按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
thing in antiques！ He's a queer old fool。 Afraid people would know
he had money if he kept it in the bank … afraid of a bank； too。
Understand？ We found out that every once in a while he'd change a
lot of small bills for a big one … five…hundred…dollar bills
… thousand…dollar bills。 That put us wise。 We began to watch him。
It took months to find where he hid it。 We've spent night after
night searching through his shop。 You can get in easily。 There's
no one there … upstairs is just a storage place for his extra stock。
There's a big padlock on the back door； but there's a false link in
the chain … count three links to the right from the padlock … we
put it there； and …〃
Gypsy Nan's voice had become almost inaudible。 She pulled at Rhoda
Gray's wrist again； urging her closer。
〃Listen … quick！ I … my strength！ she panted。 〃An antique he
never sells … old escritoire against rear wall … secret drawer
… take out wide middle drawer … reach in and rub your hand along
the top … you'll feel the spring。 We waited to … to get … get
counterfeits … put counterfeits there … understand？ Then he'd
never know he'd been robbed … not for a long time anyway
… discovered perhaps when he was dead … old wife … suffer then
… I … got to make good … make good … I …〃 She came up suddenly
on both her elbows； the dark eyes staring wildly。 〃Yes； yes！〃
she whispered。 〃Seven…three…nine！ Look out！〃 Her voice rang
with sudden terror； rising almost to a scream。 〃Look out！ Can't
you understand； you fool！ I've told you！ Seven…three…nine！
Seven…three。。。
Rhoda Gray's arms had gone around the other's shoulders。 She heard
the door open…and then a quick； light step。 There wasn't any other
sound now。 She made way mechanically for the nurse。 And then；
after a moment； she rose from her knees。 The nurse answered her
unspoken question。
〃Yes； it's over。〃
III。 ALIAS GYPSY NAN
Rhoda Gray went slowly from the room。 In a curiously stunned sort
of way she reached the street； and for a few blocks walked along
scarcely conscious of the direction she was taking。 Her mind was
in turmoil。 The night seemed to have been one of harrowing
hallucination； it seemed as though it were utterly unreal； like one
dreaming that one is dreaming。 And then； suddenly； she looked at
her watch； and the straight little shoulders squared resolutely back。
The hallucination； if she chose to call it that； was not yet over！
It was twenty minutes of one； and there was still Skarbolov's … and
her promise。
She quickened her pace。 She did not like this promise that she had
made； but； on the other hand； she had not made it either lightly or
impulsively。 She had no regrets on that score。 She would make it
again under the same conditions。 How could she have done otherwise？
It would have been to stand aside and permit a crime to be committed
which she was assured was easily within her power to prevent。 What
excuse could she have had for that？ Fear wasn't an excuse。 She
did not like the thought of entering the back door of a store in
the middle of the night like a thief； and； like a thief； taking away
that hidden money。 She knew she was going to be afraid； horribly
afraid … it frightened her now … but she could not let that fear
make a moral coward of her。
Her hands clenched at her sides。 She would not allow herself to
dwell upon that phase of it！ She was going to Skarbolov's； and
that was all there was to it。 The only thing she really had to
fear was that she should lose even a single unnecessary moment in
getting there。 Halfpast one； Gypsy Nan had said。 That should give
her ample time； but the quicker she went； the wider the； margin of
safety。
Her thoughts reverted to Gypsy Nan。 What had the woman meant
by her last few wandering words？ They had nothing to do with
Skarbolov's； that was certain； but the words came back now
insistently。 〃Seven…three…nine。〃 What did 〃seven…three…nine〃
mean？ She shook her head helplessly。 Well； what did it matter？
She dismissed further consideration of it。 She repeated to herself
Gypsy Nan's directions for finding the spring of the secret drawer。
She forced herself to think of anything that would bar the entry
of that fear which stood lurking at the threshold of her mind。
From time to time she consulted her watch … and each time hurried
the faster。
It was five minutes past one when； stealing silently along a black
lane； and counting against the skyline the same number of buildings
she had previously counted on the street from the corner； she
