Judsonia weekly advance., 1921-08-25

beside him, and with series of ominous thuds body rolled down the stairs into the hall below. t
 You fool" He heard Lal1ington's voice, shrill with anger. "You've killed him. Switch on the light :"
 But before the order could be car ried out Hugh had disappeared, like a great cat, into the darkness of the passage above. As luck would have it the first room he darted into was empty. and he flung up the window and peered out
 A faint. watery moon showed him a twenty-foot drop onto the grass, and without hesitation he flung his legs over the sill And at that mo- ment something prompted him to look 1 upward
 It was a dormer window, and to an active man cess to the roof was easy. Without an nstant's hesitation he abandoned all thoughts of retreat; and when two excited men rushed in- to the room he was firmly ensconced, with his legs astride of the ridge of 1 the window, not a yard from their l heads
 Securely hidden in the shadow. he watched the subsequent proceedings with genial toleration. A raucous bel l low from the two men announced that they had discovered his line of escape; and, in half minute the garden was full of hurryng figures. l One, calm and impassive, his identity l betrayed only by the inevitable cigar, l stood by the garden door, apparently l taking no part in the game; Laking- ton. blind with fury, was running round in small circles cursing every one impartially.
 'The car is still there.' A man came up to Peterson, and Hugh heard the words distinctly.
 "Then he's probably over at Ben tons house. 1 will go and sec"
 Hugh watched the thick-set, mas sive figure stroll down toward the wicket gate, and he laughed gently to himself. Then he grew serious again, and with a slight frown he pulled out his watch and peered at it. Half-past one two more hours before dawn. And in those two hours he wanted to explore the house from on top; especially he wanted to have a look at the mysterious central room of which Phyllis had spoken to him the room where Lakington kept his treasures. But until the excited throng below went indoors, it was unsafe to move. Once out of the shadow, any one would be able to see him crawling over the roof in the moonlight
 At times the thought of the help less man for whose death he had in enc way been responsible recurred to him, but he shook his head angrily It had been necessary, he realized; :; you can carry someone upstairs in normal house without him having his neck broken-but still And then he wondered who he was. It had been one of the men who sat round the table-of that he was toler- ably certain. But which ? Was it the frightened bunny, or the Rus sian, or the gentleman with the blood | whoever 1t had been. the world would not be appreciably the poorer for his sudden decease. The only regret was that it hadn't been dear Henry. He had distate for Henry whicf far exceeded his dislike of Peterson Hes not over there" Peterson. voice came to him from below. "Ant | IL
 The men had gathered together ir a group, just below where Hug0 was sitting, evidently awaiting further or. ders.
 Do you mean to say we've lost the young swine again?" said Lakington angrly.
 Not lOst-merely mislaid.' mur- mured Peterson. "The more see of him the more do I admire his initia- tive"
 Lakington snorted
 ''It was that d-d fool Ivolsky's own fault" he snarled; why didn't he keep still as he was told to do?"
 "Why, indeed" returned Peterson. his cigar glowing red. And I'm | very dead" He turned toward the house. That concludes the enter tainment, gentlemen, for tonight think you can all go to bed"
 He disappeared into the house, and the others followed slowly. For the time being Hugh was safe, and with sigh of relief he stretched his cramped limbs and lay back against the sloping roof. If only he had dared to light cigarette.
 THREE.
 l It was half an hour before Drum mond decided that it was safe to start exploring. First he took off his shoes. and tying the laces together, he slung them around his neck Then. as si- lently as he could, he commenced to scramble upward
 It was not an easy operation; one slip and nothing could have stopped him sliding down and finally crash