hind her in the house;
and equally frightened at us.

I call to her: "Come to the door. Can't you come to the door and open
it?" I pointed to the basement gate. "Open it! Can you hear me?"

"Yes--I can hear you, and you speak my language. But you--you will not
hurt me? Where am I? This--this was my house a moment ago. I was
living here."

Demented! It flashed to me. An insane girl, locked in this empty
house. I gripped Larry; said to him: "Take it easy; there's something
queer about this. We can't smash windows. Let's--"

"You open the door," he called to the girl.

"I cannot."

"Why? Is it locked on the inside?"

"I don't know. Because--oh, hurry! If he--if it comes again--!"

* * * * *

We could see her turn to look behind her.

Larry demanded, "Are you alone in there?"

"Yes--now. But, oh! a moment ago he was here!"

"Then come to the door."

"I cannot. I don't know where it is. This is so strange and dark a
place. And yet it was my home, just a little time ago."

Demented! And it seemed to me that her accent was very queer. A
foreigner, perhaps.

She went suddenly into frantic fear. Her fists beat the window glass
almost hard enough to shatter it.

"We'd better get her out," I agreed. "Smash it, Larry."

"Yes." He waved at the girl. "Get back. I'll break the glass. Get away
so you won't get hurt."

The girl receded into the dimness.

"Watch your hand," I cautioned. Larry took off his coat and wrapped
his hand and the brick in it. I gazed behind us. The street was still
empty. The slight commotion we had made had attracted no attention.

The girl cried out again as Larry smashed the pane. "Easy," I called
to her. "Take it easy. We won't hurt you."

The splintering glass fell inward, and Larry pounded around the
casement until it was all clear. The rectangular opening was fairly
large. We could see a dim basement room of dilapidated furniture: a
door opening into a back room; the girl; nearby, a white shape
watching us.

There seemed no one else. "Come on," I said. "You can get out here."

But she backed away. I was half in the window so I swung my legs over
the sill. Larry came after me, and together we advanced on the girl,
who shrank before us.

Then suddenly she ran to meet us, and I had the sudden feeling that
she was not insane. Her fear of us was overshadowed by her terror at
something else in this dark, deserted house. The terror communicated
itse