The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1873-07-10

rious neglect, aud might cost you
your situation if known at head
quarters; but as you are a poor
man, old fellow, aud not gener-
ally re,niss, will conceal your
fault this time, and caution you
about it tomorrow" fra1l
With the view of closing the
traps, I crept softly up the four
broad flights of stairs to begin my
task at the fifth floor, 1t was 80
dark on the stairs that l had TO
feel my way chiefly, but then !
knew every inch Of the building,
and easily made my way to the
roof. ia .'F Rr fr .s
In those days, l should have
stated, there were no steam-ele-
vators in stores, and goods were
hoisted or lowered, a bale or box
at time, by means of huge
pendent rope, to which an iron
hook was attached. This was
worked by the porter, who manip-
ulated another large rope applied
to that mechanical power known
as the wheel and axle. Such was
our hoisting apparatus. -
When reached the fifth floor,
| found that objects were quite
distinguishable, owing 10 the mel.
low light which tho moon supplied
through the sky-lights. To this
cay | remember the peculiar
shudder that ran over, me rs !
found myself up there under the
roof, alone with the great bales
and boxes, from whose shadows
it was natural to imagine the hid.
eous. faces Of burglars leeIing al
me. R
Awed by the silence, atood
moment at the head of the stair.
way, and it just now occurred to
INC that the mysterious robber
might have got in through the
skylights. At the same moment
| was startled by seeing, in the
dim light, the figure of a man
moving among the boxes and
bales, SO noisclessly and 80 per-
fccily at ease that he did not seem
to be earthly. My first thought
was actually of ghosts, and 1 felt
an impulse to rush headlong down
stairs; but an instant's reflection
told me that the figure was that
OF man and very probably the
very man | had been looking for.
So, moving slightly, 40 as to stand
in the shadow Of a pillar,I watched
his movements.
No, it was not a ghost. Ghosts
go not about among the rich
goods OF Wholesale house, quietly
collecting valuable little packages
from newly arrived boxes Of silks
ard tying them together in con
venient bundles. This party did.
He was a man-aDd a big man,
too. .sTThiaf Bt@ c' erflrF
His movements at last brought
him to within ten feet Of me, and
felt that the time had come. He
was evidently larger than myself,
but tho consciousness that 1 was
in an honest cause nerved me
and / sprang from my covert, and
grasred hm around tho body. az
lie dropped his bundle, utter
ing a startled exclamation, but re.
covered his self-possession almost
instantly, and strove to free him.
self. Then began a desperate
struggle --on' his own part for Ito.
eriy, on my part probably for life.
We reeled hitler and thitller,
swayiDg against boxes and pillars,
falling to tho aocr, and rolling
over and over with clatter that
walked the building to its founda-
ton; and finally, still struggling,
once more rose to our feet. AT
last his strength proved superior
to mine, and l,e succeeded in dis
engaging himself, when he, hurled
me from him, aud sent mo stag :
gering soIrc feet. We stood an
instant confronting each other,and
10 that instant 1 recognized him.
"Joe Williams !" / exclaimed,
or rather gaspcd, for my breath
was nearly gone.
"Yes, il was Joe Williams the
porter tho good-natnred and
reputedly honest fellow, who had
ocen for years in the service Of
B. II Go. Heg was OH the
point OF fleeing when. / spoke, but
ho now confronted me fiercely,
cxclaiming = sasL - slac
"Yes, Harvey Slater; bnt you
shall not live 70 expose mei''. -
As he spoke he drew a heavy
ain ola horro1od n;ofol4 aud lavalad