Page:Arthur Stringer - The Door of Dread.djvu/326

 paneled door, pressing as deep into the shadow of its frame as she could. She saw Keudell, with his hat already on his head, step toward the stairs. She saw Andelman reach out a hand to grasp the banister before the closing door behind him again left the hallway in darkness. She heard the sound of the lock and the second clink and tinkle of the portière-rings. And she knew that this door on her right had been locked by some one still within the room. She could at the same time hear the steps of the two men descending the stairs.

She stood listening intently, for the direction of their advance was a matter of vast moment to her. Before those steps reached the bottom of the stairs, however, she heard them come to a stop. She caught a whispered word or two and then the sound of the men as they hurriedly reascended the treads, stopped again and listened. At the same time, from somewhere below-stairs, she heard the dull thud of a door being quickly closed.

While she stood speculating as to whether or not this could be the street-door which had suddenly opened and shut, a vague flare of light showed somewhere deep in the well of the stairway. This brought her creeping forward to the banister. Then she