“There’s been something doing in this crib, or that Pawnee Indian would not have had so much interest in it,” he said to himself. “It appears to be unoccupied. I’ll nose around a bit and make sure of it. Then I’ll find out whether there’s only ten bucks for me in this job.” Nolan fixed in his mind the precise location of the house by counting from the end of the block. He then walked around to the next street, from which he stealthily picked his way through an alley until he could see the back of the suspected dwelling. It would have confirmed the suspicions of any discerning man. The drawn curtains, the soiled windows, the closed shutters of those in the rear yard--all denoted that the house, though furnished, had not been recently occupied, unless for some covert purpose. Nolan promptly came to another conclusion--that he would sneak into the house and see what more he could learn. He went about it with the skill and caution of a professional sneak thief, which he looked more like than anything else. He crept through the alley and into the yard back of the house, where he crouched briefly under the high board fence to study the back windows of all the near dwellings. Feeling sure that he had not been seen, he then took several skeleton keys from his pocket, quickly selecting one which he thought would serve his purpose. It did. Within half a minute Nolan had quietly unlocked the rear door and stepped noiselessly into a back basement hall, closing the door after him. There he waited and listened, scarce breathing, until five full minutes had passed. Not a sound came from any part of the house. Not a sign of life could be seen in the dusty, dimly lighted hall. Nolan then crept up the narrow stairway, still listening and alert. There seemed to be, however, no occasion for such exquisite caution. Nolan reached the next floor, that on the level with the front street. He peered into one room after another, but discovered nothing wrong. The kitchen looked cold and out of commission. The shutters were closed. The range and iron sink were smeared with vaseline to prevent rusting. Dust had collected on them, and they looked gray and dirty. The dining room was uninviting. The sideboard was destitute, the polished table bare. The library, sitting room, and parlor, all were in order, but dim, cheerless, and deserted. Nolan crept up to the next floor. He peered into two front chambers, both neatly furnished, but he saw nothing of special interest. He then stole toward the rear of the house. He came to the open door of an interior room, one having no window. It was lighted only from the hall, save the artificial light, then switched off. Nolan stopped and peered into this dim bedroom. Something on the unopened bed caught his eye--and Nolan involuntarily caught his breath.