The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-09-03

out of his arms. Then came the clang
beside him, and with series OF
ominous thuds body rolled down
the stairs into the hall below.
"You fool" He heard Lakington'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, ike
| 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 MIN
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
upward.
1t was a dormer window, and TO an
| active man access to the roof was
easy. Without an instant's hesitation
he abandoned all thoughts of retreat I;
and when two excited men rushed in
to the room he was firmly enscOnced,
with his legs aStride of the ridge OF
the window, not a yard from their
| heads.
Securely hidden in the shadow, he
watched the subsequent proceedings
with genial liberation. A raucOus bel
| low from the two men announced
| that they had discovered his line OF
| escape; and, in half minute the
garden was full of hurrying figures.
One, calm and impassive, his identity
betrayed only by the inevitable cigar,
| stood by the garden door, apparently
taking no part in the game; Laking-
ton. blind with fury, was running
round in small circles, cursing every
one impartially.
1.-THE car is still there" A man
came up to Peterson, and Hugh heard
the words distinctly.
"Then he's probably over at Ben
toms house. l will go and see"
Hugh watched the thick-set, mas
sive figure stroll down toward the
wicket gate, and he laughed gently
again, and with 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
| look at the mysterious central room
Of which Phyllis had spoken to him
the room where darlington 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
| one way been responsible required to
him, but he shook his head angrily.
| It had been necessary, he realized:
you can carry someone upstairs In
| a normal house without him having
his neck broken-but still ;. And
then he wondered who he was. 1t
had been one of the men who sat
round the table-Of that he was tOler-
ably certain. But which Z? Was
it the frightened bunny, or the Rus
sian, or the gentleman with the blood
shot eye? The only comfort was that
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 a distate for Henry which
far exceeded his dislike Of Peterson.
| "He's not over there" Peterson's
voice came to him from below. "And
| we've wasted time enough as 1t is"
The men had gathered together In
a group. just below where Hugh was
sitting, evidently awaiting further or
vlers
"DO you mean to say we've lost the
young swine again?' said darlington
angrily.
"Not lost-merely mislaid," muir
INJURED Peterson. 1.-THE more l see OF
him the more do admire his initia-
tive"
darlington snorted.
ut was that ID fool Ivolsky's own
fault" he snarled; vwhy didn't he
keep still as he was told to do?'
! "Why, indeed" returned Peterson
his cigar glowing red. "And I'm
| afraid we shall. never know. He is
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 witt
sigh of relief he stretched his
cramped limbs and lay back against
the sloping roof If only he had dared
to light cigarette.
THREE.
It was half an hour before Drum
mOnd decided that it was safe TO star
exploring. First he took off his shoes
and tying the laces together, he stun,
them around his neck. Then, as 81
lently as he could, he commenced II
scramble upward
1t was not an easy operation; ont
slip and nothing could have stopped
him sliding down and finally crash