Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-06-04

ward. At landing that marked a
turn In the stairs they heard their
pursuers begin to stumble up after
them Another long fight and they
were near the top. where a small win
dow let in pale. dingy light
Suddenly the man tripped and fell.
dragging the girl down with him. BY
the time they had regained their feet
their two pursuers were only a few
steps below them. Both held knives.
With click of his teeth the man lift.
ed the stein to his shoulders: IL swung
down and one of the men tumbled over
silently. The other paused, wheeled
and tried to run down the steps. The
stein caught him on the neck With
scream he fell and rolled humping
down the stairs.
The girl and the man turned into a
hall and began to mount another
night OF stairs. Startled calls came
from various parts of the house and a
man ran down the hall. He caught
sight Of the two fugitives and ducked
into a room. The next instant there
were steps on the stairs behind them
AT the top was another hall. long
and narrow, running the entire length
or the house. A ladder at one end led
through square opening in the cell.
| ing.
The roof" exclaimed the girl.
Inc man nodded and they ran
towards the ladder. The girl mounted
first, the man following. Suddenly a
Hood OF light poured down upon them
or 60
through trap door she had opened.
Inc roof was fiat, with three big chin
neys rising near them.
The girl pointed to where the man
! could see the ends OF another ladder
projecting above the gutter 1T leads
to the street; they keep It there for
emergencies" she said.
AS she spoke she took several hur-
ried steps forward and suddenly fell.
The man slipped his hand round her
waist and helped her to her feet. but
when he took his arm away she slipped
| down again.
My ankles strained" she said.
turning up to his eyes a white face. 'I
can't walk. but don't stay here; they
won't hurt me-"
The man dropped the stein and
picked her up in his arms. His eve
fell on the three chimneys and he
staggered behind them, carrying the
girl.
A head was thrust through the trap
door and man climbed to the roof:
two others followed him They raced
to the ladder, passing the two fugi-
dves, and looked down. After
glance they ran towards a part Of the
roof shut off from their view by an
attic-like projection, used for summing
carpets and bed linen.
AS soon as they were out OF sight
the man ran to the ladder, holding the
girl in his arms. AS swiftly as posi-
BILE he began to descend, supporting
the girl and clinging to the ladder as
best he could. He expected every in.
slant to see head peer over the gut.
ter and feel the ladder thrown down.
but at last-after an age, it seemed
he stepped to the ground.
He was In narrow alley, and at one
end he could see a quiet street and
the comforting sight of a policeman
| lolling against telephone post. He
set the girl on a dry patch of ground
and leaned against tall fence that
bordered the alley to regain his
strength and breath. The girl sat with
her hands interlocked, her eyes on
the ground. The man looked from her
to the street
AS he leaned against the fence.
drawing in deep breaths, his hands in
his pockets, his fingers met on some
thing stiff and oblong. After feeling
1t for several moments in a sub-con-
scious effort to determine what it was
he remembered. and drew it out. II
was the card the girl had cut, the bit
of pasteboard that had saved his life.
He drew it out with the back towards
him and slowly reversed it When he
saw the face he started sharply.
1t was the deuce of hearts. For
some time he stood silently looking at
the card, then stopped down and
kissed the girl.