The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-03-16
By Crittenden Marriott
Author of The Isle of Dead Ships" ETC.


Down he sped, past tight-shut %AI
doors, whose occupants slept EG1ll4EzGg@ZA
calmly despite his noisy rush; IL. N~x.l
marble steps, through 1s1.1
tesseated halls round slippery
corners Twice he nearly fell, but he saved himself
and on, bursting at last like meteor on the
scandalized Waterman, whom the clatter of his
coming had reused from blameless nap.
Nov. Now. Now." camored that individual,
What in hells bells you think you're doing, gal
lopn' like this?-why. It's Mr.. Caruth!"
Yes. It's l." The young mans breath came in
gasps. One does not down eight flights of steps
without showing the effects. Yes! It's |! Has
my man. Wilkins, gone out in the last five minutes?
wilkins? Nav! Say, Mr.. Carutn You'd better
go to bed and sleep it off, or it'll be you for the
psycopathc ward the first thing you know.
..Bosh. Wilkins mas away from my rooms
with valuable letter and eighteen hundred dollars
in money Are you sure he hasn't passed you?"
Eighteen hundred. Gee Course I'm sure Amt
/ been here right aong?"
Caruth drew long breath and glanced UP the
stairway down which he had just raced. So sure
had he been that Wilkins had fed that he had not
stopped to search in his own apartments A sus-
picion that he had made himself ridiculous began to
penetrate his brain, and he glanced shamefacedly
the Waterman
That individual was regarding him suspiciously.
He caught the look, interpreted it correctly, and
smiled encouragingy. Its all right MIR. Caruth'
he extenuated Its all to the regular for gent to
have the nightmare when he goes to sleep in his
chair. Just you go back to your rooms and take
dose of bromide and say your lay-me-downs and
neither OF usll remember anything abou. this to-
morrow. I'd start the elevator for you if I could,
but can't, so it's you for the glue-foot climb.
Caruth scarcely heard the His first spas,n
of dstrust in his action had quickly and
by the time the other had finished he had gone back
to his first idea.
Nonsense, Jackson he burst out, mpatently Il
haven't been asleep Wilkins has fled within five
minutes. If he hasn't passed you, he must have
gone some other way. How else could he go? Quick.
man. He must be caught
But the Waterman refused to be hurried. There
amt no way out but this" he declared unless
done high dive from the fire escape"
had %ho
combination of open platforms and loose hung lad
ders pastered across the hall windows each
floor. If Wilkins had taken that of escape
entirely probable he must have long since
been out of reach and no way to find him would re-
main except the slow appeal to the police He
would call up the headquarters and
Suddenly he recalled his visitor Would she
to have the affair made public? Certainly he could
not act without consulting her.
The watchmans voice broke him. That indi-
vidual had switched the lights in the hall, and
had gone back to where closed door gave
alley. We'll take look at that Jacobs ladder just
to satisfy you Mr.. Caruth." he called See here!"
He threw the door and let Caruth step out into
the night
At first the alley seemed dark, but soon objects
began to stand out in the faint light First the sky
line showed clear against the towering sides of the
chasm, then the iron of the fire disentangled
itself from the darkness and began to show rectan-
gular tracery
Before Caruth could distinguish more, the watch
man uttered an exclamation. by George he cried
Somebody has been on that escape. It's been let
down"
Caruth looked where the other pointed Plainly
discernble to his distended pupils the lowest
stretch of the iron ladder trailed across his field of
vision Someone had cut loose the fastenngs that
held it high in the air, out of reach of casual sneak
thieves, and had lowered it to the ground
Wilkins selection of route obvious But it
was also obvious that he gone.
Caruth turned disconsolately away He was be-
ginning to wonder what had become of Miss Fit:.
hugh. When he had started down the stairs she
had been close behind him and he had expected her
TO follow but though more than time enough for her
to reach the bottom had elapsed. she had not ap-
peared His first thought that she had re-
manned above out of some belated for her repu-
tation. Then, quickly following the POSSIBLE
ity of sinister explanation.
The incidents of the night to his mind admitted
Copyright 1910 by Crttende Marriott