The Washington times., 1912-09-20
CHAPTER II.
A Streak of White.

ment at the corner for the car
which came promptly, to uphold Ken
yonvtlle's trolley service and rode the
blocks to the heart of the business dis
trict.
At the corner of New street they
alghted, and Grafton laid a hand or
his companions shoulder.
"Well-see It. John?"
DO / see it?" Elsford was gazing
upward at the huge black mass of stone
and steel rising to towering heights
halfway down the block. It's a whop-
per-this office building of yours"
"Eighty-five feet on the front and
just little short of a hundred and fifty
deep" said its builder, proudly. And
every cubic inch inside of it is honest
worth, too. Now for a look at the in
terror"
Grafton fitted key to the inner lock,
and with hardly a sound the portal
opened.
The very faint sound. however, was
not unheeded within. Almost before
the latch had snapped again a thick
set man Of middle age came hurriedly
forward from the dim illumination at
the rear of the hall
Oh-it's you, sir"
Seems to be- smiled Grafton.
ker"
lust the same. sir"
Been through the place within the
hour?"
There's the clock, sir
He seemed to be on hand soon
enough" smiled Elsford.
he's here. I'd venture TO say that it
would be fiat impossbility for a man
or beast to enter this building between
z o'clock I'm the evening and in the
i,,xr ,,,,lFn 20 Do rlra
And STILL" said Elsford, without
wishing to say word against Parker,
it's not always we'll to be so certain,
john
mo; it's not. Just about the time we
begin to feel positive that all Is well,
something usually happens
Grafton turned on him with an express
sion of mock hopefulness.
Jim, I'm afraid that something's
wrong with you-you seem to have
sort Of croaking fit on this evening""
Not at all, but
to come along now and see the trimmest
suite Of Offices in the whole establish
ment-my own. Just switch on the cur
rent, Parker, will you? III take Mr..
Elsford up in the elevator
The watchman, travelling noiselessly
in his felt-soled shoes, moved away TO
the rear Of the lower corridor. A switch
snapped down, and he called;
"All right, Parker"
Grafton stepped into the elevator and
pointed silently to the quietly decorated
sides.
Never. I'll own up to it.
And now watch the way she works.
I'll run up slowly, to give you the bene-
fit of the easy notion a.
shaft. ~ -.
There was not jar, not a hitch. If
all things in the Grafton ,t, 4uild,ng hnr psr WUpe
had just cause for pride.
Second he announced playtully.
"Out. sir2" s
I'm going up to see the proprietor VI
the building"
Ninth floor, then. And-look here!'
Grafton broke in enthusiastically. JUST
suppose, for the fun of the thing, that
ali the hoisting machinery should give
way at once"
Thank you. I'm not particularly
anxious to-
I want to demonstrate. Now, here we
are between the second and third floors.
Ry throwing off this clutch, can re-
lease, practically everything that holds
us UP. See? And having done that,
this emergency brake steps right In
automatically and stops the descent
within three feet at the outside. Hold
your breath, J1m.'
The car, starting upward gently. sud
denly dropped. Elsford gasped aloud,
and then shut his teeth together quite
abruptly.
With loud snap the car had stopped
hardly a yard below its original posi-
"There!' laughed Grafton. as the
echo Of the sound died away through
the empty building. That is the only
case in which the cars make a sound.
Come here and see how it works.
Elsford bent over with him, and for
minute or two Grafton pointed out
this or that bit Of mechanism and ex-
plained its manner of working. When
be Strengthened up again the car moved
slowly toward the ninth story once
more.
and the fourth and the fifth floors
Ever see anything to beat it for
mechanism" Grafton half turned to
the other. as the sixth floor approached.
never! It's = John"
The car, arrested by Grafton's sudden
push. came to an abrupt standstill
Elsford, frowning slightly, looked at
the owner of the building, and the own
er OF the building returned his puzzled
"Well. Jim?"
"Well-what are we stopping for?
For the same reason. imagine. that
caused your sudden exclamation a min
utet or so ago."
Then you saw 1t, too?"
Grafton had turned to a survey of the
wall before him. across the corridor of
the sixth floor. He was studying 1t with
some interest.
well. I did fancy that something
caught nv eye jim"
And SO did I-something mighty in
definite. What the dickens was it, any
way?"
Grafton scratched his head.
INV only impression is that of
streak of something white. lingering for
an instant on that wall and then dis
appearing as rapidly as 1t came"
Correct. 1t was there for Just the
smallest fraction of a second and then
1t vanished"
Yes, it was certainly mighty short
visitation. jim" muttered Grafton TT
was-pshaw! l suppose 1t was imagl-
''On both your part and mine, and at
the same instant? That's hardly likely
That streak of white must have been a
reflection from some of the plated work
in the car here"
Then why didn't one or the other of
us see it on one of the lower floors, and
where has 1t gone now?'
Grafton laughed with some annoyance.
Elstord shrugged his shoulders.
Il give 1t up, John. You'i better do
the same. Whatever 1t was, we needn't
become excited about t."
Il know, but there was something
peculiar about that fash of white
ROTnnt hinR Sn-Wan ~ ~adoo