ANDERSON T

t's

smashed a

rew in

all alert at once, ran into the alc

ornelia saw him run past the French windows and disappear into blackness. Meanwhile Dale, her listlessness vanished before the shock of the strange occurrence, had gone to

ped the paper and sm

, round handwriting

ce! It is threatened with disaster w

as no s

wrote it?" asked

ightened up like a

calculated to make me stay here fore

the sheet of

ng may happe

That's the

nging again-thrilling, insistent

iss Cornelia as Billy came in from the hal

ring," he explained tersely,

ia issued i

y. Don't open it all the way. And get th

ered he

derson, let him in and t

d. Dale turned to her aunt,

on? Who

r a moment. Then she put her hand on Dale's

aving you here-but it might be be

anaged a wan smile. But Mi

this disturbance-something I d

tor was returning. She lowered her

s a detective from police

k of horror which the girl turned toward her appalled her. The youn

not understand why the news had stirred her niece so deeply. But there was no time

I think he's a sort of perambulating bedside gossip-and once i

er immaculate evening clothes, Dale was back on her favorite settee and Miss Corn

octor disgustedly, taking out a handkerchi

the letter of warning

ad the two crude sentences over-once-twice

ers like this

ed. "Pra

like a man with an unple

der, may I sp

test frankness," said tha

he letter. His face

to leave this house

sness, perversely enough, made her suddenly wish

e of a man who sees a warning, given in a

," he persisted. "You are not

tent in his attitude

e is as nearly impregnable as I can make it. The window locks are sound enough, the doors are locked, and the keys are there," she pointed to the keys lying on the table

uickly, still seeming unconvinc

nxious for you," he continued. "This l

se I have. Enemies are an

line pity and equally masculine ex

a little house but I'll make you comfortable. Or," he threw out his hands in the gestur

fe. And yet, some indefinable feeling-hardly strong enough to be called a premonition-kept her from accep

orrow I intend to equip this entire house with burglar alarms on doors and windows!" she went on defiantly. The incide

I knew it!" she said triumphantly. "

ittle taken aback. "O

om. "The only thing that worries me now is that broken French window," she said thoughtfully. "Anyone can reach

do?" said the Doctor, co

ornelia firmly, already struggling to lift one en

en them, the Doctor and Dale moved the heavy settee al

n the dusty task was fi

ure mover to get in the

rnelia

er hand to the Doctor, who bowed over it silently. "Don't keep this young lady up too

tor. Once again his voice had a note of plea in

"I have a great deal of mind," she sai

of the last word, she sailed out of the room,

little nettled by

ard Dale, "but forgive me if I say I think

e window. "Then you thin

r's eyes

mean something. Here you are-isolated the village two miles away

ld have found the ominous sentences more easy to discount. But this c

Aunt Cornelia have?"

usness. He took a cigarette from his case and tapped it on the case to e

unseen by her, he stepped noiselessly over to the table, took the matchbox there off its holder and slipped it into his po

atches-" he said with assumed careless

re any? I'll get you some," she said with autom

ghtly into the alcove and noiselessly unfastened the bolt on the terrace door which he had pretended to fasten after his search of the

sorry to trouble you-but tobacco is the one drug every

rew in the fragrant smoke with apparent gusto. But a momen

r a revolver?" he queried casua

ternoon to see if it would wo

thing-for goodness' sake stand behind her!" he advised. He

aid Dale slowly, "I shal

Doctor slightly-but only for a s

e Johnsons' on my way-one of their children is ill-or supposed to b

et him alone. Lock your bedroom doors and don't let anything bring you out till morning

y. "Good night, Doctor-Billy wi

careful, aren't you! The place is like

od gazing ahead at nothing, her face a mask of terror and apprehension. But it was like a curtain that had lifted for a mome

ew gardene

Billy stolidly

or open wide-to admit Miss Cornelia Van Gorder and a tall, strong-fea

ar, a battered derby, and stubby policeman's shoes. "Why this man's a gentleman!" she thought. "At least he looks like one-and ye

nelia with triumph in her v

ng away. Miss Cornelia, however, was obviously in fine feather and r

d briskly. "All the disturbances have

into the alcove, glanced about it s

t the main

here," Miss Cornelia waved her h

of the alcove and pause

the Housebreakers' Union these days," he said grimly. "Look at all that glas

t into the house evidently had a key to that door." Again she indicat

ng on the broken glass below the shattered French wi

was broken from the outside

tive had pulled aside a blind and

own in." She pointed to the threat

it down. All his movements were quick and sure-e

humor. "Curious, the anonymous letter complex! App

lia took u

" she said. "This house belonged to the late C

Union

t had a really quiet night since I came. The very first night I saw a

ale sympathetically. "A

I know so little about these things, Mr. Anderson, that if I didn't hit a burglar, I knew I'd hit somebody or something!" and she ga

tary start, then his eye

y. "I like to get in the papers as much as anybody

h quiet equanimity that she merely replaced the revolver in the drawer, with

inary survey of the ro

think anybody has got u

regarded the

have been so full of the exploits of this criminal they call the B

tive smil

such an air of mystery that it verges on the s

onnection." She looked at Anderson to see how he would take the sug

a theory," he said. "And the Bat is

mebody has been trying to get int

o be revolving a

stored her

elia nodd

ha

aliciously. "Eleven bottles o

at it, shook his head. "I'd forget the Bat in all this. You can always tell when the

right. "His name? I thoug

s named him the Bat because he moved with incredible rapidity, always at night, and by sign

striving to seem unimpressed. "These

ine of a bat at the scene of the crime. Once, in some wa

Cornelia's hands gave an involuntary twitch as her knitting needles clicked

in this house,

g to leave the room. "Lizzie Allen-who has been my personal maid ever since I was a child-the J

lowly out into the hall. The detective gave her a single, sharp glance as she

u can have a good night's sleep tonight. I

some coffee to

" His voice sank lower. "Do

izzie,

ldn't tell anyone I'm remai

lia's mind. "You don't suspect my

the more pronounced because

ny chances," he s