The Huttig news., 1909-01-30

them with perhaps greater discretion than consideration.
 They wavered and fell back, grum- bling diseonte1tedly; 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 eab-?"
 ''YissiT, right houtside."
 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 10 my rooms tomorrow morning 1 for your pay
 "Thankee, sir"
 Maitland turned back, to find the situation round the elevator shaft in statu quo. Nothing had happened save that Hiekey's rage and vexation had 1 increased nightly.
 But why don't you go up after tim?"
 How n blazes can I2y exploded the detective Hes got tn night car. F l takes the stairs. he comes down by i th' shaft. nd how'm I tuh trust this 1 here mutt 2' He indicated his assoei- ate but humber custodian ef the peace i with a 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 moyed down the row of gates, try. ing one after another. "Yeh're only wastin'-"
 He broke off with a snort as Malt land, somewhat to his own surprise managing to move the gate of the third shaft from the night elevator stepped into the darkened car an groped for the controller. Present.. his fingers encountered it. and h. moved it cautiously to one side. A vicious blue spark leaped hissing iron the controller-box and the eagf bounded up dozen feet, and was oniy restrained from it's ambition to soa ohA VI dluo ng dh itiIGSs of the lever.
 By discreet manipulation Maitland worked the ear down to the street floor again, and Hickey, with a grunl 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, nd watch ow-uti"
 Maitland was pressing the lever slowly wide of it's catch, and the lighted lobby dropped out of sight while the detective was still shouting admonitions to the police below. Grad ualIy gaining momentum the car began to shoot smoothly up into the black ness, safety chains elanking 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 l "Anisty Il shoot. nd they says h , shoots straight Floor after floor in ghostly strati slipped silently down before thei eyes. Halfway to the top. approxi , mately Hickey's voice rang sharpl. in the volunteer operators ear. Stop erl Hold CT steady. T'other': comin' down"
 Maitland obeyed. managing the cal 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 dropping like a plummet, a block of golden light walled in by black filigree-work and bisected verti cally by the black line of the guide rail
 Stop that there ear,'
 Hickey's stentorian command had no effect: the block of light continued to fall with unabated speed.
 The detective wasted no more breath. As the other car swept past Maitland was shocked by a report and flash beside him. Hickey was using his revolver
 The detonation was answered by a cry. a scream of pain, from the lighted cage It paused on the instant, like a bird stricken a-wing, some four floors below. but at once resumed its downward swoop. Down. down. After 'emlH Hickey beloved '1 dropped one, by God T'other can't
 "How many in the car?" interrupted Maitland. opening the lever with a G,,, ,,l
 Only two, same's us hit tn feiler what was runnin' it-"
 Steady cautioned Maitland, de creasing the speed, as the car ap- preached the lower floor.
 Int other had beaten them down but it's arrival at the street level was greeted by short chorus of mad yells a brief fusillade of shots-perhaps five in all-and the clang of the gate Then, like a ball rebounding, the cage swung upwards again, hurtling at full speed.
 Evidently Anisty had been received in force which he had not bargained for