The Irish standard., 1908-11-21

duu luIueu 10 give pIOIdN0 welcome 10
the policeman who had noticed the
cab at Twenty-third street and who
now painted in, blown and perspiring.
Much to his disgust he found himself
assigned to stand guard over the base
ment exits, and waddled forth again
into the street.
Meanwhile the first officer to arrive
upon the scene was taking his turn at
agitating the button and shaking the
gates; and with no more profit Of his
undertaking than Hickey. After a
minute or two of 1t he acknowledged
defeat with an oath. and turned away
to browbeat the struggling vanguard
OF belated wayfarers-messenger
boys. slatternly drabs, hackmen, loaf
ers, and one or two plain citizens con-
spicuously out of their reputable
grooves-who we're drifting in at the
entrance to line the lobby walls with
blank, curious faces. Forerunners of
that mysterious rabble which is ap.
parently precipitated out of the very
air by any extraordinary happening in
city streets, If allowed to remain they
would in five minutes have waxed in
numbers to the proportions of an un-
manageable mob; and the policeman,
knowing this, set about dispensing
them with perhaps greater discretion
than consideration.
They wavered and fell back, grum.
bling discontentedly; and Maitland,
his anxiety temporarily distracted by
the noise they made, looked round to
find his erstwhile cabby at his elbow.
OF whom the sight was inspiration.
Ever thoughtful, never unmindful of
her whose influence held him in this
| coil, he laid an arresting hand ON the
mans sleeve.
you've got your cab-?"
"Yissir, right h6utside."
"Drive round the corner, away from
the crowd, and wait for me. If She
the young lady-comes without me,
drive her anywhere she tells you and
come to my rooms tomorrow morning
for your pay"
''Thankee, SIR"
Maitland turned back, to flnd the
situation round the elevator shaft in
statu quo. Nothing had happened, save
that Hickey's rage and vexation had
increased nightly.
"But why don't you 60 up after
him."
How n blazes can II" exploded the
detective. He's got tn night car. F.
l takes the stairs, he comes down by
tn shaft. md how'm l tuh trust this
here mutt?" He indicated his associ-
ate but humber custodian of the peace
with disgusted gesture.
Perhaps one Of the other cars will
run" Maitland suggested.
"Ah. they're all dead Ones" Hickey
! disagreed with disdain as the young
man moved down the row of gates, try
Ing one after another. "Yehre only
| wastin'-'
He broke of with snort as Matt.
land, somewhat to his own surprise,
managing to move the gate of the
third shaft from the night elevator.
| stepped into the darkened car and
! cropped for the controller Presently
his fingers encountered 1t, and he
moved 1t cautiously to one side. A
! vicious blue spark leaped hissing from
the controller-box and the cage
bounded up dozen feet, and was only
restrained from its ambition to soar
skywards by an instantaneous release
of the lever.
| BY discreet manipulation Maitland
worked the car down to the street
floor again, and Hickey, with a grunt
that might be interpreted as an apol-
ogy for his incredulity, jumped in.
Let 'er rip!" he cried, exultantly.
Fan them folks out intuh tn street,
Bergen, md watch ow-ut!"
Maitland was pressing the lever
slowly wide of its catch, and the
lighted lobby dropped out of sight
+, while the detective was still shouting
! admonitions to the police below Grad
ually gaining momentum the car began
! to shoot smoothly up into the black
ness, safety chains clanking beneath
| the floor. Hickey fumbled for the
electric light switch but, finding it, i'm
| mediately shut the glare off again and
left the car in darkness.
Safer" he explained, sententious.
"Anisty II shoot. nd they says he
shoots straight"
Floor after floor in ghostly strata
slipped silently down before their
eyes. Halfway to the top, approxi-
mately. Hickey's voice rang sharply
In the volunteer operators ear.
stop 'er! Hold 'er steady. T'other's
comm down."
Maitland obeyed, managing the car
with greater ease and less jerkily as
he began to understand the principle
of the lever. The cage paused in the
black shaft, and he looked upward.
Down the third shaft over, the other
cage was dronping like a plummet, .
ITO B. Continued)
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