen team at ons on which WAS very decent and amm mo dating of van vechten considering ering that he would have been rather sur presed thau than otherwise if it one came and went without bringing a fresh resh arrival and there wa was another arrival and he waa was surprised very much surprised and to too I 1 phinney lot lost bia his second wager sager too which be he could ill afford to do thia this visa ae the way of it it was very close to one when they resumed their seats alexander with patient disappointment reported that nothing at all had happened then the clock truck struck the bair and a taxi cab whirled madly up uv and came to a skidding stop tn in front of number 1313 A lady hastily descended A fashion ably gowned lady who fairly ran up the steps and before she had alma even to touch the bell the door swung open ao an I 1 she darted through the opening and was swallowed up tom was indignant and disgusted now what do you think of that giving the the slang giest lest sort of intonation he lie was of cours course thinking only of the outcome of the bet but van vechten had not heard the instant the woman appeared at the top of the stoop until then the cab had bad partially concealed her be he startled torn into forgetfulness forgetful nes of bis his disappointment by bounding from his bib chair at the same time he smothered an exclamation cla mation which although inarticulate was a good deal more indicative of agitation and amazement than toms bad had been what the dickens dic kenst 1 tom cried van vechten slowly sank back into hie his eat seat again 1 11 I II 1 thought tor a moment ino ment be he muttered vaguely it I 1 did not positively know to the contrary I 1 should say bay he lie left it unsaid however the cab turned and departed and the pang young man sat staring in a perplexed way at the closed door it v as as an silent and Ille illegible cible as it bad been for months the windows all as a irr e th the sooty as le tom still null hi ill friend la in bewilderment you by any chance think it was miss carew did you youl be he asked the other bent a startled look upon him paige heaveron He |