The Washington times., 1913-12-08

I
; Not quite. Co on.
! You said something this morning
about roofs and scuttIes. I'm going to
| suggesI that you become a burglar.
See? Nv scuttle; that's easy. His
| scuttie. I have an old crowbar and an
aN in my cellar. Catch on. Bling?
Yes. Its the house with the win
dows and doors shuttered, isn't it?''
: Surest thing YOU know. The only
! difficulty is that you will have TO break
out of it as well as into it. More than
{ likely Rice has taken the key to the
with him.. But you can manage that
! somehow
Yes. / will be able to manage it"
SO We win take It easy until 1t gets
dinner; and then, when the time comes.
We will not. will. You have got
10 promise me that you will let me go
! II entirely alone after ! leave the trap
door in Your roof. You have got to get
back into * and lock it on the inside
| before ] move step toward the other
| house. IT is good plan all around,
Torl- You are sure that Rice's house
! is TIE twelfth one below here?''
Yes. I know by the relation OF the
numbers. and 7 have Just counted the
doors rs ] came up the street. But
seeing you we'll inside of the other
house -
..Ncihing doing, Tom. Hear my plan"
"WelI?'
: Il - going TO be warm evening
outside. AS soon as YOU have fastened
the scuttle in YOUR roof after me, want
You to take a chair outside on your
front steps, and sit there while you
smoke your cigar Leave your Goor
enter your house, let them.
~ anything haprens at the house
that is twelve doors below here. YOU are
TO manifest the same sort of interest
in il that YOU would show IL I did not
exist. After you have sat there for an
hour or more. put on your hat, lock
YOUR door. and go away-and stay away
from home ali night.
Give the COPS a chance TO do the
burglar act themselves: that is. to en-
ter youT house during your absence,
and 20 search il. Now, while II Is light
we i'll get the tools together and take
them to tie roof. Those you mentioned
will be the right ones-a crowbar and
an AK
While they were in the cellar procdr-
in, them Harvard picked up ham
mer ard half a dozen wire nails, which
he thrus. into the side pocket of his
coat. The az he decided to leave be
hind. The crovbar was a small one
fortunately. and seemed just the tool he
needed.
Time slipped away from them more
-apidly than they imagined. The made
Scipio had lett in the icebox. and care
fully put everything away that they
had used when It vas finished.
I'll take these tools to the scuttle
now. and leave them at the foot OF tne
,teps until need them" Harvard said
then Come along with me-
They moutned to the top floor to-
Eether. Harvard vas about to put down
the ncavy bar when both Of them were
startled by hearing the rattle oi the
L. ali a..
Let me OUTSIDE. Tom, and look down
The scutt,c afte~ ne. Then go down and
a. svsr tive bell. Vi is nearly dark.
wont ne seen.
Amos: before re- had ceased speaking
h, hzd lifted me trap and climbed out |
sdo
70, = moment ilen ne listened.
-" could hca- Clancy put N" hook
:hrovsn tho staple Inside the scuttle and
cli:n;, down the steep SIPS iftcTward. !
He Eesr the Ioor al the bottom of the j
steps close.
instantly ne produced the hammer and
nails from his cost pocket. and before |
Clancy could II"' reached the Darlor ,
foo, Of ths house iIar"ard had driven |
three of the nails nome. The scuttle !
MS fastened down-nailed from the out |
side.
1t was not enti'ely dark as yet. but
Harvard took / chance. He realized |
thst what he had TO do must be accom- !
p,i@hed cypcditiously. There WAS no
time to lose.
He ran across the roofs. counting
them rs he went; 10 what he supposed !
10 b., the twelfta house below Clancy's.
L. was moi a trGp-door that he founG |
there hu; one e the hooded kind that !
nas Approached I,om inside BY a regU- !
lar stairway. doubtless.
WithoHt al Instant of hesitation fiaT- !
ward lifted the h"avE bar and smashed |
in FIRST one ami then another Of the !
psneig Of the dn"r which had been set
to o"on outward
There was noise, but he paid no at
tention to that. Still graspinS the ba~.
Inc climbed through the opening h"
had made. descended the marrow stair
way rapidly. for there was stiil just
sufficient light for him to see his way.
and he passed another door that was
not locked to the hallway Of the top
floor Of the building.
There lie paused, startled and uncer- |
tain what TO do.
ReioY him. as he bent over the rail
of the balus;rade lights CLEANED. and !
he could hear the voices OF several !
persons who seemed TO be trying TO |
talk all at the same time. They were !,
women's voices, and Harvard under !
stood at orce that they had been |
alarmed by the crashing in OF the door |
to the roof
Here was dilemma upon which he
had not figured.
This was no vacant house. II seemed |
TO be vc-v much occupied. indeed.
Evidently h" had not counted right ,
when he fed across the roofs. He !
had stopped 81 the eleventh house. or |
he had passed on TO the thrtesnth--or |
else Tom CLANCY had fecT mistaken. |
But there was no time to waste in |
idle con lectures He Vas In that house |
and he had TO get out of II at what |
ever cost
He descended the stairs swiftly.
"A Continuation Of This Story Will /