The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-19

|
OIL escape in that direction. "l have
Robson out there now-the patroman
on the beat, he said. "llc III watch
below and you above, while I search
the house, BE as quiet as possible.
] WIS rather amused. | put on some
clothes and felt my way carefully mp
tho stairs, the revolver swinging free
in my pocket. my hand on tho rail.
| AZ the foot of the ladder | stopped
and looked up. Above me thcrc was 4
! gray rcctangle of sky dotted with
stars. 1t occurred to me that with my
one scrviccabla hand holding the ladder,
| was hardly IN a position 10 defend
myself, that | was about TO hoist \
body that | am rather careful of into
danger I couldn 4 see and WASH Z par.
ticularly keen about anyhow. ! don {
mind saying that the seconds il took
me 10 scramble up thc ladder were
among the most unpleasant that i re-
call.
] got to tho top, however, without
incident. | could see fairly well after
the darkness of the house beneath. bur
there was nothing suspicious in sight.
The roofs. separated by two feet of
brick wall, stretched around me, un-
broken save by an occasional chimney
] went very softly over to the other
trap, the one belonging to the Sus-
i
imagined / could hear johnson s foot.
steps ascending heavily. Then even
that WAS gone, y nearby clock struck
three as | stood waiting. | examined
my revolver then, for the FIRST time, and
found it was empty,
| had been rather skcptical until
now. [ had had the usual tolerant at
tltudc Of tho man who is summoned
from his bed To- search for burglars,
a, IL =
firearms. With the discovery Of my
empty gun, ! felt like man on the
top of n volcano in lively eruption. Sud
denly | found myself staring jucredu-
lously at rho trap-door at my feet ]
had examined If early in the evening
and found it hol;ed Did / imagine it.
or had il raised about an inch? Wash I
II moving slowly as | locked' No. ]
am not hero: | was startled almost
into panic. ] had one arm, and who.
ever was raising that trap.door had
two. Ny knees had IA queer incilna-
tion TO bend the wrong way.
Johnson footsteps were distinct
enough, but he was evidently far be
low. The trap, raised perhaps two inches
now. remained stationary. There was
no sound from beneath il: once !
thought heard TWO or three gasping
respirstions: ] am not sure they were
not my own, | wanted desperately TO
stand on one leg at a time and hold
the other up out of focus of possible
revolver,
| did not see the hand appear. There
was nothing there. and then il was
there: clutchTng the frame Of the trap
! dId the only thing ] could think
of; | put my foot on it!
There was not a sound from beneath
lhe next moment | was kneeling and
had ciuiched the wrist Just above the
hand After second 5 trugglc. the
arm was still With something real
TO face, ! was myself again.
Don I move, or In stand on the
trap and break your arm I painted
What else could / threaten! [ couldn I
shoot. J couldn't even fight John
son. / called.
And then ] realized the thing that
stayed with me for month. the thing
j can not think of even now without
a shudder. The hand lay ice cold
strangely quicsccnr. Under my fingers,
an artery was beating fcebly The
wrist was as slender as-I held the
hand TO the light. Then let it drop
Good Lord, / muttercd, and re-
manned on my knees, staring at the
spot where the hand had been. IT was
gone now: there was faint rustic in
the darkness below, and then silence.
! held up my own hand in the star.
hight and stared at n Il long scratch in
my palm. GA woman!H I said TO
myself. stupidity. BY all that s ridicu
lous. woman'
Johnson was striking matches below
and swearing softly to himself. Glow
the devil DO YOU get Ia the roof2,r
ne called, ~ think I've broken my
noSc,''
He found the ladder after a short
search and stood al the bottom, looking
up at me. Well, suppose you haven {
seen hlm'' be Inquircd '.rberc are
enough darned cubbyhoIcs in this housc
10 hide patrol wagon load of thieves. ;,
lie lighted fresh match. "IIcIIo.
here S another door!'
by the sound of his diminishing foot
steps ] supposed il was a rear stair
ease. Hc came up again in ten minu1es
or so. this time with the policeman"
(. He S gone. all Yieht - he said. rue.
fully, IF yon'd been attending TO
yonr business, Robson. You'd have
watched the back door,
m not twins Robson was
surly. "''
Well ! broke in. as cbeerfuIIy
rs | could. ''if You are through with
inns Joliy little affair, aud can get down
my ladder without having my house.
- " lug W" burglar alarm. ! have
some good Monongahcla whisky-eh ~
Ihey came without "A second invita-.
ton across the roof. and with them
safely away from The house | brcathrd
more freely. Down In the den I fnl.
illcd my promise. which Johnson drank
10 me toast. "Conling through The
rye lie examined my gun rack with
The eye of a counoisseuf. and even when
he was about 10 60 he cast a LOVING
eye back at the weapons
quired >"
No. | said with II bitterness that
he noticed hut failed 10 comprehend
m chocolate cream soldicr--.vou
don 4 read Shaw, | suppose, John.
Never heard OF him." the dctcc.
tive said. indifferently. "WclI, good
night, Nh Blakclcy Much OBLIGED .
Al the door he hcsitatcd and couphed
! suppose YOU understand. Mr.
Blakeley,' he said. awkwardlv, <'fhat
thls--cr---sllrvelliancc is all in ihe DAYS
work. don't like il. but il S duty
Every man 10 his duty, sir -
SonIc,in'e when YOU are in an open