Page:Ghost Stories v02n02 (1927-02).djvu/35

 PAWN OF THE UNSEEN 33

corner, and clothed in the dignity of death was the body of Martin Grimm, as though he had never moved from the place.

But the chair where the professional mourner had sat was empty, and he was nowhere to be seen in the room,

“Old Funnyface is gone,” said Marius.

“You mean that you think he was taken?” inquired Terry.

“Well, something of that was in my mind,” conceded Marius.

Terry paused, his head bent in a listening attitude.’ He had heard a sound outside the door.

“What's that?” he whispered.

They both listened intently. It was a slight sound, almost like the ghostly footsteps they had heard in this house.

“Tt's coming this way,” whispered Marius.



The door opened silently as if moved by an unseen hand and old Funnyface stood in the opening The old man looked at them with a mild aston- ishment—first at one. then at the other. Then he looked around the room care- fully, as though ex-

pecting to find some one else there.

There was no one, and he looked at the two again.

“Didn’t one of youse open the door for me?”

He gazed at them in astonishment. They shook their heads, and Terry replied:

“No, we’ve been standing right here—nowhere near the door.”

“I didn’t open that ’ar door. One of youse opened it. What yer tryin’ t’do, kid me?” He paused, then added bel- ligerently: “I'm gettin’ too old fer that kinda stuff!”

Terry and Marius looked at each other in amazement.

It was Terry who spoke first. “Another one of their tricks, I guess.”

“Tt is,” agreed Marius. one ear.

“Where'’ve you been?” he demanded, not unkindly.

“Washin’ my hands, if it’s all the same to you. A habit I contracted in my youth, gents.”

He turned from them and took his place in the chair next to the bier of Martin Grimm.

Over his head Marius and Terry looked at each other and almost laughed, although they were very far from being in a hilarious or merry mood,

As they turned to go, Terry paused and spoke to the old man:

“Keep your eyes open this time, will you?

He turned to the ancient with

There have

There in the darkness, ad- vanced and receded a yellow, fiendish face

been some pretty peculiar things happening around here——”’

“Has there?” asked the old man. “I didn’t notice.”

“Well, just see that the body you're supposed to be watch- ing stays right where it is,” warned Terry, and the two men went out of the door of the death chamber.

The descent into the lower part of the house was familiar to them, as they had made their entrance through the base- ment, by way of the kitchen. There was, at the end of the basement hall, a dark stairway leading into the cellar—one that was seldom used, as they could see by the cobwebs.

“Can you find the switch?” asked Terry.

Marius fumbled around for the switch that is usually at the head of most cellar

stairs, but his fingers could uot locate it. He turned his flashlight onto the wall, but could find no sign-of any switch.

“T don’t see any here,” he muttered.

“Probably there isn’t any. This is one of those old- fashioned houses that were piped for gas first, and later wired for electricity. Come on, we'll use our flashlights. Perhaps there is a bulb in the cellar.”

"TERRY leading the way, they walked down the narrow stairs leading into the cellar. At the foot of the stairs they came up against a blank door. Terry pushed it, and got nowhere for the effort, for it appeared to be locked.

“Looks as if it’s locked,” he muttered.

“Let me at it,” requested Marius, and Terry squeezed up against the wall to let Marius crowd in where he could manipulate the lock. It was no use—it was a spring lock, and it was snapped shut.

“Now what?” asked Terry, flashing his light on the lock.

“Simple enough,” said Marius, taking out the cold-chisel they had used during the night to effect an entrance intu the kitchen.

It was just a wooden door, although the lock was a strong one, and Marius inserted the chisel into a crack, secured a good leverage, and pushed down hard. In an instant the door flew open, lock and catch and chain hanging useless as it swung inward.

The cellar in front of them was pitch black, anda damp smell came to their nostrils—the (Continued on puge 91)