The Washington herald., 1913-12-28

the last house on the side street. the
house abutting the Fifth Avenue man.
sion which was the object of my attack,
stood vacant or that there could be no
doubt. Its doors and windows were
sealed with neatly painted shutters. This,
it occurred to me, might mark a possible
line of approach. But here again l faced
what seemed an impregnable position.
was backing away little, studying that
boarded and coffinlike front, when my
heel grated against the iron covering OF
coal shute. This ccal shute stood mid
way between the cur3 and the area rail-
ing. I looked down at it for a moment or
two. Something prompted me to test its
edge with the toe OF my shoe. Then,
making quite seure that the street was
empty. stooped down and clutched al
the edge of the iron disk. 1t was quite
heavy. But one tug at 1t showed me that
its lock chain had been forced apart.
1t took but a moment to lift the metal
shield to one side of the shute head. II
took but another moment to lower myself
to work the iron disk back over the
opening. 1t also required many strange
contortions OF the body to worm my way
down into that narrow and dirty tunnel.
My rather peremptory advent into the
coal bin resulted in a startling amount of
noise, noise enough to wake the soundest
of sleepers. So crouched there for sew
eral seconds, inhaling dust and listening
and wondering whether or not the walls
above me harbored a caretaker. Then !
took out the pocket searchlight and with
the pressure of a finger directed my ray
of illumination against a wooden parti-
ton bisected by a painted wooden door
A distinct sense of disappointment swept
through me as stopped down to examine
this door and found that it had already
been forced open. / knew, however, that
1 was following in the footsteps of my
more experienced predecessor. Then
came a storeroom, and then a laundry
room, with another jimmied door at the
head of the stairway leading to the first
floor.
Here I stood waiting and listening for
some time. But still again nothing but
darkness and silence and that musty
aroma peculiar to unoccupied houses sur
rounded me. I felt more at home by this
time, and was more leisurely in my sur
vey of the passage upward. I began to
admire my friend the burglars astute-
ness in choosing so circuitous and yet
SO protected a path. There was almost
genius in it His advance. i felt sure,
was toward the roof. AS / had expect
ed, I found the scuttle open. The lock,
1 could see, had been quite cleverly
picked. And so far there had not been a
mishap.
Once out on the housetop, however, !
foresaw that 1 would have to be more
careful. As 1 clambered up to the higher
coping tiles that marked the line of the
next roof 1 knew that I had actually
broken into the enemy's, lines Yet the
way still seemed clear enough. For as
1 came to the roof scuttle Of the second
house L found that 1t, too, remained un-
locked. My predecessor had made
things almost disappointingly easy for
me. Yet in other ways he had Nft things
doubly dangerous I had to bear the brunt
of any misstep he might have made. 1
was being called to face the responsibility
Of both his intrusion and my own.
So it was with infinite precaution that I
lifted the scuttle and leaned over that
little well of darkness, inhaling the warm
er air that seeped up in my face.
It began to dawn on me, as 1 CROPPED
lower and lower down through the dark
ness, that a burglars calling was not all
beer and skittles. / began to feel little
ashamed of my heroics OF an hour before.
Then I drew up, suddenly, for a sound
had crept to my ears. The tingle that ran
through my body was not wholly one Of
fright. Yet as stood there in the dark
ness with one hand against the wall I
caught the rhythm of a slow and muffled
snoring.
! was no longer prey to any feeling