Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-03-19
Stairs Of Sand
ERNEST DE LANCY p1ERsON.
Copyright, 1901. by Street & Smith.


Job had returned one evening.
worn out with his search in the
lower parts of the city, had finished
his humble supper, which he had
brought home in a paper bag, and
had been mapping on his cot, when
an unusual sound in the empty
rooms below him attracted his at
tention. He jumped to his feet, and
setting the candle on the table be-
hind him, opened the window and
peered out on the deserted garden
A faint moonlight lay over the rag
ged berry bushes along the walks
and on the pile of wood that was
most conspicuous decoration and
rose like funeral pyre in the cen
ter of the grass plot.
''That's queer he muttered, draw
ing in his head. ''Not person in
sight, and certainly I didn't dream
that T heard that noise"
He took another peep out of the
window and then closed it softly,
shaking his head.
''Must be in the house-wonder if
a rat could make noise like that?
The beggars do grow pretty big in
these parts. All, there it is again
and comes from those rooms below.
I suppose 1 must look into this a
bit,'' and he sighed to think that
perhaps he was not to enjoy his
peaceful little abode much longer
that some one had found him out.
He took his revolver out of his
pocket, examined it carefully to see
that it was in working order, and
then, holding it in one hand and
CARRYING the candle in the other,
opened the door leading to the stairs
and went down. It was very quiet
below as he paused at the last step
to listen. He heard a scurrying
sound in the wall, but there was
nothing to be alarmed about in
that; it was mans step he thought
he had heard in the first place. After
a moment he stepped on to the floor
and swung the candle around, to get
good view Of the place.
Just as he did this he was suddenly
conscious of heavy breathing close
beside him, and at the same time the
pistol was suddenly snatched out of
his hand.
1t was done so quickly that for
moment he felt stunned, then turned
about to grapple with his opponent;
but the candle went out, and his out
stretched hand only famed the emp
tv air. He stood there unarmed, not
daring to move, lest he should be-
tray his whereabouts, and give this
unseen foe chance to locate him for
shot. So he stood silent, and was
considerably surprised to hear not
the crack of an exploding cartridge,
but a cackling laugh, that in the 81
lence of the place sounded so weird
that it even startled him from his
usual condition of calm imperturba-
bility.
''Who are you? What are you do
ing here?" he called out.
''Just wait until I get this candle
goin', and I'll make myself known,
said the man he could not see, and
ing sound, as if the other was try
ing to find the candle. This he was
able to do, for, after a moments
hunt. the candle was lit, and out of
the gloom shutting figure ap-
peared Job cook the candle out of
his hand and held the light up to the
mans face. It was not a handsome
face into which he peered. The tel
low had dotted ragged hat, that he
might show his features better. His
hair descended in ragged wisps about
his hungry and cadaverous face, that,
being unshaven, seemed sprlnkled
with coal dust. His dark eyes set in
deep hollows, wore half-amused ex-
preston, while his lips were parted
in a grin that disclosed a double row
of yellow and uneven teeth.
ooh, it's you, eh," grumbled Hen
bricks.
"You know me-Jebbs-do you?
All, [ thought you would" and the
stranger broke out into a cacklng
laugh again. "Here's yer pistol"
| Sdlu TIC, HdllullS ONCl UlLO weapon
'Gave We a jolly good scare, that's
what DONE"
"Nonsense-comeu up stairs and say
what you have to say and Job, an
CRY at the way he had been treated,
led the way up the stairs, while the
other, evidently conscious that it
would not do to anger his host fur
Their, followed him slowly.
"Now, how did you come to find
me?" asked Hendricks, as he set the
candle down on the table, and eyed
his guest with anything but an anna
bic look.
"Well, I see you several times of
late in the street, and somehow you
slipped away fore I could catch up
with you. Tonight I had better
luck