. But now, as he stood there in the
gray autumn light, with the wind sighing through the trees about
them and a fine snow beginning to drift down, the place seemed to
take on an uncanny atmosphere that, even though nothing worse could
happen, would have a depressing effect on the girl. It was too late
to back out, however. It would be hard to explain a sudden retreat
to the girl, and there was no time to be lost in trying to get the
information which he sought. Marsh glanced at his companion. She was
looking around with evident interest, and he was glad to note that
as yet she exhibited no signs of nervousness.

"I understand there is a caretaker here. Will you come up with me
while I ring the bell?"

The girl assented, and they climbed the wide steps over which the
autumn leaves were thickly scattered. Whether or not the bell rang,
Marsh could not tell, but certainly no sound came to them. He
decided to knock and struck the door with the knuckles of his
clenched hand. At the first blow, the door moved and swung inward.

A large hall stretched dimly before them. At one side, Marsh saw a
stairway and at the other a high curtained doorway, which probably
led to the drawing room. At the back of the hall seemed to be
another smaller doorway, but Marsh could not be sure in the dim
light. He was in a quandary. So far as he could see, the house was
deserted. Possibly the caretaker was spending his Sunday afternoon
with friends, and the door had been closed carelessly so that the
latch had not caught. Had Marsh been alone he would have welcomed
this opportunity to carefully inspect the house. The girl now
blocked such an attempt, for it was obviously unwise, for many
reasons, to ask her to accompany him into the house; and he could
not consider the idea of leaving her alone, even for a few minutes.
There was no alternative but to postpone his visit until the next
day.

Marsh stepped through the doorway, pulled the door closed, and tried
the knob to see that the door had latched securely. As he turned
away, he glanced toward the shrubbery that bordered the adjoining
woods. Although he turned instantly to the girl, and started to
assist her down the steps, Marsh's quick eyes had noted a man
crouching half-concealed in the shrubbery.

As they retraced their steps down the driveway, Marsh kept a firm
grasp on the automatic in his pocket while his eyes, without
apparent interest, continually watched the trees and shrubbery on