The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-08-07
StairS.Of
Sand
Ey ERNEST DE 1ANCY PERSON.
CoMrlghtaiSol, by Street g. Smith.
CHAPTER XXI.-CoNr1NuED.

Near he window through which
he had been peering was an open
door, and without knowing exactly
My, he entered. The room was
szrpty, but along one side ran a
shelf, on which were ranged various
rIsty candlesticks containing pieces
of candle, evidently for the, use of
The guests"
Job helped himself to the largest
p1ece of the candle he could find and
appropriated some of the matches.
May need 'em," he muttered.
'.This enterprise may carry me into
many dark places"
AS he came out Of this room, he
thought he heard the sound of steps
yellow and the echoes of muffied
yoiees.
''They must have got on my TRAIL"
ne muttered. "Well, the only thing
10 do is to try and reach the roof;
perhaps cit may communicate with
some other building. If not-well,
f,shall be caught"
Aso he approached the stair again
the Sound of the voices below be-
came louder, and, from the frag-
ments Of conversation that drifted
mp to him, he judged that the po-
ice were making an examination of
the rooms on the lower floor.
"lt will take 'em some time to do
that" was the thought that was run
ming through his mind. ''and in the
meantime who knows but l may be
able to show them clean pair of
heels
He had reached the stairs again,
and. cautiously, that he might not
awake the sleepers. assembled them
sTowly.e
Whoever it was Investigating the
tower rooms. he did not take any
arecaution to muffie his voice, and
Fragments of avhat was said satisfied
lob that the police were in -the
building.
He had now reached the upper
floor. which, from the silence that
prevailed, he judged to be unoccu-
pied. There was small iron ladder
ieading to the roof, and, without
nsornent's hesitation, he climbed this,
and, opening the trap, closed it be-
bind himself on the roof
1t was only through this trap that
they could possibly find him. so he
thought if he could only weight down
the trap, they would have no easy
task in reaching him. At the same
time, if he found no way of escape
from the roof, his enemies had only
no wait, and he must eventually fall
into their hands.
He closed the trapo carefully, and
seeing a pile of old lumber near at
hand, by degrees brought the boards
over in his strong arms, and piled
them on top. When he found there
was nothing else of weighty nature
that he could pile oyer the door, he
wiped his forehead of its perspira-
ton and sat down on othe pile of
boards to consider his situation.
Looked at in any light, his position
seemed to be desperate, for the place
was guarded below, and the house
was full of policemen. He rose and
walked to the further end of the
roof, and then saw below him low
building that looked as if it were a
factory. of some sort. Then he wan
1ered to the front of the building,
and, looking down, thought he could
see a policeman walking back and
forth, and, beyond, others. So he
returned to the contemplation of the
little factory. If he could only reach
shat roof, it would not be hard to
get To the street. But it lay far be-
low him, and to jump would be inn
r,<.~S;lsla Inst then as he was xvyaI1x
kag about, feeling very uneasy, he
ripped over rope fastened to one
Of the chimneys, and which at some
time must have been employed in the
work of painting the building. I
1t was only short piece, but he
took it up tenderly, undid the knots
and them found that it was still of
Zoo short .al length to be OF any -serv-
ZEE tosl1m4. Eopc in hand. he drew