The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-01-27

him: "John! John! Don't so after
him. He'll hurt your
Helplessly she peered out Of the Win
swiftly up toward the crest OF the
| building. The seconds seemed hours
as she watched Then she saw John
stumble and catch himself. That de-
cided her. She picked up her skirts
and stepped out OH the platform her.
self. Then she gingerly swung her.
self out on the iron ladder and COM
menced to climb upward. She saw the
thief reach the cornice and crawl over,
then John. She struggled OH up sob
bingly. bruising her tender hands OH
the rusty rods. Once or twice she
stopped and called: "John! John"
There was no answer.
| Then she realized that there was an
ther on the ladder below her. She
nearly lost her grip and fell. Surely
it must be some accomplice Of the
thief! She FASTENED her way up the
ladder. not daring to look down again.
| At last she gained the cornice. where
the ladder bent suddenly outward and
she must perforce almost hang sus-
pended by her hands. But she man
aged to surmonnt this difficulty and
stumbled forward on the roof Of the
hotel.
At first glance she saw no one. The
roof was huge, broken here and there
by skylights and chimneys and air.
shafts. The shadows cast by the moon
lay dark and strange across the tarry
gravel.
John, John!' she called softly.
Then again. in terror, she cried shrilly:
"John! Oh, john
At that moment the figure of the
masked man slipped from behind one
of the chimneys and made for the fire
escape. She realized that he was Is
Gaping. Who're was John? She way
cred. Could lie be killed? She cried
again. "Jolln"'
She stood directly in the way Of the
man making for the ladder. ana he
paused at the sight Of that eerie figure.
The hesitation was fatal to his pur-
pose. Dorr darted across the root and
grasped for him. With swift turn
the thief leaped over u skyligbt and
commenced to run hither end thither.
| trying to evade John, WHO was not to
be put off, now that he had full sight
Of his quarry.
Ruth watched the chase with hands
tensely clasped over her bosom. She
could not stir from her position in the
full moonlight, near the edge of the
roof, nor did she move when Dorr TN
Ially caught his man and trlpped him.
They fell together on the roof and
rolled over and over, each trying to
balls the other of good hold. The
fighting was furious. for Pell. still i'm
1 der the spell of drugs. was possessed
Of tremendous strength which even
DORIS hard muscles could not over
come.
Suddenly Ruth heard familiar
voice behind her saying. IN be dad
blamed if it amt fight" She did not
turn. Her eyes were fixed on the two
writhing men.
Suddenly Pell started to roll over to-
ward the edge of the roof, dragging
John after him. This new danger up
palled the girl. She watched with fas-
cinated eyes.
John Dorr was well out Of breath by
this time and knew his man. 1t was
n desperate struggle. for the thief was
fighting for his freedom aud possibly
his life so Dorr settled down to hold
him until his wild strength ebbed and
he could handle him.
Henry Pell. on the other hand, knew
precisely his plight and saw with ex-
actness what would happen to him un-
less he escaped the huge arms that
tied him down. Like all men of his
class, he was ayerse. to carrying weap-
ons. Tonight he cursed himself for be-
ing unarmel. One shot, the fire escape
and away! That being impossible, he
In pursuance of it, he gradually work
ed himself nearer and nearer to the
escape ladder. If he could once get
: his hands on those iron rails and swing
himself over, his assailant must in
eyitably either let go or drop over.
Pell knew the steel strength Of his
own arms, practiced for years in just
such tricks.
But the presence of second man
right in front of the ladder, as he
perceived through his blurred eyes,
rendered that hope out Of the ques-
ton. In desperate fury he kicked
Dorr violently. tore one arm loose and
drove his bony fist like bullet into
Johns throat.
This forced Dorr for the moment to
let him go. Pell rushed swiftly toward
the ladder. He was halted by the
sight Of a perfectly level gun held in
the hand Of a man who evidently knew
how to use it. He darted back, and
John caught him again, this time with
Il well directed blow TINT felled him.
A second later the thief>was helpless,
lying almost at the very edge Of the
roof. He was trapped and he knew it.
There was but one thing to do, get
rid Of the evidence that he had been
thieving. With firt Of his elbow. lie
managed to send the bundle Of papers
which had fallen out Of his pocket
over the coping and into the air. Then
4