Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-06-09

Very likely" he said grimly. Have
you a revolver
Gan kinds in the gun rack" re-
piled, and going into the den, came
back with a Smith and Wesson. Pm
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-
ty with the roof, that 1 go there and
cut off escape in that direction. II
have Robson out there now-the
patrolman on the beat" he said He'll
watch below and you above, while
search the house. Be as quiet as pos
slble."
/ was rather amused. 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 the foot of the ladder I stopped
and looked up. Above me there was a
gray rectangle of sky dotted with
stars. 1t occurred to me that with
my one serviceable hand holding the
ladder, l was hardly in position to
defend myself, that l was about to
hoist body that / am rather careful
of into a danger couldn't see and
wasn't particularly keen about any
how. / don't mind saying that the
seconds 1t took me to scramble up the
ladder were among the most unpleas-
ant that recall.
/ got to the top, however, without
incident. 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 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,
sons footsteps ascending heavily.
Then even that was gone. A nearby
clock struck three as / stood waiting.
examined my revolver then, for the
first time, and found it was empty
had been rather skeptical until
|
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, felt like a man on
the top Of volcano in lively eruption
Suddenly found myself staring in
credulously at the trap-door at my
feet. had examined it early in the
evening and found 1t bolted. Did /
imagine 1t, or had it raised about an
inch? Wasn't it moving slowly as
looked? No, l am not hero; was
startled almost into a panic. l had
one arm, and whoever was raising
that trap-door had two. My knees had
a queer inclination to bend the wrong
way.
Johnsons 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. l wanted des-
perately to stand on one leg at a time
and hold the other up out Of focus Of
possible revolver.
did not seen the hand appear.
There was nothing there, and then it
was there, clutching the frame of the
trap. l did the only thing could
think Of; put my foot on It!
There was not a sound from be-.
meath. The next moment l 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, I was myself
again.
Don't move, or I'll stand on the
trap and break your arm" l painted,
What else could threaten? couldn't
shoot, couldn't even fight. John
son!" | called.
And then l realized the thing that
stayed with me for month, the thing
| cannot think of even now without a
shudder, The hand lay ice cold,
strangely quiescent. Under my fin
gers, an artery was beating feebly.
The wrist was as slender as-I held
the hand to the light, Then l let It
drop.
Good Lord" l muttered, and re.
NAMED on my knees, staring at the
spot where the hand had been. Il
was gone now; there was faint rus
tie in the darkness below, and then
silence.
l held up my own hand in the star.
light and stared at long scratch in
the palm. "A woman" said to my.
self stupidity. by all that's ridicu.
lous, a woman!"
Johnson was striking matches be-
low 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 a short
search and stood at the bottom, look
; ing up at me. well, suppose you
\