The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-26
xvii.
Rain.


as he said:
It's all right. He's there. ! saw him
go in a half-hour ago."
Very good. My man, Sweetwater.' ex-
planned Mr.. Gryce, turning for an instant
towards me; then, in hurried tones to the
Eother, do you know on which floor he is
Ito be found; and whether the man at the
bar suspects what's up?'
IF he does, he's pretty quiet about it.
All looks natural inside. But you can't
tell what whispers have gone about AS
for him, he's chosen his place with his
usual indifference to consequences. He's
In one of the attic rooms. sir, well back
and can be reached from the outside by
means Of a shed that slopes up almost
to the window-ledge. If he wanted to es-
cape, he could easily do so by drop Of
only four feet. But I have left man
on watch there and our young gentle
man would fall into arms that wouldn't
let him go in a hurry Will you come
around that way? There's light IN the
window and there's neither curtain nor
shade to hinder q mans looking In.
Iup on the roof l spoke
of and take peep at our doves before we
venture upon disturbing them"
1T can do no harm rejoined the older
tdetective; land if the girl is where she
can be seen, this gentleman can go up
afterwards and identify her. IT will
mean surer and quieter work than ap-
preaching them by the stairway. The
house is full, I SUPPOSE"
Chuck" And with this characteris-
tic word Sweetwater melted before us as
If he had been caught up in one OF the
swirls of wind and rain that ever and
anon swept through the alley dashing our
faces with wet and making our feet I'M
steady on the slippery pavement
SDa1 ctroy, and n W
self The night. the storm the uncon-
genial place, our more than unconsen1al
errand were having their effect, lending
TO Il at dark entrance into one or the
worst corners CT our great city sense OF
mysterious awe which has caused it to re-
main in my memory as something quite
out of the ordinary experiences OF life.
1t was not long alley. and we soon
reached the light have mentioned. we
could hear voices now, loud voices raised
one moment in contention the next IN
drunken cheer and thrilling through 1T
all, a won ans tones singing some De-
wildering melody 1t was not the voice
of Mile feurs. l could never have mis-
taken that-but it was young voice, ana
did not lack sweetness In the low noteS.
AS / was listening to it, something flew
Tapping into my face. 1t was piece OF
damp paper peeled from some billboard
through the air. l tore it away from
my eyes drawing a deep breath like a
person suddenly released from suffoca
ton: but I shall not forget the effect of
that cold slap in the face at the moment
when my every nerve was on tension.
MIR. Gryce, who had seen nothing--it was
Hardly possible to see in the deluge which
new swept down upon us,-gave me pull
which drew. me from before the swinging
door I was unconsciously making for, into
corner where I found myself more or
less shielded from the wind if not from
the rain. The alley had an L, and lead
ing down from this l. was a narrow pass
age, within which we now stood, sur
rounded by. reeking walls and facing
whenever the fury of the storm abated
sufficiently for us to look up) an opening
into what might be called a labyrinth OF
back yards. AS l was bracing myself to
meet all alarms, real or imaginary, asso-
ciated with this noisome place, beheld
sudden figure emerge from The opening
and hastily approach us. 1t was Sweet
water again. He had just descended from
his Chamber over the roofs, where he
seemed to be as much at home as a cat.
'Lreky that it rains so.' he painted;
''keeps the kids in. Otherwise some Of
us would have been spotted long ago
There are about fifty Of them in this one
house" Then I heard him whisper in the
ear that was necessarily very near mine
'It's all right up there. | can see his
figure plainly. He's sitting with his
back to the window, but there's no mis-
taking Leighton Gillespie. He's in din.
ner dress, Just as he came from his owl
table in Fifth avenue The girl"
well, what Of the girl?"
'Is in one Of her heavy sleeps. I coult
not see her face. only her hair, which
hung all about her"
IT would know her hair" I put in
The two men drew step aside ant
whispered together. Then Mr.. Gryc,
came back, and, putting his mouth to m!
ear, asked If | had enough agility t
mount the shed as Sweetwater had done
'He says the wood is slippery, but Thu
climb up quite practicable for an agil
man. He had no difficulty, and If yol
will catch hold Of the window castings al
you go along
Let me see the place" said I.
Sweetwater at once drew me down tn
passage into the open place in the rear
Here wind and storm had their will again
and for moment | could neither hea
nor see anything but vast eXpanse o
hollow darkness, lit here and there witt
misty lights, and reverberating with al
sorts of sounds, among which the shrek
ing wind walled longest and most fu
riously.
up There. Cdlleu NOlCe III my cal
and then became aware of an arm point
ing over my shoulder towards a dark in
cline running up over flight of stairs
upon the lower step of which | had al
most stumbled. That's your road. Ca
you take it?
tanning my hat over my head locke
up. A lighted square met my eyes in tn
blank side of the wall against which thi
none too desirable road, as he called it
ran up
1.-THE window is wide open,' said I.
"As you see,'' said he.
II shall make noise; he will hea
me"
HE didn't hear me-
That's no proof he won't hear me
But 1 forget the gale. and that sound
what is it,"
Tin cans rafting; loose in some gut
ter, | suppose
ut is Internal" Then with sudde
resolutions resolution hardly under
stand, for ! certainly did not feel calle
upon to risk either self-respect or safet
in this cause-I cried out: I'll try 70
it; though it's long since put my agilit
to the proof. But how am / to get ont
the roof"
For reply, Sweetwater. uttered 10,
but peculiar call, and shadow near b
became man.
LEND your back to this gentleman,
said he, and as | took advantage OF tn
assistance thus afforded me and worke
my way up onto the ledge over his heat
he softly added:
Catch hold Of everything that offer!
and be sure your feet don't slip. Whe
you're up. give one look and come dowr
We will be on hand to catch you whe