Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26

next door, he demanded. SOMEBODY'S
in there and the latch is caught.
1.-The houses are alike. The key TO this
door may fit. Did you see them go in?
NO. There's light moving up from
room to room | saw something like it
last night and | have been watching. The
patrolman reported queer doings there a
week so ago..
"A light l exclaimed. DO you mean
that yOu-
Very likely" lie said. Srimly. Have
you a revolver?
IAN kinds in the gun rack. | replied,
and going into the den, ! came back with
a Smith & Wesson. I'm not much use, "
! explained. with this arm. but III do
what j can. There may be somebody
there. The servants here have been I'M
easy
Johnson planned the campaign. He
suggested, on account of my familiarity
with the roof. that / so there and cut
off escape in that direction. II have
Robson out there now-the patrolman
on the beat" he said. Hell watch be-
low and YOU above. while j search the
| house. Be as quiet as possible
! was rather amused. | put on some
clothes and felt my way carefully up the
stairs. the revolver swinging free III my
pocket, my hand on the rail. At the foot
of the ladder l stopped and looked up,
Above me there was a gray rectangle of
sky dotted with stars. 1t occurred to
holding the ladder. | was hardly in a
position to defend myself. that | was
about to hoist a body that ! am rather
careful of into a danger | couldn't see
and wasn't particularly keen about any
how. L don't mind saying that the sec
onds it took me to scramble up the lad
der We're among the most unpleasant that
l recall.
i got to the top. however. without Incl
dent 1 could see fairly well after the
II arlx Of ha h,,t
was nothing suspicious in sight. The
roofs. separated by two feet of brick
wall, stretched around me. unbroken save
by an occasional chimney. / went very
softly over to the other trap. the one
belonging to the suspected house. 1t
was closed. but l imagined / could hear
Joh1sons footsteps ascending, heavily
Then even that was gone. \ nearby
amined my revolver then, for the first
time. and found it was EMPTY.
I had been rather skeptical until now
| had had the usual tolerant attitude of
the man who is summoned from his bed
to search for burglars, combined with the
artificial courage of firearms. With the
discovery of my empty gun | felt like a
man OH the top of volcano in lively
eruption. Suddenly i found myself star
ing incredulously at the trap-door at my
feet / had examined it early in the
evening and found it bolted. Did | i'm
agine it, or had it raised about an inch !?
Wasn't it moving slowly as | looked?
No, | am not hero: | was startled al
whoever was raising that trap-door had
two. Ny knees had d queer inclination
to bend the wrong way.
Johnson's footsteps were distinct
enough but he was evidently far below
The trap, raised perhaps two inches now,
remained stationary. There was. no
sound from beneath it: once | Thought L
heard two or three gasping respirations:
am not sure they were not my own L
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 1t was there.
clutching the frame of the trap. | did
the only thing / could think OIL put
my foot on it.
There was not sound from beneath.
The next moment l was kneeling and had
clutched the wrist just above the hand.
After a seconds struggle tire arm was
still. With something real to face | was
myself again.
Don't move. or I'll stand on the trap
and break your arm. ! panted. What
else could l threaten: | couldn't shoot.
couldn't even fight. Johnson ]
called.
And then / realized the thing that
stayed with me for month, the thing
/ cannot think of even now without "A
shudder The hand lay ice cold. strange
~ quiescent. Under my fingers artery
was beating feebly. The wrist was as
slender as--I held the hand to the light.
Then / let it drop.
Good Lord | muttered. and remained
on my knees. staring at the spot where
the hand had been. 1t was gone now:
there was a faint rustic in the darkness
below and then silence.
l held up my own hand in the starlight
and stared at a long scratch i'll the palm.
A womanr' | said to myself stupidity
BY all that's ridiculous a woman,"~
johnson was striking matches below
and swearing softly TO himself. How
the devil do you get to the roof he
called Il think I've broken my nose,
He found the ladder after short
search and stood at the bottom. looking
up at me- Well, i suppose you haven't
seen him." he inquired. There are
enough darned cubbyholes i'm this house
to hide patrol wagon load of thieves.