The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-03-13
CHAPTER II.
Burglary

Su' 4taTJ
She awakened in q sharp panic
Without the least warning the
atmosphere quaked with a terrific
shock Of thunder. and the down
pour became heavier.
The girl sprang from her chail
and CROPPED her way to the scuttle
1t was closed.
Somebody, presumably the jani
tor, had shut 1t against the impend
ing storm without troubling t.
make sure there was no one on
the roof.
Half stunned and wholly terrified
the girl dashed the rain from her
eyes and strove to recollect her
wits and grapple sanely with hei
plight.
1t was a bare chance that a scut
tie on some one of the adjacent
roofs might be, at least. not fasten
ed down.
Fighting the buffeting wind, the
scourging rain. and her panic
fright, she gained the scuttle of the
roof to the west, but found it i'm
movable.
Painting, even sobbing a little in
her terror, she scrambled on thru
sort of ~nightmarish progress to
the next roof, and on and on to the
next and the next.
She couldn't have said how many
roofs she had crossed, when al
length she discovered a scuttle that
was actually aiar, and without
pause to wonder at this circum
stance, or what might be her re.
ception, she swung down into that
hospitable black hole, and by mis-
chance dislodged the iron arm sup
porting the cover.
II fell with bang and a click
and Sally barely escaped crushed
fingers by releasing the rim and
tumbling incontinently to the floor
She stood in what at first seemed
unreleved darkness-but for glimp
SEES revealed by the incessant flash
and flare of light1ing-at one end Of
a short hallway, by the rail OF a
staircase we'll. Three or four doors
opened upon this hall; but she de
tected no sign of any movement In
the shadows, and heard no sound
Then step by timid step, she
descended to the next floor, which
she found devoted to three hand
somely appointed bedchambers, also
empty. And slowly, as her courage
served, another flight took hel
down to story given over wholly
to two bedchambers with bath
dressing rooms, and boudoirs ad
Joining, all very luxurious to 9
hasty survey.
Below this again was an en-
trance hall, giving access to g
drawing room, library. and, at the
back Of the house, a dining room
And finally the basement proved tc
be as deserted as any room above
1t required, however, only 9
moments sober thought, once salts
fled she was alone. to suggest al
one reasonable solution to thu
puzzle that the owners had flee
town for the weekend, leaving thu
establishment in care of untrust
worthy servants, who had promptly
elected to seek their own pleasure
elsewhere.
Content with this theory, Sally
chose one of the windows of the
servants dining room from which
to spy out stealthily, first remark
ing that the house was near thu
Park ave. corner, finally a police
man sheltered in the tradesman's
entrance of the dwelling across the
way.
At this last disquieting discovery
Sally retreated expeditiously from
the window, for the first time re
alizing that her presence in that
house, however innocent, wouldn't
be easy to explain to one of q
policeman's incredulous idiosyn
Grassy.
But nobody knew; 1t was only
$3.50 by the clock in the kitchen
1t was reasonably improbable thai
the faithless servants would come
back much before midnight; and
she need only wait for the storm
to pass to return across the roofs
None the less 1t was quite with
out definite design that Sally re
traced her way to that suite o.
rooms in the second story which
seemed to be the quarters of the
mistress of the establishment.
And when the girl pursued hel
investigations to the point of open
Ing closed doors she found clothes
presses containing wardrobe t.
cope with every imaginable emery
ency-frocks to ravish any woman's
heart.
Her heart ached with q reawak
ened sense Of the cruel unfairness
of life. Her flesh crept with the
touch of her rain-soaked clothing
And in her thoughts temptation
stirred like whispering serpent.
TITS only for an hour. No one
need ever know. I'll leave every
thing Just as | found 1t. And I'm
SO uncomfortable"
She hesitated a moment longer,
but only a moment. Her first move
was to turn on hot water In the
shining porcelain tub.
Half an hour later, deliciously ca
ressed by garments of soft white
silk, she sat before the dressing
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