The Washington times., 1912-10-08

thrust his head out into the close air
OF the court. The ladder led to the
bottom. And at the bottom sat man.
brawny and blue-shirted--and looking
'?"si ?"sayi Your cried Grafton.
The others ugly features broadened
Into a smile-a smile neither pleasant
| nor promising. He offered no reply.
/ Look here, my manl'
| The sinister one smiled on In silence.
II want this door unlockedv.
The smile turned to a laugh.
"Yes. and want It done quickly.
The man below watched him for q
| few seconds, but vouchsafed neither
answer nor move. Indeed, he picked up
PIPE psS,sS fTS% tse owy a%a 0ssGs eau h%
Grafton seemed To have passed from
rs that door going to be openedY'
| some day, mebbe.'
The man suiicd on, and the smile set
Grafton's blood to boiling. II they were
not going to release him he would de-
| scend and try conclusions with the per-
son In the court and any other persons
who might choose to enter the game;
and In his mood he felt capable OF hand
! ling all the court could hold.
1 The sarh went higher. One OF Graf
rung Of the ladder. He gripped the cas-
ing of the window and prepared to de-
scend to the bottom.
And then voice reached him.
Hey! Git back there!'
|. Ill get back when I'm ready!'
Then you're ready now-see!''
Something so assured lurked In the
tone that Grafton paused and glanced
downward.
The man OF the blue shirt was be.
meath him, and revolver In his hand
pointed. straight upward!
! "Tye been sitting here to walt foi
you. mister his guard announced. You
git back, or you may cons down quick
er'n YOU think"
. you git back
The man did not look like the sort o.
person who would hesitate long at mur
der. more particularly In the closet
court. Grafton. gritting his teeth
obeyed the Injunction.
His guard pocketed the pistol and re
: seated himself upon an empty keg.
30 that means Of escape was cut OF
The plot was very plain now. He ha'
, been securely trapped-foully. but yer;
7 efficiently. Whether by his own voli
way to complying with Colson's reaucs
that he remain In Chicago for a da!
or two.
, Almost bewildered, he perched on tn
edge OF a broken chair to reconsider
= They had him fast: that was certain ]
II
n root OF the fire-escape. there were othe
r guards. In all probability, awaiting hir
ir the corridor. Should he succeed 4
opening the door a disastrous prospec
would very likely confront him-a bio,
. or shot that would relieve him fror
h active business for more than a da
A or two.
But Grafton's seven millions whic
n now hung In the balance had not bee
= amassed by shrinking from disastrou
I Nas fV.1 IL. L.. AI a
4 approach whatever seemed most threa
n ening and to vanquish It, He was .nt
going to reform his habits now.
81 II they had locked hin, In. II they ha
y sible to make a din such as would
a heard beyond the filmsy walls. Whi
- good that would do was somewhi
d probiematic. but certainly he wou
n hardly harm himself more than by a.
n cepting the situation complacently.
First, the door! II he got that dow
10 without a fight. he would sally for,
n end create such turmoil as even tn
" disreputable hole had not heard In
decade. He walked quickly over ar
v raped on the panels. They were t.
d solid to go down even before his ha,
a fists.
8. He turned to the aged bedstead. wi
Its heavy footposts A wrench or tw
Ie 10 the floor, and twisted the post loo
10 from the frame. He weighed II al
ID swung II about his head In tentati
D. fashion. and he smiled Short of fir
arms, II was as good n weapon as q
heart Of man could desire.
IN Standhg a yard or so away. he swul
A. his club and brought 1t down again
'e the door. A splintering crash ensue
but the wood held. He stepped ba
d. and whirled II about his head on
II more: once more brought It down up
n. the old woodwork.
This time he made a distinct impre
ne sion. A long, Jagged crack appeared
the upper half of the barrier.
}" "Goody' Grafton rested the cl,
a against his knees and drew back h
At sleeve for a better grip. Next time,
thunder! the door comes down or q
I'd old club smashes!" .
,y He drew breath and raised his bate
ne ing ram again. Stepping away on
se more. he gripped It firmly and swung
b. about-once, twice, thrice. Then
e. hurled It forward. with every ounce
tn his own weight behind the stroke.
With a thud that brought plaster fro
T. the ceiling above. the bedpoast we
OF sauarely through the upper panel! Th
We club and smiled slightly. Two or thr
more like the last. and he would ha
ed tho thing down, hinges. and ALA
ed then!
He raised his weapon agam-but
We lowered II before the blow could ifa
Outside on the rickety stairs Of the da
n hallway, steps were approaching rap
80 |