Page 13 (1/2)

His back was toward the office He stood face toward the

curve of the drive toward the road, where any one entering would first

be seen Gordon, peeping around his curtain, knew the dark figure as he

would have known his own shadow In one sense it had been for years his

shadow, and that added to the horror of it The man behind the curtain

watched, the , crouched at the

threshold of the door, watched hat sublimated sense God alone

knehich enabled him to know as much as his master, and now and then

caan to formulate a theory in his mind He

remembered suddenly the man whoaith his man to make a call upon some patient He suspected,

with an intensity which became a certainty, that the man knew that

Clemency and Elliot were out and would presently return, and that it was

for theht of the sick wolad that her rooony lest she should be disturbed

Doctor Gordon was usually a man of resources, but now he did not knohat to do The dark figure on the park-drive ht arnificant Gordon knew that he was holding a revolver in readiness In

the event of Aaron returning alone he would probably be puzzled, and

Gordon thought that he ht slip away In the event of Jaht that he knew conclusively what

he purposed--a bullet for Jairl, unless he

was hindered

Gordon let the curtain slip back into place, and with a warning gesture

to the dog, as ready for action, he tiptoed across the room to the

table, in a drawer of which he kept his own revolver He opened the

drawer softly, and rued with careful hands No revolver was there

He ed, but the weapon

was certainlyHe stood undecided for ain a whisper the dog to follow He crept

upstairs and paused at a closed cha at once spoke "Is that you, dear?" she said

"Yes, I wanted to tell you not to be frightened, dear, if you should

hear a shot or the dog bark"

There was a rustling in the dark roo

up in bed "Oh, Toh "Nothing at all," he replied, "except there's a

fox or soet a shot at

him Do you knohere my revolver is?"

"Why, where you always keep it, dear, in the table drawer in the

office"

"I don't seeuess I will take your little pistol"

"Oh, Too off Clemency tried it

the other day You re