entered an equally black yard； and reached the back door of
Skarbolov's little store。 She felt out with her hands and found
the padlock； and her fingers pressed on the link in the chain that
Gypsy Nan had described。 It gave readily。 She slipped it free；
and opened the door。 There was faint； almost inaudible； protesting
creak from the hinges。 She caught her breath quickly。 Had anybody
heard it？ It … it had seemed like a cannon shot。 And then her lips
curled in sudden self…contempt。 Who was there to hear it？
She stepped forward； closed the door silently behind her； and drew
out her flashlight。 The ray cut through the blackness。 She was
in what seemed like a small； outer storeroom； that was littered
with an untidy collection of boxes； broken furniture； and odds and
ends of all sorts。 Ahead of her was an open door； and； through
this； the flashlight disclosed the shop itself。 She switched off
the light now as she moved forward…there were the front windows；
and； used too freely； the light might by some unlucky chance be
noticed from the street。
And now； in the darkness again； she reached the doorway of the
shop。 She had not made any noise。 She assured herself of that。
She had never known that she could move so silently before … and
… and … Yes； she would fight down this panic that was seizing her！
She would！ It would only take a minute now … just another minute
… if … if she would only keep her head and her nerve。 That was
what Gypsy Nan had said。 She only needed to keep her nerve。 She
had never lost it in the face of many a really serious danger when
with her father … why should she now； when there was nothing but
the silence and the darkness to be afraid of！
The flashlight went on again； its ray creeping inquisitively now
along the rear wall of the shop。 It held finally on an escritoire
over in the far corner at her right。
Once more the light went out。 She moved swiftly across the floor；
and in a moment more was bending over the escritoire。 And now；
with her body hiding the flashlight's rays from the front windows；
she examined the desk。 It was an old…fashioned； spindle…legged
affair； with a nest of pigeonholes and multifarious little drawers。
One of the drawers； wider than any of the others； and in the center；
was obviously the one to which Gypsy Nan referred。 She pulled out
the drawer； and in the act of reaching inside； suddenly drew back
her hand。 What was that？ Instinctively she switched off the
flashlight； and stood tense and rigid in the darkness。
A minute passed…another。 Still she listened。
There was no sound … unless … unless she could actually hear the
beating of her heart。 Fancy！ Imagination！ The darkness played
strange tricks！ It … it wasn't so easy to keep one' s nerve。 She
could have sworn that she had heard some sort of movement back
there down the shop。
Angry with herself； she thrust her hand into the opening now and
felt hurriedly around。 Yes； there it was！ Her fingers touched
what was evidently a little knob or button。 She pressed upon it。
There was a faint； answering click。 She turned on the flashlight
again。 What had before appeared to be nothing but one of the wide；
pearl inlaid partitions between two of the smaller drawers； was
protruding invitingly outward now by the matter of an inch or so。
Rhoda Gray pulled it open。 It was very shallow； scarcely
three…quarters of an inch in depth； but it was quite long enough；
and quite wide enough for its purpose！ Inside； there lay a little
pile of banknotes； banknotes of very large denomination … the one
on top was a thousand…dollar bill。
She reached in and took out the money…and then from Rhoda Gray's
lips there came a little cry； the flashlight dropped from her hand
and smashed to the floor； and she was clinging desperately to the
edge of the escritoire for support。 The shop was flooded with light。
Over by the side wall； one hand still on the electric…light switch；
the other holding a leveled revolver； stood a man。
And then the man spoke … with an oath … with curious amazement：
〃My God … a woman！〃
She did not speak； or stir。 It seemed as though not fear； but
horror now； held her powerless to move her limbs。 Her first swift
brain…flash had been that it was one of Gypsy Nan's accomplices
here ahead of the appointed time。 That would have given her cause；
all too much of cause； for fear； but it was not one of Gypsy Nan's
accomplices； and； far worse than the fear of any physical attack
upon her； was the sense of ruin and disaster that the realization
of a quite different and more desperate situation brought her now。
She knew