Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-18

'&&2&nS1 out my ropel' cried Scoield at the
same time unwinding from his waist
a rope hidden under his coat Then
we must get out of this.
But he was an instant too late Before they
could bend their strength to sway again the heavy
bell, some heard fumbling at the trap in
the floor, and streak of light appeared it was
slowly lifted.
Get into the rafters quickl" whispered Clarke,
and all three, reaching for the braces overhead
hoisted themselves up with astonishing alacrity,
just the head and shoulders of Dennis Murphy
the sexton and college jantor, above the floor
Il have we now, ye spalpeens!" shouted the
irascible old man, he held lantern his
head You'll no get away this time and we'll
be after having ye safe in jail for it tool Breakn
into churches and gettin' folks out o. their beds
in tie middle of night like this, bad cess to vel
Come down from your roosts there and gi' me your
now The prisidentn be here in a minute
and he'll fix ye Arrah! come down wild we now
and face the musici
But not boy moved nor made sound Murphy
kept shouting into the shadows; but it did him
good. Then he suddenly changed his tune and
called down the hatchway:
Yis, sor, they re here. I've got EN- fast enough.
Wait minute, if you phase, sor, till light
you It's dark down there-Ah bad cess to itl'
puff of wind had darted up the hatchway and
cxtinguished the lantern
What's the matter?" the voice of the
president heard asking from somewhere
The lights out, Just stop minute,
if you phase Murphy explained as he fumbled
with the lamp and made vain attempts to
open it and to strike matches
~.- Bechune the rain and the wind, sor, the
howly saints-axin'a your pardon,
couldn't light lantern here"
Come below then, out of the wind"
| will that, sor. They're safe enough as
long we're the stairs and he clumsily
retreated down toward the gallery door,
dropping the hatch his head.
moment later the trap-door was again lifted
and lantern thrust up into the dusty
gloom of the belfry, startling the bats again
and making queer ghostly forms out of the
crisscross of timbers; and it followed by
the presidents old white hat, which everybody
knew well as they knew the chapel itself.
Come young gentlemen" he called out
more kindly than he really meant to- while he
tried to send the rays of his lantern far up
among the shadows and cobwebs of the spire.
Come! 1t is useless for you to stay up there.
You have been detected in an infraction of
well-known regulation, and must know your
1t will only go harder with you if you
make difficulties
Nothing but the echo answered, and that
family. Then the president waxed sterner
in his commands but even this had effect
upon the obdurate silence; and when he and
Dennis together lifted the lantern and searched
until every Granny exposed they
that the place absolutely empty.
The Dvil fly away wild emil" muttered
Dennis in his vexation.
1T looks as though he had said the
president, with twinkle in his eye-nobody
was able to see it.
Nor was he greatly astonished next morning
when told that stout rope had been found
hanging from a chimney to the roof of
extension and second from its cutters to
the ground 1t long time before the