Page:Arthur Stringer - The Door of Dread.djvu/268

 to the open hand-bag. As he stooped over this hand-bag and carefully lifted something from it her hand shot out and the glass of beer it held was poured into the headless statute of Columbus that stood at the center of the table.

Then she lounged back in her chair and held the emptied glass to her lips. As Shindler slowly walked toward her she was apparently engaged in draining the last of her drink. So intent was she on this maneuver that she did not at first notice what Shindler had taken from his bag.

But as he placed it carefully on the table she saw that it was a tin box about five inches high and some eight inches long. To one end of it was wired a bit of mechanism that looked like a small clock without its metal casing.

She blinked up at Shindler as the latter leaned over it and stared down into her face.

"That's what your gum-shoe man is goin' to tail into!" he announced.

The girl put her empty glass down on the table-edge. She did it a little unsteadily.

"What is it?" she asked, as she rubbed her forehead. For the second time Shindler intently studied her face.