Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-12-05

NAOBHCO clCDBCO dIOA ah0 - ~
marks now outlined in white.
They led up to the third floor, where
were a tube of green paint and green
tracks to follow up a ladder that led to
a trap in the root. 1t was fastened
from the outside.
Harley set his shoulder against 1t
and strained. Again and again he ex.
erted all his strength, and at last the
rotted wood gave way, and he hurled
the door aside and emerged hot and
breathless upon the roof, where he
picked up a little white handkerchief.
He went along the fiat roof of the
adjoining house and saw that the trap
was fastened from the roof side. On
the roof of the third house was a tube
of black paint on top of the locked trap.
On the fourth house was a small tube
of green paint, and the trap was lock
ed. On the fifth roof there was moth.
ing. but on the roof of the last house,
where the pale woman had answered
the door. he found by diligent search.
ing a little gold finger ring set with a
tiny turquoise surrounded by d.ose dia.
monds. He put it in his pocket with
a strange thrill at the contact.
This last trapdoor was evidently
locked on the inside. for it resisted all
his efforts. but he was desperate now
and looked about for some tool with
which to smash it in. He was conf
dent that the appeal for help had come
from the last house and that the in.
mates had fled along the roofs, locking
the different traps in their fight SO
that help could not reach them through
the houses intervening between the
last and the first.
There was an iron rod fallen from
the support of a chimney stack. and
Harley used it to pry under the edge
of the trap and break the rotten
boards. He was able to reach his
hand inside and unfasten the hook. In
another instant he was down the lad
der and running from room to room of
the house.
Far below in the basement he heard
the sound of a heated argument, and
before going down he paused before
a closed door. He turned the knob,
ana II reS1Sleu Ills elOTlS. n girl y
frightened sob was his answer.
LET me ina friend he whispered
through the keyhole, and the door tim
idly opened after a heavy piece of fur
niture had been rolled away.
Harley slipped inside. rolled the
dresser up against the door and faced
the girl in the dim light of the darken-
ed room.
She was a little creature with a dark,
piquant face framed in misty black
hair. Her red lips were parted in ter
ror. and her brown eyes sought his ap-
pealingly as she shrank against the
farther wall of the oom
"Oh. who are your" she gasped.
Are you really a friend?'
"Yes," he said practically. "You tel
ephoned for help?"
Eyes; | had just a moment. and l
asked for the first number that came
into my head. They tore the receiver
from my hand before. l could finish.
oh, it is dreadful. dreadful" She sob
bed quietly.
Its all right now" soothed Harley.
my partner is coming along now with
a policeman. Tell me what happened,
please"
81 am an artist. l was painting here
in the ~court-the row of old time
houses attracted me-when a woman
came out of the other end house and
asked me to come IL and see some very
old pictures that she had. She said
she thought one of them was an old
master. / went inside, taking my
easel and color box with me. AS soon
as l was inside the door she closed it
and pohnced upon me and searched
me for money and valuables. Some
one called her from another room, and
/ darted to a telephone and called be-
fore they caught me. Then they be-
came frightened and hurried me up
stairs to the roof and along the roofs
of the other houses until we came to
this first one. | dropped tubes of paint
all the way along. hoping some one
might trail me. and | dropped my little
turquoise ring at this house. The wo-
man thrust me in here. and I barricad-
ed the door. She has been quarreline
WITH some one IN the DdSe
ment. and hen you came"
you are safe enough now" said
Harley. "Hark, What's that?" There
was a sudden clatter In the paved
street. the gong Of a police wagon and
the sound of many voices. Footsteps
fed up the stairs and were lost In the
upper regions of the house.
Harley went to the window and
smashed open the nailed shutters.
Rogers" he called sharply. and Bob
Rogers and several policemen ran up
the steps of the house. In five min
utes they had cornered the pale faced
woman and her confederate in the end
house and placed them under arrest.
Harley sent for a taxicab and es-
corted Miss Deland to her studio. "By