Page:Arthur Stringer - The Door of Dread.djvu/300

 of a judicatory tribunal. For taking them all in all, she knew, they were as unsavory a quartette of intrigants and agents provocateur as ever skulked like rats through the sub-cellars of a nation's defenses. And the knowledge that she was a servant of that nation kept her courage up.

But Sadie had little more time to think of this, for Keudell had already given a curt command to Heinold.

"Lock that door!" he barked out.

As Heinold crossed to the door and locked it Keudell turned back to the still standing girl.

"Sit down!" he commanded.

She advanced a step or two to the worn leather chair, which had apparently been carefully placed for her, and sank languidly into it. This left her even more in the full glare of the light from the reflector of the green-topped reading-lamp on the table.

"Yuh might switch that electric," she mildly suggested.

"Why?" demanded Keudell.

Sadie sat intently regarding him. They watched each other warily, like boxers pondering the problem of how the first blow should strike. Then the