The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-06-16

| the policeman who had noticed the
cab at Twenty-third street and who
now painted in, blown and perspiring.
Much to his disgust he found himself
assigned to stand guard over the base
into the street.
Meanwhile the first officer to arrive
upon the scene was taking his turn at
agitating the button and shaking the
gates; and with no more profit of his
undertaking than Hickey. After a
minute or two of it he acknowledged
defeat with an oath, and turned away
to browbeat the struggling vanguard
of belated wayfarers-messenger
boys, slatternly drabs, hackmen, loaf.
ers, and one or two plain citizens con-
spicuously out of their reputable
grooves-who were drifting in at the
entrance to line the lobby walls with
blank, curious faces. Forerunners of
that mysterious rabble which is ap-
parently precipitated out of the very
air by any extraordinary happening in
city streets, if allowed to remain they
would in five minutes have waxed in
numbers to the proportions of an un-
manageable mob; and the policeman,
knowing this, set about dispensing
them with perhaps greater discretion
than consideration.
They wavered and fell back, grum-
bling discontentedly; and Maitland,
his anxiety temporarily distracted by
do
find his erstwhile cabby at his elbow.
Of whom the sight was inspiration.
Ever thoughtful, never unmindful of
her whose influence held him in this
coil, he laid an arresting hand on the
mans sleeve.
you've got your cab"
"Yissir, right houtside.'
Drive round the corner, away from
the crowd, and wait for me. If She
the young lady-comes without me,
drive her anywhere she tells you and
come to my rooms tomorrow morning
for your pay
''Thankee, SIR
Maitland turned back, to find the
situation round the elevator shaft in
statu quo. Nothing had happened, save
that Hickey's rage and vexation had
increased nightly
But why don't you go up after
him."
How n blazes can II" exploded the
detective. Hes got tn night car. F
l takes the stairs, he comes down by
tn shaft, nd how'm 1 tub trust this
here mutt?" He indicated his associ-
ate but humber custodian of the peace
with disguised gesture.
Perhaps one of the other cars will
run" Maitland suggested
''Ah, they're all dead Ones" Hickey
disagreed with disdain as the young
man moved down the row of gates, try
ing one after another. "Yeh're only
wastin'-"
He broke off with snort as Matt
land, somewhat to his own surprise,
managing to move the gate of the
third shaft from the night elevator,
stepped into the darkened car and
CROPPED for the controller. Presently
his fingers encountered it, and he
moved it cautiously to one side. A
vicious blue spark leaped kissing from
the controller-box and the cage
bounded up dozen feet, and was only
restrained from it's ambition to soar
skywards by an instantaneous release
of the lever.
By discreet manipulation Maitland
worked the car down to the street
floor again, and Hickey, with grunt
that might be interpreted as an apol-
ogy for his incredulity, jumped in.
Let 'er ripi" he cried, exultantly.
Fan them folks out intuh tn street,
Bergen, nd watch ow-ut!"
Maitland was pressing the lever
slowly wide of it's catch, and the
lighted lobby dropped out of sight
while the detective was still shouting
admonitions to the police below. Grad
ually gaining momentum the car began
to shoot smoothly up into the black
ness, safety chains clanking beneath
the floor. Hickey fumbled for the
electric light switch but, finding it, inn
mediately shut the glare off again and
left the car in darkness.
Safer" he explained, sententious.
"Anisty II shoot, nd they says he
shoots straight"
Floor after floor in ghostly strata
slipped silently down before their
eyes. Halfway to the top, approx
mately, Hickey's voice rang sharply
in the volunteer operators ear.
''Stop 'er! Hold 'er steady. Tother's
comm down."
Maitland obeyed, managing the car
with greater ease and less jerkily as
he began to understand the principle
Of the lever. The cage paused in the
black shaft, and he looked upward. e
Down the third shaft over, the other
cage was dropping like plummet, a
block of golden light walled in by
black filigree-work and bisected verti.
cally by the black line of the guide
rail.
stop that there carl"
Hickey's stentorian command had
no effect; the block of light continued
70 &v,11