Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-05-23
MAY MoREIAND.
CHAPTER XI.
BY NJ. A. RIED.

lGA softly back up the flights of
" stairs, until they reached the
floor on which was the room where
the fat man had been found. They
entered the room opposite this one
and quietly sat down. 1t was dark,
so very dark that they could not see
each others faces. Sleep was far
from the eyelids of Clifton; but soon
the heavy breathing of his companion
told that if he saw or thought of Nor
ton again that night, it would be in
the land of dreams.
One, two, three hours passed and
still Clifton sat there intently listen
ing to the faintest sound.
Had Norton escaped or was he still
in the house? He could not have
gone down the other flight Of stairs,
for if he had he would have met the
policeman coming up. Was there
any other way by which he could
have gone down? None, save the
windows, and he could not have es-
capped from one Of them at that dis
lance from the ground. If he had
reached the ground, would not the
men on watch below have discovered
him? AS these thoughts passed
through the mind of Clifton, he sud
denly remembered having noticed
that the roof of a house near this one
projected to within six or eight feet
of the windows on one side. A man
might stand in one of the windows
and leap on the roof of the adjacent
building. The idea was little eX'
travagant, but the more he thought
of it the more he felt convinced that
Norton had by some means taken
refuge on that roof, or that he was
concealed about the house.
He paused in his meditations ano
started. Was it q mistake? Had he
grown nervous from watching, or die
he hear slight sound on the stairs
without? He held his breath anC
listened. He was almost sure HI
heard the faint echo of a shOeless foo
treading stealthily in the hall. Wha
to do he knew not. To awaken thu
sleeping man would furnish warning
to any one very near. He waited
while, then hearing nothing more h
rose to his feet, pistol in hand, ant
stepped noislessly out into the hall
AS he stood there he heard again tn
stealthy step of bootless feet, and thel
the door of the opposite room SWUNG
softly to; the key turned slowly il
the lock; there was sharp click a
the bolt caught, and then all was 81
lent as the tomb.
Clifton stood a moment in dee
thought. If he left the hall to wake
the sleeping man, this person Nigh
escape; and even if he succeeded i
waking the sleeper without any nois
might not the person secrete himse
as he had done before and thus the
would miss their game and destrO
all hope of catching him without al
other tiresome hunt. No, there We
something better to be done than thu
he was armed, he would waite
there in the hall till day; then the
would have the advantage Of seem
how their game escaped if he did g
away.
He stepped noislessly across Il
hall and stood at the door of Il
room. A faint clicking sound can
from within, and once sOmethir
which sounded like a small, hal
substance, fell to the floor; it was
bullet, he knew at once. No 9th
sound came from the room thatnigf
for Clifton kept his place sleeple
and watchful.
At length the gray light of NOR
ing fell around him. The policemi
awoke and finding himself alo
stepped out into the hall. He look
at Clifton in surprise, who pointed
the closed door and related in a lC
tone his nights adventure. The I
licemm tried the door; it was fl
Re placed his shoulder and fC
against it and forcing it open spra
into the room. followed bY CliftC