Copyright, 1919
By SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
(INCORPORATED)
Second Printing, August, 1919
CONTENTS
THE SECRET HOUSE
CHAPTER I
A man stood irresolutely before the imposing portals of Cainbury House,a large office building let out to numerous small tenants, andharbouring, as the indicator on the tiled wall of the vestibuletestified, some thirty different professions. The man was evidentlypoor, for his clothes were shabby and his boots were down at heel. Hewas as evidently a foreigner. His clean-shaven eagle face was sallow,his eyes were dark, his eyebrows black and straight.
He passed up the few steps into the hall and stood thoughtfully beforethe indicator. Presently he found what he wanted. At the very top of thelist and amongst the crowded denizens of the fifth floor was a slipinscribed:
"THE GOSSIP'S CORNER"
He took from his waistcoat pocket a newspaper cutting and compared thetwo then stepped briskly,[Pg 6] almost jauntily, into the hall, as though allhis doubts and uncertainties had vanished, and waited for the elevator.His coat was buttoned tightly, his collar was frayed, his shirt had seenthe greater part of a week's service, the Derby hat on his head hadundergone extensive renovations, and a close observer would have noticedthat his gloves were odd ones.
He walked into the lift and said, "Fifth floor," with a slight foreignaccent.
He was whirled up, the lift doors clanged open and the grimy finger ofthe elevator boy indicated the office. Again the man hesitated,examining the door carefully. The upper half was of toughened glass andbore the simple inscription:
"THE GOSSIP'S CORNER.
KNOCK."
Obediently the stranger knocked and the door opened through an invisibleagent, much to the man's surprise, though there was nothing more magicalabout the phenomenon than there is about any electrically controlle