s of the
boys, and go out on the other side of the block. In one way and out
the other--at night. Not necessary in the afternoon.... Come on now,
well go round the block."

A short walk round the block brought them into a shaded, wide street
with one of Middleville's parks on the left. A row of luxuriant elm
trees helped the effect of gloom. The nearest electric light was
across on the far corner, with trees obscuring it to some extent. At
the corner where Pepper halted there was an outside stairway running
up the old-fashioned building. The ground floor shops bore the signs
of a florist and a milliner; above was a photograph gallery; and the
two upper stories were apparently unoccupied. To the left of the two
stores another stairway led up into the center of the building. Pepper
led Lane up this stairway, a long, dark climb of three stories that
taxed Lane's endurance.

"Sure is a junk heap, this old block," observed Pepper, as he fumbled
in the dim light with his keys. At length he opened a door, turned on
a light and led Lane into his apartment. "I have three rooms here, and
the back one opens into a kind of areaway from which I get into an
abandoned storeroom, or I guess it's an attic. To-morrow afternoon
about three you meet me here and I'll take you in there and let you
have a look through the peep-hole I made. It's no use to-night,
because there'll be only boys at the club, and I'm going to take you
right in."

He switched off the light, drew Lane out and locked the door. "I'm the
only person who lives on this floor. There're three holes to this
burrow and one of them is at the end of this hall. The exit where the
girls slip out is on the floor below, through a hallway to that
outside stairs. Oh, I'll say it's a Coney Island maze, this building!
But just what these young rakes want.... Come on, and be careful.
It'll be dark and the stairs are steep."

At the end of the short hall Pepper opened a door, and led Lane down
steep steps in thick darkness, to another hall, dimly lighted by a
window opening upon the street.

"You'll have to make a bluff at playing poker, unless my butting in
with you causes a row," said Pepper, as he walked along. Presently he
came to a door upon which he knocked several times. But before it was
opened footsteps and voices sounded down the hall in the opposite
direction from which Pepper had escorted Lane.

"Guess they're just coming. Hard luck," said Pepper. "'Fraid you'll
not