Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-10-07
them with perhaps greater discretion

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 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 to my rooms tomorrow morning
for your pay"
"Thankee, sir"
Maitland turned back, to find 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 go up after
him."
How n blazes can II" exploded the
detective. He's got tn night car. f
takes the stairs. he comes down by
tn shaft, nd how'm / tub trust this
here mutt?" He indicated his associ-
ate but humber custodian of the peace
with Disguised 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. "Yeh're only
wastin'-"
He broke off 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 it, and he
moved it cautiously to one side. A
vicious blue spark leaped kissing 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 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, nd watch ow-ut!"
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
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 theil
eyes. Halfway to the top, approx
mately, Hickeys voice rang sharply
in the volunteer operators ear.
stop 'er! Hold 'er steady. T'other's
comm down."
Maitland obeyed, managing the cal
with greater ease and less jerkily al
| 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, 8
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 carl"
Hickey's stentorian command haC
no effect; the block of light continued
to fall with undated speed.
| The detective wasted no more
breath. AS the other car swept past
Maitland was shocked by a report anC
flash beside him.. Hickey was usine
his revolver,
The defamation was answered by 6
cry, a scream of pain, from the lighted
cage. 1t paused on the instant, like