Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-05-28

at random (it was Arms aud the
Man" and I remember thinking grim
ly that was a good bit of a chocolate
cream soldier MYSELF. and prepared
to go to sleep. Shaw always puts me
TO sleep have no apologies TO make
for what occurred that night. and not
even an explanation that / am sure of.
l did a foolish thing under impulse,
and have not been sorry.
1t was something after two when
the door-bell rang. II rang quickly,
twice. ! got up ,drowsily. for the
maids and Mrs Hlopton always lock
themselves beyond reach Of the bell
at night, and put on dressing gown.
The bell rang again on my way down
stairs. lit the hall light and opened
the door. I was wide awake now. and
I saw that IL was Johnson. His bald
head shone I'm the light-his crooked
mouth was twisted in a smile
Good heavens. man." said fr-
ritably. Don't you ever go home and.
go to bed?"
He closed the vestibule door behind
him and cavalierly turned out the
light Our dialogue was sharp. stacca-
to.
=
next door," he demanded. Some
,ody's in there. and the latch is
caught"
THE houses are alike. The key &c
this door may az. Did you see them
90 i'm"
40. There's light moving up
from room 20 room. I saw something
like It last night, and I have been
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 revolver"
"An kinds I'm the gun rack" ! re-
/ piled. and going into the den came
back with a Smith and Wesson. I'm
not much use" 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-
/ " with the roof, that I 90 there and
cut on escape IN that direction. x
have Robson out there now-the
/ patrolmsn on the beat" he said. He'll
watch below and you above. while 7
search the house. Be as quiet as pos
sible"
7 was rather amused. I put on some
clothes and felt my way carefully up
the stairs. the revolver swinging free
| in my pocket. my hand on the rail-.
! At tho foot OF the ladder 7 stopped
and looked up. Above me there was a
| gray rectangle 90 SKY dotted with
stars. Il occurred TO me that with
my one serviceable hand holding the
ladder, l was hardly In a position 70
defend myself. that l was about 70
hoist body that I am rather careful
OF into danger 7 couldn't see and
| wasn't particularly keen about any
how. ] don't mind saying that the
seconds It took me 20 scramble up the
ladder were among the most unpleas-
ant that recall
] got TO the top. however. without
incident. 7 could see fairly we'll after
the darkness OF the house beneath.
but there was nothing suspicious IN
sight The roofs. separated by two
feet OF brick wall. stretched around
me. unbroken save by an occasional
chimney. I went very softly over to
the other trap. the one belonging to
the suspected house. II was closed.
but / imagined ! could hear John
sons footsteps ascending heavily.
Then even that was gone. 4 nearby
clock struck three as I stood waiting.
examined my revolver then. for the
first time, and found it was emptyl
| had been rather skeptical until
now had had the usual tolerant at
utude or 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 a volcano IN lively eruption.
Suddenly I found myself staring in
credulously at the trap-door at my
feet. had examined IL early in the
evening and found IL bolted Did I
imagine it, or had II raised about an
inch? Wasn't II moving slowly as
looked? No. ! am not a hero. I was
startled almost into a panic. had
one arm, and whoever was raising
mat trap-door had two Ny knees had
queer inclination TO bend the wrong
way
Johnson's footsteps we're 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 respirations; am not sure
they were not my own. wanted des-
perateiy to stand on one leg at a time
and hold the other up out OF focus OF
q possible revolver.
did not seen the hand appear.
There was nothing there. and then 10
was there, clutching the frame OF the
trap. did the only thing I could
think OF; put my foot on it,
There was not a sound from be-
meath. The next moment / was kneel-
Ing and had clutched the wrist Just
above the hand. After a seconds
struggle, the arm was still. With
something real to face, was myself
4