Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1919-07-10

ssnez- can shin up Ike a squirrel
and 70 through her room to the
-Are you crazy. Spr0uses You'd
take your life In your hands and--v
eSee here" said Sprouse shortly
7 am not risizing my life for the fan
Of the thing l am risking II for her
scar that In mfnd-for her AM her
people. And II am killed they won't
even say Well done, good and faith
ful servant So lets not argue the
point Are you going to stand by
me or-back 0ut."
Barnes was shamed. @T1t stand by
gou." he said, and they stole forward
: There were no lights visible. The
aOuse was even darker than the night
Itself: 1t was vaguely outlined by 8
deeper shade Of black.
AT last they were within n few
yards of the entrance and at the ecge
If small space that had been cleared
If shrubbery. Here Sprouse stopped
and began to adjust the %ecfions Of
his fishing rod. -.
write" he whispered. ssrhere is q
,aint glow OF light up there to the
light. The third window, did you sayi
Well, that's about where sIioule
locate IT."
The tiny metallic tip OF the rod
held In the upstretched hand Of
Barnes, much the taller OF the two
men, barely reached the window ledge
He tapped gently, persistently on the
hard surface. Just as they were be
ginning to think that she was asIeeI
and that their efforts were I'm vair
heir straIning eyes made out a shad
,wy object projecting slightly beyons
the sill.
After a moment or two Of suspense
Barnes experienced a peculiar. almost
electric shock. Someone had seized
he tip of the rod; 1t stifFened sud
1enly, the vibrations due TO it's fiex
.bility ceasing. Someone was UntyIns
he bit of paper he had fastened tt
he rod, and with fingers that SHOOK
and were clumsy with eagerness.
He had written: II am outside witt
> trusted friend, ready to do youi
bidding. Two of the guards are safely
bound and out of the way. Now Is
our chance. We will never have an
other. If you are prepared to COME
With me now write me n word or two
and drop 1t to the ground. / Will pass
up a rope to you and you may lower
anything you wish to carry away will
you. But be exceedingly careful. Take
lime. Don't hurry a single one OF
FOUR movements" He signed it with S
large "B."
1t seemed an hour before their eyes
distinguished the shadowy head above
AS a matter OF fact but a few min
1tes had passed. During the wait
Sprouse had nolselessly removed his
coat, a proceeding that puzzled Barnes
Something light fell to the ground. II
was Sprouse who stopped and searched
for it In the grass. When he resumed
an upright posture he put his lips
close TO Barnes ear and whispered:
Il will put my coat over your head
Here Is little electric torch. Don't
dash 1t until ] am sure the coat Is
arranged so that you can do so with
out a CLEAN Of light getting out from
under" He pressed the torch and a
bit OF closely folded paper in the
others hand and carefully draped the
coat over his head.
Barnes read: TThank Godi I was
afraid you would wait until tomorrow
night. Then 1t would have heen too
late. I must get away tonight but ]
cannot leave-I dare not leave without
something that is concealed In an
other part of the house. / do not
know how to secure II. My door is
locked from the outside. What am ]
20 do? l would rather die than 10 90
away without it"
Hastily he wrote: eff you DO not
come at once. We win force our way
into the house and fight It out with
them all. My friend is coming up.fhe
vines. Let him enter the window. Tell
him where to go and he win do the
rest. He is a miracle man. Nothing
Is impossible to him. II he does not
return In ten minutes, shall follow"
There was no response to this. The
head reappeared;in the window, but no
word came down.
Sprouse whispered: II am going M
Stay here. If you hear a commotion
IN the house, run for IL. Don't wait
for me. I'll probably be done for"
"Tll do just as / please about run
ning," said Barnes, and there was a
deep thrill in his whisper. "GOOd luck
God help you II they catch you"
"Not even he could help me then.
Good-by. I'll do what can. to induce
her to drop out OF the window IL any
thing goes wrong with me downstairs"
A moment later he was silently
scaling the wall of the house, feeling
bis way carefully. testing every pre-
carious foothold, dragging himself
painfuIly upwards by means of the
most uncanny, animal-like strength
and stealth.
Barnes could not recall drawing a
single breath from the instant the man
left his side until the family luminous
square above his head was oblIterated
by the black of his body as It wrlggled
over the ledge.
We win follow Sprouse. When he
erawled through the window and stood
erect inside the room, he found him.
self confronted by tall. shadowy fig
ure. standing halfway between him
and the door.
He advanced step or two and ut.
tered soft hiss Of warning.
mot sound" he whispered. draw.
ing still nearer. II have come four