The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-08-14

zzeyity. He had the same report to
make on both the twentieth and TWEEN
= first floors, where the same pro-
sedure was observed; but as the latter
vas reached unexpected and very well
come reinforcements were gained by
ne arrival of a third car, containing
three patrolmen and one roundsman.
Yet numbers created delay; Hickey
was seized and compelled to pant ex-
, plantations, to his supreme disgust.
And, suddenly impatient beyond en-
tiuranee, Maitland left them and alone
sprang up the stairs.
That this was simple foolhardiness
nay be granted without dispute But
L must be borne in mind that he was
-ery young and ardent, very greatly
serturbed on behalf of an actor In
the tragedy in whom the police, TO
their then knowledge, had no interest
whatsoever. And if in the heat Of
ehase he had for an instant forgotten
aer, now he remembered; and at once
he capture of Anisty was relegated
TO the status of a matter of secondary
importance. The real matter at stake
vas the safety of the girl whom
Anisty, by exercise of an Internal In
genuity that passed Maitland's COM
prehension, 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 we're the considerations
that sent Inn in search of her without
a thought of personal peril, but with q
sick heart and overwhelmed with a
stihing sense of anxiety.
More active than the paunch-bur-
aened detective, he had sprinted down
and back through the hallway of the
twenty-second floor, without discover
ing 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 riven by
4 tongue Of fire, and bullet, singing
past his head, fiattened itself with
vicious spat against the marble dado
Of the walls. Instinctively he pulled
up. finger closing upon the trigger Of
his revolver; flash and report fol-
lowed the motion, and a panel Of
ribbed glass in q door overhead was
splintered and fell in clashing frag-
ments, ali but drowning the sound of
feet in flight upon the upper staircase.
clamor of caution, warning, en-
enlargement, and advice broke odt
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 rifie-shot rang out above, and
for second he fancied that Anisty
had fired again and with a heavier
weapon. But Immediately he realized
that the noise had been only the slam
ming of the door at the head Of the
,stairs-the door whose glazed panel
doomed above him, shedding diffused
light to guide his footsteps, its opales-
cent surface lettered with the name Of
HENRY NJ. ZIMMERMAN,
Attorney & 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 ne compFehended this, a
thrill of wonder. He had all but for
gotten that Bannerman owned an Of
fee in the building, in the rush, the
urge of this wild adventure. Strange
that Aristy should have chosen 1t for
the scene of his last stand-strange,
and strangely fatal for the criminal,
For Maitland knew that from this
eyre 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 70 force a word as to the girls
Whereabouts from the burglar ere the
police arrived; Maitland's foot was
on the upper step. when a scream of
mortal terror-her voicei-broke from
within. Half maddened, he threw him
self 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
a mans hand between them, the girl
was in deathly peril and terror.
4 sob that was at the same time an
oath rose to his lips. Bafied, helpless,
ne fell back, tears of rage starting to
mis- eyes, her accents ringing in his
ears as terribly pitiful as the cry of a
lost and wandering soul.
"Godi" he mumbled ineonerently,
ana in desperation sent the pistol-butt
crashing against the glass. It was
kcugh, stubborn; the first blow scarce 4
" fawed it. As he redoubled his ef-
forts to shatter it, Hickey's hand shot
over his shoulder to aid him.
And with startling abruDtneSS the