er him. At the far end of the hall
was a staircase; and he went toward this with padded feet. The flight of
stairs ran straight ahead; at the top was a turn and a blank,
hand-smutted wall faced him. From somewhere in the hall above, unseen by
him, a brilliant light was burning; and it fell upon the flat space at
the top of the steps unwaveringly. Two grotesque shadows lay upon the
wall, swollen and distorted and making uncouth gestures.

"Ah," said Bat, still at the bottom of the flight. "There they are,
talking it over."

As he stood looking and listening he caught a rustling of skirts, light
footsteps and the sound of a woman's voice from somewhere in the regions
above. In a few moments this was followed by a frightened squeak, a
chorus of startled and indignant voices, and then down the stairway upon
him charged two rather pretty girls, somewhat over-dressed, both chewing
gum and talking shrilly.

"It's that big boob that's taken eleven, on the third," said one. "He
looks like a scarecrow. What does he mean by hanging around like that,
frightening people?"

"I'm going to go to Mrs. Dolan," said the other, energetically. "A body
can't come through these halls any more without a body-guard."

Then, for the first time, they caught sight of Bat, and again the
squeaks sounded.

"It's all right," nodded the big athlete. "Don't be afraid."

"My goodness! ain't it awful!" cried one of the young women. "I'll be
scared stiff all night."

They scurried down the hall and Bat heard the street door bang after
them.

"Eleven, on the third." Scanlon considered this. "That must mean room
eleven, on the third floor. And so," a little wrinkle of wonderment
appearing between his eyes, "the slim one has taken a room here, has
he?"

He glanced up the stairs; the shadows had disappeared from the wall, and
he could hear a scuffling of feet as of some one moving upward.

"They're on the next flight," he said. "So I guess this one's all right
to negotiate now."

Quietly, he ascended the stairs. The hall on the second floor was
deserted; overhead he could hear the tread of the two men as they passed
along; so, without hesitation, he mounted to that level. As he stood on
the landing with only a turn between him and the hall, he heard a door
close.

"All right," said he. "They've gone into their room."

He rounded the turn and saw another dirty passage, with several naked
incandescent lamps lighting it; a half dozen doors open