Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-17

| use of kicking? / want to protect her;
| that's ALL l just want to watch and
guard her every hour. Now. keep still.
Not word. Forget my foolishness l
oughtn't to have said it. Let's go and
see if we can find Billy Abbott
/ 1t may have been 10 o'clock when we
came to the building where Billy had
his studio. There was really no chance
at all Of finding him, for he lived in
the suburbs, and this was a business
| block In which he had established his
workshop. The door was locked; the
hall was dark. There was no bell, and
in all the front Of the structure only a
| single window was illumined. This
was on the second floor above the
| door and was lettered with a dentists
sign. But when we walked around to
the side there was light, sure enough.
| in Billy's window upon the third floor
] at the extreme end.
We called, but without hope that he
would hear our voices amid the thou
sand noises of the restless city. Then
Powell broke off small fragment from
worn curbstone and threw it with a
good aim SO that it glanced from the
sash, but without much noise. SO far as
the light in the studio was extinguish-
ed. Evidently Billy was just leaving.
and we hurried around the corner to
the door. There we waited, at first
with unquestioning confidence, then
with considerable surprise. Half an
hour passed, and he did not appear;
nor was his window lighted.
We knew that Billy Abbott had not
fn oft nd
moreover, he never slept in the studio,
sleep on except the floor. 1t was pos
sible to figure one chance in million
that he had gone into the dentists Of
flee for professional attendance or a
social visit, but no sooner had this idea
come to us than the light in that win
dow went out, so that the building was
now totally dark Unless our friend
had fallen downstairs and fractured
some vital hinge of his machinery, we
could not guess what had become of
him.
Presently the dentist appeared at the
door, and to him we explained the sit
uation. He thought it very odd, and,
knowing Powell by sight, he let us in.
We assembled the dark stairs, but found
w
our call.
HE used to leave a key hung up
alongside the casing" said l. by Jove,
it's here! Well look in and see wheth
er anything is wrong"
1 turned the key in the lock and en-
tered. Powell at that moment may
have been ten PAGES distant toward the
front of the building. He had seen a
window open on an air shaft and had
been seized by the absurd idea that
Billy might have fallen out.
For my part, had made up my
mind that Billy had been taken i'll and
was sitting there in the dark until he
should feel better. | had no serious
apprehension, surely not for my own
safety. I stepped into the room as
much at ease as ever in my life, and
the next instant 1 was infolded, as it
seemed to me, in uncountable arms, all
strong as iron. Deadly talons had me
by the windpipe. A rope began to|
twist around my body, as if l had been
a bobbin on which it was wound UP by
whirling machinery. Something soft,
unlimited yards of it, was thrust into
my mouth. and presently was lower
ed gently to the floor. Then the domi-
mating sense in my waning conscious
ness was amazement that In the dim