The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-07-31

on Eighty-siXth street the barge front
one aud a small one & U. : Ig direct
~ With the turret stairsJ pa one on
Eighty seventh street lt ,-g... 10 the
latter had key ! do not think any
one saw me 20 in 1t was raining aud
such people as went by were more
concerned Ia keeping their umbrellas
properly over their heads than IN
watching men skulking about IN door
ways
II got IL, then az right. and, being
careful 10 close the door behind ine.
went up the first short hight of steps
TO what / knew must bc the main hall.
/ had been given plan of the interior,
and had studied il more or less before
starting out, but knew that should
get lost II / did not keep 10 the rear
staircase. at The top OF wnich | eX-
pected to find ths stewards room.
There was faint light in the house. in
spite OF its closed shutters and tightly
drawn shades. and having a certain
dread OF using my torch knowing my
weakness for pretty things and how
hard IL would be for me to pass 50
many fine rooms without looking Ia.
| made my way up stairs, with no 9th
er guide than the handraii When !
had reached what | took 70 be the third
floor, / stopped. Finding 1t very dark,
/ first listeneda naturai instinct with
us-then | lit up aud looked about ne.
Il was in a large hall, empty as
vault and almost as desolate. Blank
In Il .1fpanffnng
with here and there an open passage
way / felt myself in q maze. l had
no idea which was the door | sought,
aud it is not pleasant to turn unaccus
toned knobs Ia shut up house AT mid
night, with the rain pouring in torrents
and the wind making pandemonium in
a half dozen great chmneys.
but it had to be done and | went at
it in regular order till l came TO a lit
tie narrow one opening on the turret
stair. This gave me my bearings,
Sears room adjOined the staircase.
There was no diiiculty ia spotting the
exact door now and, merely stopping
to close the opening l had made to this
little staircase, | crossed to this door
aud 1ang II open | had been right in
my calculations. II was the stewards
room. aud / made at once for the
desk
And you foundf"-
mostly locked drawers Eut key
on my bunch opened some OF these and
my knife the rest Here are the speci
mems of his handwriting which | col.
lected. doubt ii you win get much
out OF them / saw nothing eompro-
missing IN the whole room, but then
hadn't time TO 90 through his trunks,
and one of them looked very Interest
ing old as the hills and
you hadn't timer Why hadn't you
time? What happened 70 cut 1t
shorti'
well sir, I'll tell you" The tone
In which this was said reused me If 1t
did not the Inspector II had just
come from the desk which had disap-
pointed me. and was casting look
about the room, which was as bare as
my hand of everything like ornament
II might almost say comfort when
heard noise which was not that OF
swishing rain or even gusty wind
these had not been absent from my
ears for moment, | didn't like that
noise: It had a sneallish sound and
shut my light OFF in a hurry After
that crept hastily out of the room,
for | don't like setup in trap.
ut was darker than ever now in the
hall or SO il seemed. and as ] backed
away / came upon jog In the wall
behind which ! crept. For the sound
] had beard w&s no fancy. Some one
else besides myself was IN the house,
and that some one was coming up the
little turret stair. striking matches as
he approached. Who could II bef a
detective from the district attorneys
oltice2 ] hardly thought SO, He would
have been provided with something
better than matches 20 light his way.
A burglnr2 No. not on the third fioor
Of house as rich as this. Some fell
low on the force, then, who had seen
me come IN and, by some trick OF his
own. had managed To follow mef l
would see. Meantime ] kept my place
behind the jog and watched, not
knowing which way the Intruder
would 20.
whoever he was, lac was evidently
RstOnished 10 see the turret door a1ar,
for be lit another match as he threw
Il open and, though | failed to get a
glimpse OF his figure, l succeeded in
getting very good one of his shadow.
IL was one to arousv a detectives in-
stinct at once. l did not say TO myself.
this Is the man ! want, bot did say,
this Is nobody from headquarters. and
steadled myself for whatever might
turn up.
''rhe irst thing that happened was
the sudden going ont Of the match
which Lad made this shadow visible.
The inundes aid not light another l
heard hian move across the door with
the rapic step OF one who knows his
way We'll and the next minute a gns
jet fared up IL the stewards room,
aud / knew that the man the whole
force was looking for had trapped him
self
You will agree that Il was not my
duty 20 take him then and there with
out seeing what he was after lie was
A., -. 4s4 -. M