Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-23
HI
The Palace
of Darkened
Windows

iii BRADLEY
The rope ladder was still there
blown free at the bottom now an,
waving merrily in the wind. II
snatched at it, dropping his knife il
his pocket, praying that the tol
hooks had not become dislodged, ant
after him came the other man, hant
over hand. Billy drew up his leg:
in a horrid fear of having them grip
| ped or hacked at. and gained The
! top Just as the others head appeared
below, his knife cleaning in his
! teeth.
! Like a flash Billy drew out his
knife and cut the rope. There was
a wild yell from below and n screecf
of curses and imprecations follow
| ing a rather sickening sounding thud
which persuaded Billy. peering down
| from above, that the victims lungs
at least We're unimpaired, and then
| to his great amazement shot went
winging mp past his ear.
Had a gun all the time-too fight
! ing mad to think OF it--knife more
| natural" he Thought amazedly, slid
| ing down the other side in n fifty
and then jerking his ladder down
flat on the ground
Out in the shadows the one eyed
man was padding earnestly to safe
~. The shot so close at hand had
been his sign for departure: he did
not look back at Bily's shrill whist
ling nor his wilder shouts, and as the
yells on the other side of the wall
were bringing the inmates of the
palace upon him. Billy-had no more
time for persuasion,
orr went his shoes and out into the
canal he flung Them then headlons
he plunged into the dark and unin-
viting water and struck out TO the
right, in the same direction in which
the canoe was going, keeping care
! fully in the shadow of the bank, on
the other side.
In a few moments the canoe was
lost from sight and Billy was left
alone, swimming between two steep
walls OF old palaces. weighed down
by his tweeds, and maddened thru
and thru with his inability TO wiring
1.-The neck of the one-eyed clnoefst.
The distance seemed amending to his
slow progress but at last the palms
OF the cemetery appeared upon the
right hand bank. and he struck
across the widening waters and
climbed out on the first foot of the
graveyard that presented itself.
A dozen rods farther on the Arab
was awaiting him In the canoe. Bill
ly's mood did not invite conversation
and he did not linger now for the
others explanations. but calling to
him to wait he made in thru the
TO tomb, till he reached the entrance
Of the main road.
The motor was gone. He satisfied
himself Of that. and wave Of re-
joicing surged thru him. That motor
was to wait till one or the other ar
rived with the girl and then leave
with all speed, While the other was
to be left to the slower canoe. He
was sure, now, that Falconer lad
and Billy's heart warmed to him.
Then, for the first tine, he felt some
thing numb and queer about his left
arm and putting his hand on it he
| found the sopping sleeve was torn
and a warm ooZe of blood yelling
thru the cold water from the canal
Gosh, the clap winged me-" was
la1 az
it's going to slecp-glad it didn't go
back on me in the ditch, there" Then
he pressed back into the shadows for
lie saw n figure edging forward be-
/ You'd the corner of tomb After "a
moments hesitation it came directly
toward him. He saw it was Robert
falconer.
Foreboding gripped him and he
could scarcely keep himself from
shouting his eager question. but he
hurried forward till the two stood
face to face and then, Where is she :
Did YOU get her." burst from him.
and .'Have you got her? rs she all
right?" came at the same instant
from Falconer.
Blankly they stared at each other
and cold sense of failure went over
and over Billy like sea. His voice
Shook with this new, sickening fear
Didn't you see her at all?'
Did you?" counterSd Fall
coner. and Billy stammered, "NNhy no
II found the room empty. And
thought you Were safely off with
her"
Safely Off" said Falconer grimly
IL got in all right tho there must
be a new lock on the door Of that
room up top. but | made some noise
about it and ran plump into fellow
half way down the stairs. | threw
| him the rest of the way down, and
he fired and brought a couple OF
others swarmfng up at me but / got
out on the roofs again aud gave them
the slip. They went tearing back
along the wing toward the garden
the way I'd come and ! went toward
the street and got down"
Got down! How did you get
down."
"Over those bay window places
said the Englishman briefly. II tied
! that cord l had to one Of the dod-
dering old cornices to start with. II
wasn't any trick at ALL"