The Detroit times., 1912-06-18
.MeWAN> IN t6...
BROWN DERBY
90
WELLS HASTINGS :
S0o Autho. Of csSo
The Professor, Mystery
tOwrsAtlsllby BobbLle"aI "a
CHAPTER Xxx.
(Contlnued.)

| settled myself down behind my
bush stretching out my crampeu
limbs 10 wait as beat | could the
coming darkness lnfrequent pedes-
TRANS passed my hiding-place, and
once or twice some country convey
ance ratified by; but no one stopped
or made any attempt TO go into the
sanatorium. Indeed, | thought the VII
layers who passed me quickened
their pace little as they went by
the grounds and glanced askance at
tho ominous old building as If 1t were
something 10 fear. Al ten minutes
TO six the Waterman who patrolled
the grounds passed in front OF the
building, and at ten minutes past an.
other man. whom ] supposed 10 be
his six o'clock relief. came into view.
This man. | noticed with regret. was
much more careful and alert, proba-
lily a more trustworthy person Tor
the difficult night watch But was
encouraged 10 find that these rounds
OF the Waterman we're made with an
almost exact regularity, that there
were twenty minutes between each
coming and going. And | hoped, once
darkness had set in, TO be able TO do
much in those twenty minutes. Or
course there was always the watch
man on the roof. but, II the night
were dark enough, | thought my
chances good OF escaping observation.
But darkness, which in working
day seems 10 come 80 unexpectedly.
as IL II were thrown over the world
like great blanket. fingered unbe-
lievably. The tender glory or sunset
grayed into twilight as slowly as II
some new and not quite omnipotent
Joshua, unable absolutely 10 stop the
sun. had at least malignly retarded II
Just below the horizon line. But at
length twilight was an accomplished
thing, and with IL the windows In
the building opposite flared here and
there into barred oblongs OF bright
ness, until dark shades were drawn,
and the windows were only thin, pen
ciled, golden parallelograms in the
somber Darkness OF the impenetrable
wall OF black. IL was ten minutes OF
nine before | judged IL dark enough
TO make my attempt. The Waterman.
| thought, must just have passed.
Through my long watch / had
studied the place very carefully, In
Imagination pacing over and over
again the road | should take to the
building, so that now | stole across
the road and the soft grass or the
! lawn, going without a stumble, as
softly as a burglar might, until with
my hand | felt the wall before me
! had chosen the place where the Ivy
seemed thickest: for IT was to be my
| ladder TO the rooms above. Now, as
! | searched gently among the leaves
! for the giant parent stem, | heard a
| little, half-suppressed cough. | had
come a moment or two too soon.
| Ii had grown SO dark that could
not see the Waterman, who was ap
preaching me. save only where his
face made lighter blur in the dark
ness, and the white line OF his collar
showed more distinctly beneath It,
turned up the collar Of my coat t
hide my own, and, with my heat
bowed, backed close to the wall into
the cool, soft mass OF long-stemmeC
ivy leaves. do not know whether hi
heard anything or not, but he stopped
just in front OF me, and | could dis
tinctly smell the hot lacquer OF hi
closed bulls-eye lantern, and hear hi
breathing even above the pounding
vi AdhC "oo 6OOo ~
both of u.s. he saved his neck ant
continued on his rounds.
When | was sure that he must have
turned the corner, slowly and eau
tiously began my climb, feeling alonl
the mighty stem and its looped anC
twisted branches. as, holding mysel
tight against the wall. | climbed il
the darkness with cropping hand ant
foot. | must have mounted ten feet
when came upon false window.
blank niche set into the wall ate
the purposeless fashion Of those day
of architectural atrocity. AS | pullet
myself up into 1t the night stiffness
was suddenly shattered by tn,
frightened shrilling OF innumerabl'
sparrows. shrank back into thu
niche, holding myself close, and a
much behind the vines as possible
for | heard the soft whistle OF tn
man on the roof and the thuddlnl
footsteps OF the returning Waterman
What is it," said the man on tn,
ground
Don't know the one above an
swered, but something has fright
ened the birds. Listen TO them"
The man on the ground grunted
That's right. Something's troubling
| than Rettar have n look" And a