Suddenly she heard him again, very close this time. He ran up the first few steps of the attic stairs outside and paused. A thin pencil of light ran under the closed door of the room in which she sat. It touched her foot and vanished, and there was silence again. Very slowly she rose and stood waiting.
He went back. She heard him distinctly. He had decided that the top floor was unused. After a long interval she heard him down in the hall again.
Amanda considered the fire escape but changed her mind. The police would respond to Meg’s call immediately, but the fog was very thick and might delay them. It seemed a pity that the burglar should get away without being seen. She decided to go down.
Once having made up her mind, she crept over to the door. The first flight of stairs seemed to p
