The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-10-16

TOOK CHANCE
By MARY j. J. wRINN

= TWAS uneasy about the room whe
[ rented it. II was attractive wit
, its bay window that looked our on tw.
streets, and the lovely naples outside
but it was on the first floor. One GOO
step from the iron rail fence below
5 would make my windows easily. NJ,
landlady assured me that two police
men were stationed on the corner op
posite and that she herself occupied
the adjoining front room. An elderly
doctor lived in the back parlor on the
other side. Surely that would be pro
lection enough!
See she had said, leading me to
the window, zone policeman walks up
and down the avenue while the other
takes care of st. Johns place. Almost
everybody is in the country at this
time of year of course"
Following the gesture of her broad
palm l could see that the brown stone
fronts on st. Johns place were board
ed. took the room. AS she had stated,
the uniformed enforcers of the law
tramped their beat far out of sight,
each at regular intervals reporting at
the red box on the corner.
Nevertheless l rarely slept we'll.
The slightest sound and l was awake
listening. had entertained a party
of friends during the evening and be-
u the party was late in breaking
up l had persuaded Sally Graves to
stay all night with me.
The house and the outside world
had long since settled into silence
when, all at once, l became conscious
of voices under my window.
ooh, is that where she lives?"
eyes, how about it?"
They were mems voices c~onversing
in guarded undertone.
She's away" continued the first.
eyes"
A moments silence. I held my
breath, petrifed.
You're sure windows open?"
Dead sure" Then followed a hur-
ried exchange of indistinct words.
"Well, if we're going to do it, let's
do it now. It'll be getting light soon"
l bounded out of bed to the window.
Through the darkness 1 could distin-
guish two figures stealing toward the
opposite side of the street.
whats the matter?" came sleepily
from the couch.
I told Sally what l had heard.
Lets call the DOCTOR" she said,
making for the door.
Better wait awhile" l advised.
81 won't stay in this house another
minute" was her reply. She started
o dress, while l stood at the window
watching, numb with fear. But Sally
vas a creature of action.
Lets close the window" she adj
Used. We pulled down three and
them but with all our COM
lined strength we couldn't bulge the
ioUrth.
"If the policemen would only come
l said.
''They're lever around when you
vant them" snapped Sally. "What
re you going to do-stand there un-
those crooks get back? Where's
our pOcketbook?"
1 hadn't the least idea where it was.
"Some one has to watch" I cut in
'relevantly. "How do we know what
ley're up tor"
"Pm so afraid of a shot, May" sniv-
red Sally. "Listenl !"
Step. Step. Step. Step. Tensely
e waited until the form came to
lew. 1t was a woman bound on
aaven knows what CHASTITY errand at
lat hour.
Don't scream-even If you see them
l warned. wen simply
axe for the door"
You're a fine sight for that!" she
id shortly. But she unlocked the
)or against a hasty exit.
1 felt afraid to consign my post to
ally while l dressed. She might
rick at a lurking shadow and need
ssly alarm the house. Sally was
,sterical.
All at once, as l had expected, a
RIM slOuched from the dark area
ay. Along the opposite side of the
rect it came. In front of my window
e dark figure faced my room as
ough gauging the distance between
e fence and the window ledge.
.esolutely he stepped from the curb.
Sally clutched my arm. "Come on"
e almost shouted and made for the
II. But terror held me to the spot.
lie shadowy form had gained the
-ddle of the street. He paused to
stealthily over his shoulder for
) ~accomplice. Cautiously, from the
'sterious area way, emerged the
,ond figure while the first waited.
wanted to scream but 1 couldn't. 1
lnted to rush out to Sally, but mo-
e power had left me. The first man
S now at the curb.
Look" l gasped. 1 felt rather than
v Sally beside me again. In the
ms hand l noted the familiar DO
eman's club. Al the second Joined
colleague beneath the window, we