The Huttig news., 1910-05-28
SYNOPSIS.


 esiten Of the chief witness for the pros eeution, John Gilmore; mi,~-raire. In the latters house the lawyer k attracted by the picture os a girl whom Gilmore explains is his sr%addaugsi-s. Alison a friend ef - 5cs21~
 d Pullman ticket gtaN1s ss requested hy lady to buy one for Inc. t'e gives her lower II and retains low.--1en. He finds man in drunken stupor in lower ten, and retires in lower nine.
 CHAPTER In.-He awakens in lower seven and finds that his travelling bag has disappeared and in it's stead is another. His clothes likewise have been exchanged for others.
 CHAPTER Iv.-An amateur detective interests himself in the case. It is learned that the dead man is simon Harrington of Pittsburg.
 CHAPTER v.-Henry Pinckney Sulli- van is believed to be the name of the man who disappeared with Blakeleys clothes and grip. He is suspected of the murder.
 CHAPTER vI.--Blakeiey becomes in- terestes in a girl in blue. dirk and blood stains are found in lower seven. Blakeley comes under suspicion
 CHAPTER vII.-Circumstantial evil
 
 The train is wrecked.
 CHAPTER yIII.-Blakeley is rescued from the burning by the girl in blue. His arm is broken.
 CHAPTER IX.-Tegether they go to the Carter farm for breakfast. She tells him her name is Alison West, his part ner's sweetheart
 CHAPTER X.-Alson's peculiar actions fha lu Var bag and Blakeley, unnotieed, puts 1t in his pocket.
 CHAPTER XI.-He returns home and learns from his landlady of strange hap penings.
 CHAPTER XfI--Blakeley learns that woman by the name of Sullivan fellow victim of the wreck is in the hospital.
 No There's a light moving UT from room to room. I saw something like it last night. and I have beer watching The patrolman reported queer doings there a week or so ago.
 "A light" I exclaimed. Do you mean that you"
 Very likely he said grimly Have you a revolver?"
 ''Ail kinds in the gun rack I re piled, and going into the den, I came back with a Smith and Wesson. Tn not much use,' I explained, with this arm. but I'll do what I can. There may be somebody there. The serv- ants here have been uneasy
 Johnson planned the campaign He suggested on account of my familiari ty with the roof that I go there and cut off escape in that direction. "1 have Robison out there now-thG patrolman on the beat" he said Hell watch below and you above, while l search the house. Be as quiet as pos sible."
 was rather amused l put on some alothes and felt my way carefully III the stairs. the revolver swinging free n my pocket my hand on the rail at the foot of the ladder I stopped nd looked up. Above me there was a ray rectangle of sky dotted with tars. It occurred to me that with " one serviceable hand holding the
 dder. | was hardly in a position to
 fend myself, that l was about to hoist body that am rather careful of into a danger I couldn't see and wasn't particularly keen about any how. l don't mind saying that the seconds it took me to scramble up the ladder were among the most unpleas- ant that I recall.
 got to the top, however, without incident. l could see fairly well after the darkness of the house beneath but there was nothing suspicious in sight. The roofs, separated by two feet of brlck wall, stretched around me, unbroken save by an occasional chimney. l went very softly over to the other trap the one belonging to the suspected house. It was closed. but l imagined I could hear John sons footsteps ascending heavily. Then even that was gone. A nearby clock struck three as I stood waiting l examined my revolver then, for the first time, and found it was empty
 had been rather skeptical until now. l had had the usual tolerant at titude 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. I felt like a man on the top of volcano in lively eruption. Suddenly I found myself staring in- credulously at the trap-door at my feet had examined it early in the evening and found it bolted Did I imagine it, or had it raised about an inch? Wasn't it moving slowly as I looked? No, l am not hero: I was startled almost into panic l had one arm, and whoever was raising that trap-door had two. My knees had queer inclination to bend the wrong way
 Johnson's 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 it; once l thought I heard two or three gasping respirations; I am not sure they were not my own I wanted des- perately to stand on one leg at time and hold the other up out of focus of d possible revolver.