Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-06
XV-Continued.

XV-Continued.
Maitland needed no admonition to pur-
sue: his blood was up. his heart singing
with the lust of the man hunt. Yet An
isty was rapidly leaving them. his car
soaring at an appalling pace. Toward
the top he evidently made some attempt
to slow up, but either he was ignorant of
the management Of the lever. or else the
thing had got beyond control. The cage
rammed the buffers with crash that
echoed through the sounding halls like
peal OF thunderclaps: it was instantan-
eously plunged into darkness. There fol-
lowed a splinter,ng and rending sound.
and Maitland. heart in mouth. could make
out dimly a dark. falling shadow in. the
further shaft. Yet ere it had descended
score of feet the safety clutch acted
and. with a third tremendous jar. shak-
ing the building. the car halted.
Hickey and Maitland were then some
five floors below. stop 'er at nineteen"
ordered the detective. There was Tilt
Of exultancy in his voice. I'VE got him
now. all right. all right. He'll try to get
down by There!' Overhead the
crash of gate forced open was followed
by a scurry of footsteps over the thing.
stop 'er and we'll head him of. So now
-eeeasy!
Maitland shut off the power as the car
reached the nineteenth floor. Hickey
opened the gate and jumped out. Shut
that" he commanded. sharply. as Mat
land followed him. 'In case he gets past
u.s.
He paused a moment in thought. heavy
head on bull neck dropping forward as he
stared toward the rear Of the building.
He was fearless and resourceful. for all
his many deficiencies. Maitland found
time. quantity enough. to regard him
with detached curiosity. a rare animal.
illustrating all that was best and worst
able courage. his address in emergencies
seemed altogether admirable.
"Yeh guard them stairs" he decided.
suddenly. I'll run through this hall nd
see what's doing. Don't hesitate to shoot
If he tries to Jump yeh." And was gone,
dumping briskly down the corridor to the
rear.
Maitland. yielding the initiative to the
others superior generalship, stood senti-
mel. revolver in hand. until the detective
returned. overheated and sweating. from
his tour. to report "nothin' DOM. with
characteristic brevity. He had the same
report to make on both the twentieth and
twenty-first floors. where the same pro-
cedure was observed: but as the latter
was reached unexpected and very well
come reinfOrcements were gained by the
arrival of a third car. containing three pa
trOlmen and one roundsman. Yet num-
bers created delay: Hickey was seized
and compelled to pant explanations. to
his supreme disgust.
And. suddenly impatient beyond en-
durance. Maitland left them and alone
sprang up the stairs.
That this was simple foolhardiness may
be granted without dispute. But it must
be borne in mind that he was very young
and ardent, very greatly perturbed on be-
half of an actor in the tragedy In whom
the police, to their then knowledge. had
tv1tn to- ho
heat of chase he had for an instant for
gotten her. now he remembered. and at
once the capture of Anisty was relegated
to the status of matter of secondary
importance. The real matter at stake
was the safety of the girl whom Anisty.
by exercise Of an Internal ingenuity that
passed Maitland's comprehension. had
managed to spirit into this place of death
and darkness and whispering halls. Where
she might be. in what degree of suffering
and danger-these were the considerations
that sent him in search of her without
thought of personal peril, but with sick
heart and overwhelmed with a sitting
sense of anxiety.
More active than the paunch- burdened
detective. he had sprinted down and back
through the hallway of the twenty-second
floor. without discovering anything. ere
the police contingent had reached an
agreement and the stairhead
There remained two more floors. two
final flights. A little hopelessly he swung
up the first. And as he did so the
blackness above him was rfven by
tongue of fire. and bullet. singing past
his head, flattened itself with a vicious,
spat against the marble dado Of the
walls. Instinctively he pulled up. finger
closing upon the trigger Of his revolver:
flash and report followed the motion. and
a panel of ribbed glass in a door over
head was splintered and fell in clashing
fragments. all but drowning the sound of
feet in flight upon the upper staircase.
A clamor of caution, warning. encour-
agement and advice broke out from the
police below But Maitland hardly heard.
Already he was again in pursuit. taking
the steps two at a leap. With a hand
upon the newell post he swung round on
the twenty-third floor and hurled himself
toward the foot of the last flight. A
crash like a rife shot rang out above.
and for second he fancied that Anisty
had fired again and with heavier wea
pom. But Immediately he realized that
the noise had been only the slamming, of
the door at the head Of the stairs-the
door whose glazed panel doomed above
him. shedding a diffused light to guide his
footsteps. its opalescent surface lettered
with the name of
HENRY NJ BANNERMAN.
Attorney and Counselor-at-Law
The door of the Office whose threshold he
had so often crossed to meet a friend
and adviser. 1t was with a shock that he
comprehended this. a thrill of wonder.
ne HdO al Uut lOI5Ottcu tudl
owned an Office in the building. in the
rush. the urge of this wild adventure.
Strange that Anisty should have chosen
1t for the scene of his last stand-strange
and strangely fatal for the criminal! For
Maitland knew that from this eyrie there
was no means of escape, other than by
the stairs.
Well and good! Then they had the man
and
The thought was flashing in his mind.
illumining the darkness Of his despair
with the hope that he would be able to
force a word as to the girls whereabouts
from the burglar ere the police arrived:
Maitland's foot was on the upper step
when q scream of mortal terror-her
voice!-broke from within. Half mad
dened he threw himself bodily against the
door. twisting the knob with frantic
fingers that slipped upon its immovable
polished surface.
The bolt had been shot. he was barred
out and with only the width of mans
hand between Them the girl was in death
ly peril and terror.