Evening star., 1922-06-11

lowed by Red Martin, speed daShed
into the hallway and up the stairs.
On the third floor he ran into a be-
wildered man throwing clothes into
trunk.
The roof" Speed shouted. which
way to the roof?'
1T amt on fire yet. is it?" The
man chartered affrightedly. This
house amt on fire yet? 1 got most
Of my things packed now, and il 1t
amt on fire yet I can"
Speed grabbed him by the throat
and slapped his face with his open
palm.
The roof" he shouted again.
(which way to the roof? You CAB
bling idiot, tell me the way to the
roof. or I'll tear your head off you"
The man gurgled and pointed to
narrow doorway in the hall
Speed tore through the opening.
leaped up a narrow, ladderlike flight
of stairs, threw open the trap. and
scrambled out on the fiat roof He
rushed to the edge of the roof and
looked across. The little square win
dow in the back wall Of the theater
was almost on a level with him.
Louise Claire was still standing there.
Don't jump" Speed beloved at
the top of his lungs. Louise! Do
YOU hear me? Here, Across the
street on the roof. Don't jump"
The girl in the tiny window high
up above the growing flames heard
and waved her answer to him.
Speed threw off his overcoat and
took one of the base balls from his
pocket He fipped out his jackknife
opened it and made two slashes in the
tough horsehide cover of the ball
about an inch and a half long and a
half inch apart. With point Of the
knife blade he threaded an end of the
stout twine loased from the hard
ware store window below. under the
half-inch strip of cover between the
two Sits and knotted it. Rapidly he
uncoiled a considerable length of the
twine so it would run free. With the
ball in his hand he rose and shouted
TO the girl.
Get back" he roared. motioning to
her. Get back, One side, Look. The
ball, Sec, Through the window. Get
back
THE gill understood and withdrew.
The small square aperture was
empty. Speed stood erect on thereof,
familiar to him when he was in a
tough spot on the diamond, twitched
his cap and wound up. He uncoiled
with the snap Of a released steel
spring and the ball with the brown
twine tied to it flashed across and
struck the brick wall an inch to the
right Of the opening-struck and fell
10 the street below. Speed Gala CHER
had missed. He had missed. and for
the first time in his career panic
seized him. He fell TO trembling.
oh. my God. What's the matter
Rcd. ! can't make it." He was franti-
cally hauling in on the string. You
try it. Red" he begged. My arms
gone; something's the matter with
my eye, l can't do it; you try it."
1t was no job for Red Martin, and
Red Martin knew it. He could peg TO
second with the next one. but to hit
that tiny window across the street
was a job fo'- Speed Gallagher. who
had wasted his boyhood pitching base
halls at q knothole in fence. And
there on that roof the habit of the
.i,, IN, CT e
the habit of the veteran catcher
mo:hcring a ratified pitcher through a
critical situation. He crouched down,
humping his right fist into his left
palm, as though the latter were a
padded rlitt.
Come on. old-timer." he barked.
encoura gingly. This ones easy. kid.
You know; the old eye. Steady, boy.
You got all the stuff in the world to-
day. Alta boy. Come on now, kid 4;
do your stuff, DO your Stuff
And. under the effect of the familiar
flow of encouraging chatter from his
diamond mate, Speed Gallagher
steadied as he had steadied many a
time before in a bad spot: steadied
and frightened: gMw calm and delib-
crate and menacing S he drew the
ball up over the edge of the roof
Once more he stood erect, hitched
up his trousers and twitched his cap.
Beside him Red Martin stood, squat
ting in the catcher's position. spank
ing his left palm with his right fist,
hanting his slangy line of encour-
agement.
Alta boy, old kid, You could shave
guy with that fast one today and
old spot, Speed: Come on. Do your
stuff"
CPEED GALLAGHER, himself once
~ again, nerve -rackingly deliberate,
as sure as bit of perfect machinery.
wound up and threw. The ball sped
straight, true as bullet from a
marksman's gun. through the tiny
window.
The girls head appeared in the
aperture once more.
Pull" Speed beloved across to
her, Pull on that string! There's
a rope tied to it. Tie the rope to
one of them girders i'll there. Pull
The girl Began to draw on the
string. Speed knelt and quickly
knotted it to an end of the Panila
rope.
The girl rapidly pulled the rope
across the intervening space. drew it
through the window and secured 1t
about a girder. Red Martin and
Speed Gallagher braced themselves
and drew it taut. Louise crawled
80. tbr,uCh the window and SIR