ewhere,"
said Bat, to himself. "What's the idea?"

However, Nora only remained at the window for a few moments; then she
disappeared in the direction from which she had come. In Bat's mind was
a picture of two lurking men, the lank desperado, and the mild looking,
yet murderous, Swiss; and he felt a chill of fear as he gazed into the
darkness which had swallowed the girl up. A moment or two passed, then
he heard the quick br-r-r-r! of an electric bell from the house.

"The door-bell," said Bat. "Through the sound of a hundred others I'd
match myself to pick the one attached to the door of any house. They are
all of the same family."

Another little pause; then he saw Nora in the sitting-room, the nurse
behind her, and the sick girl reaching out her hand gladly. Bat breathed
a sigh of relief.

"All right," said he. "Inside, she's not so likely to meet those
gentlemen."

The nurse disappeared from the sitting-room; Nora sat down and began to
talk with the invalid, earnestly. Outside all was still; after a little,
Bat searched the surrounding shadows intently for anything that might
indicate the whereabouts of Big Slim and Bohlmier; but the darkness was
silent and complete. The windows of the houses opposite and adjoining
were lighted; from one some little distance away came the faint tinkling
of a mandolin, and the deeper sounding strings of a guitar; from still
another came fresh young voices singing an evening hymn. Figures could
be seen through the windows or silhouetted upon the shades; at one Bat
saw a tiny girl and a very large dog who seemed her especial chum; they
romped gaily; Bat heard the child laugh and the dog bark.

"Nice," he mused. "Nice and homey. Regular Sunday night stuff in the
bosom of the family. But no sign of the two gentlemen who did the
shadowing. They are lying low, I guess, same as I am."

He gave his attention once more to the sitting-room; Nora and the sick
girl were still engaged in conversation. As Bat looked, Nora took a
crumpled newspaper page from her hand-bag, as though it were a part of
what she was telling. The girl in the chair lifted herself up, eagerly,
took the paper in her hand and read the staring head-lines. Then Bat saw
it flutter to the floor, he saw her sit upright for a moment, gazing at
Nora with wide-opened eyes; she sank back suddenly and heavily upon the
cushions.

"Fainted!" said Bat, excitedly, leaning forward. He saw Nora arise
quickly and bend over the gir