Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-19

or even collar-bones upon my con.
science. There's a long ladder in thu
barn which they use for picking apples
Here's the key to the paddock of thu
barn. You can't fail to see it wheI
you once get inside the door"
IAN right. I'll have it back here in
a jiffy.' AS he took the key and hur-
ried toward the barn l heard a low
chuckle from Lillian.
poor lad" she said with humorous
yet tender commiseration. Hes so
disappointed not to be able t. swing
spectacularly from tree to roof. risk
ing life and limb while fair ladies
look breathlessly on. But he's game
enough to accept the more prosaic
method. cheerfully and without delay,
for which Ill give him a long credit
mark
A light broke upon me and made me
secretly chagrined because of my own
lack of insight. She had been testing
Tom Chester, for she had known her
self how Smith reached the roof, but
had wished to observe the reaction Of
use the ladder in the barn?" l asked
the youth to her annoyed inquiry.
why do you suppose Smith didn't
idly, and %bethought myself of the idiocy
of the question too late.
"Stand Clear"
"Because"-Lillian's voice-or did
my humiliation only fancy it? held the
patience with which one explains things
to a moron-'he wanted to be able to
get back to the roof, silently. and with
out trace whenever he wished. He must
have left the room when he heard us
coming. and drew his ladder after him.
If he had been using that heavy ladder
he would have had time to get to the
ground, perhaps to throw the ladder
down, but he would have had t. risk
noise and he would never have hazard
ed putting the ladder up again to watch
us.
II fancy" she went on, at was only
by the sheerest accident that you saw
him at all. | believe that he kept him
self concealed by grasping the side of
the window, hiding his body that way,
and leaving himself free to look in on
us. But nobody could stand that posi-
ton long. holding himself and the lad
der against the window with one hand.
SO he was frequently obliged to shift
TO the other side of the window and
use the other hand. 1t was on one Of
those shifts when he was swinging
free that you happened to look toward
the window and catch sight of him. Is
it clear now
please don't rub it in" l said. II
ought to have
NO. you oughtn't.' she retorted
briskly. Don't be an idiot just be-
you know how. Remember, you
haven't been up against the ingenuity
MIR. Smiths type as often as | have.
It's an old story to me. | have a
catalogue of the original fifty-seven
varieties and then some. But here
comes our friend with the ladder. Be
ready to lend a hand to help balance
it. We don't want it to make any
noise"
The next few minutes were busy
ones. With Lillian and me on either
side of the big ladder, Tom Chester
raised it cautiously, set it firmly
against the house, ran up it lightly and
gracefully. reached the roof, dropped
70 his knees. and began to play the
Flashlight upon the shingles beneath
hin.
Stand clear to catch this he said
then he laid the flashlight down
him, began to tumble at a point
Just above the outline of the rope lad
Ter.
The next moment the contrivance
hurting toward us, to be caught
n our willing hands. We began to roll
t up, while Tom Chester let his flash |
light play over the portion of the roof
around him, evidently searching for
'ome trace Smith might have left of
lis presence there. At last he gave
suppressed little exclamation, and
he next minute he had descended the
wooden ladder again.
When | get this ladder put away
e said. Il think 7 have something to
how you which will interest you"
Next-What Tom Chester Brouqht
o lilIian's Attention.