The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-05-25
CHAPTER VII-Continued

II really have the responsibility of
the catalogue" objected, .'Or at
least, took Mr.. Roberts remarks that
way, so ! didn't want to lose any
time. There's always likely TO be a
hitch when you're in hurry, you
know"
MIR. Case assented, but without his
usual warmth, and went out re-
fiected that Nancy and had scarcely
spoken or used our typewriters during
our last half-hour's work, which had
been spent In revision of copy, and so
Mr.. Case might not have heard US,
especially as his door likely was shut.
/ finished my dinner, the staff re-
turned and we all went promptly into
action on the catalogue.
The work was equitably divided, and
Mr.. Case, Daisy Abbott, Emily James
and Mr.. Dibdin bore off their assign
ments to their desks in the rear. l
remained at mine in front, brilliant
spot in a sea of darkness. For a while
revision still occupied me; then !
pulled my chair into position under
the desk, all ready to shatter the ST.
lence again with music from the uni
yersal keyboard.
And as / did so 1 heard the time
clock ring!
For a moment feared some mishap
was depriving US of one of the work
ers at 100. to quote my wrist-watch;
but nobody came out, and then | re-
membered that on the rare occasions
when overtime work was lone, the
department head made special re-
port for the record-sheet, instead of
having the clock rung. Moreover. not
a whisper came from the rear, where
four people were sitting near the time
clock; so | decided, without full con-
victiOn, that / must have heard some
other noise.
Then | remembered copy of a col
lege edition of the Rubaiyat. There
was a footnote In il l wanted to crib
for the catalogue.
This college edition was kept on a
shelf up in the right-hand gallery.
/ walked up the balcony steps, into
darkness that got blacker and blacker
each step above the level of the light
ed desks below. When | reached the
head of the staircase l turned on
swinging light, and could then see my
way sufficiently well to the other end
on the gallery, where was the shelf
on which the book II my hand be-
lOnged. On | walked in the dim
shadowy stiffness, past the tops of
the alcoves, my feet making no noise
on the cork flooring. stretched up
my hand to turn on the light in front
of this foremost section of shelves.
and
heard the time-clock ringl
This time l felt badly startled. al
most enough to cry out. l had just
sense enough not to turn on the light
right above my own head There must
be something the matter; 1t was alb
surd that the clock should register at
this time of night, quarter past ten
lResolutely | whirled around to leave
the balcony and investigate what had
happened, when Immediately all my
fears vanished. Below. Mr.. Case
the central aisle up toward my desk.
and halted an instant as if looking for
me. was rather glad ] had not
screamed.
was just about to speak. telling
him where 1 was, when something
closed my parted lips. He stopped
down on the Ieft-hand side of my desk,
and got into the shadow behind 1t
where l could not distinguish him
clearly. | heard faint sliding sound.
and then
A. stranger stood up between my
own chair and my desk
Ii was a man, presumably young,
from his figure. though ] could not see
his face, up above him on the balcony,
as he had on a visored cap. He did
not make a movement or sound. His
head was bent From the shadows
where l had seen Mr.. Case stoop.
heard the very faintest sort of fum-
bling noise; otherwise the silence was
suffOcating. Then the stranger moved !;
noiselessly, slowly. bur purp0sefully,
he stepped clear of the chair, few
inches over to the left.
Mr.. Case sprang to his feet Over
the corner of the brightly lighted desk,
The two men gaZed at each other with.
out a sound. They may have stood
there mOtionless for ten seconds; 1t
seemed longer than eternity. Finally