Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1911-05-10
he had known onl, two aay,-w.s G.

pable or anything.
Kit has only been q little keener
than the rest OF u.s." Lollie said. she
found him out yesterday"
Upon my word" said Anne indiE.
nantly. preparing TO go. If didn't
know you girls so well. l would think
you were crazy. And now. Just TO on
set this. / will tell you something
F1annigan told me this morning not tt
worry; that he has my pearl collar
spotted. and that young ladies will
have their jokes,"
Yes, as said before. il was n cheer
ful. reproducing situation
l sat and thought IL over after
Annes parting shot. when Leila had
nounced downstairs. Things were
closing in; | gave the situation "a
hours TO develop. At the end of that
time Flanagan would accuse me open
ly of knowing where the pearls were:
/ would explain my silly remark &c
him, and the mine would explode
under Aunt Selma.
/ was sunk in detected reverie wher
some one came on the roof. When he
was opposite the opening In the tent
i saw Mr.. HARRISON, and at that mo
ment he saw me. He paused uncer
tainly. then he made an evident effort
and came over to me.
You are-better today"
Quite well. thank you"
1 am glad you find the tent use.
fui. Does II keep of the wind?"
1t Is quite a extraordinarily.
He still stood. struggling for some
thing to say Evidently nothing came
10 his mind. for he lifted the cap he
was wearing, and. turning away. be
gan TO work with the wiring of the
roof. He was clever with tools: one
could see that. II he was a profes.
sional gentleman-hurglar. no doubt
he needed to be. After a bit. finding
IT, necessary to climb to the parapet,
he took off his coat. without even a
glance in my direction. and fell 10
work vigorously.
one does NOT need to like a man 10
admire him physically. any more than
one needs to like a racehorse or any
other splendid animal. No one could
deny that the man on the parapet
was splendid animal: he looked
quite big enough and strong enough TO
nave tossed his slender bridge across
the gulf to the next roof. without any
difhculty. and coordinate enough 10
nave crossed II with n flourish 10
safety.
Just then there was n rending. tear.
ing SOUND from the corner and n nut.
tered ejaculation. looked up in time
TO see Mr.. HARRISON throw up his
arms. make a futile attempt to regain
his balance. and disappear over the
edge OF the roof. One instant he was
standing there. splendid. superb: the
next. the corner of the parapet was
empty all that stood there was n
broken, splintered post. and a tangle OF
wires
could not have moved at first. nj
least, 1t seemed hours before the full
significance OF the thing penetrated
my dazed brain. When got up !
seemed to walk, to crawl, with Ieaden
weights holding back my feet.
When ] got TO the corner had TO
catch the post for support. knew
somebody was saying: "Oh, how terri.
ble! over and over. II was only after.
ward that / knew It had been myself.
And then some other voice was say.
ing: Don't be alarmed. Please. don't
be frightened. I'm all right"
/ dared look over the parapet final
ly, and instead of crushed and I'm.
speakable body, there was Mr.. Harbi.
son. sitting about eight feet below me.
with his feet swinging into sp,ce and
a long red scratch from the corner
OF his eye across his cheek. There
was sort Of mansard there. with win.
dows. and just enough coping to keen
him from rolling on.
Il thought you had fallen-all the
way | gasped. trying to keep my
lips from trembling. "I-oh. don't
dangle your feet like that"
He did not seem at all glad Of HE
escape. lie sat there gloomily. peer.
Ing into the gulf beneath.
If 1t wasn't so-er-messy and gen.
orally unpleasant" he replied without
looking up. Il would slide of and &c
the rest of the way"
You are childish" | said. severely
See II you can get through the win.
dow behind you. II you cannot. m
come down and unfasten H." But the
window was open, and / had a chance
TO sit down and gather up the scat
tered ends OF my nerves. To my sur
prise, however. when he came bacb
he made no effort TO renew our con
versation. lie ignored me completely
and went 20 work at once TO repair
the damage to his wires, with his back
to me.
ITO BE CONTINUED