The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-11-18
BANNERS


A person might easily slide down
the trellis.
She tiptoed into the room and
closed the door softly behind her.
This must be the window that had
squeaked; il was wide open. 1t had
been closed this afternoon when she
had come in to scatter green paint
on the flats and to give another
splash of red to the peak of roof
on the backdrop.
She flashed her light around the
room then on the floor over which a
sheet had been spread. A can of
red paint had been overturned 1t
was sluggishly spreading.
Tipped over recently! Slowly
Brooke's light travelled. A red foot
print Uncannily like q bloody one.
The man must have stepped into
the thick paint. Anotherl One be-
yond that under the window. Cau-
tiously she followed the trail. A
smooch of red on the window sill.
He had gone that way. Was he on
the balcony? What would she see ii
she looked out? She must look out.
She wouldn't close her eyes tonight
unless she knew that the man had
somewhere, she wouldn't care, II
he were gone.
She leaned out cautiously. There
was nothing human in sight, only
one eyed moon was watching
through a maze of branches. Cold
winter moonlight turned towering
hemlock to purple, shadows to anne
thyst, and scattered shimmering
trail of golden topaz on the dark
water OF the harbor. Had one OF
the shadows moved down by the
tree?
1t had. That meant that the man
was out of the house! She cautiously
closed and locked the window.
Pulled the hangings across it. That
was that! She curtained the other
window, turned to switch on the
wall light. Stopped. The door was
opening A glare OF light. Had the
man come back? Had he pal7
Had her heart parked in her throat
forever7 She couldn't see, but she
could still hear:
"WelI, for the love of Mikel"
The wall light snapped on.
Brooke's blood, which she had
thought frozen, surged through her
veins. Sam was staring at her, Sam
in pink and white pajamas which
made him look for all the world like
an animated stick OF striped candy.
His copper colored hair was on end:
without his spectacles his eyes were
big and dark and vague. He shook
her arm.
"HeyI Snap out Of it, Brookel
Have you got that darn scenery SO
on your mind that you're walking in
your sleep to sling paint In here7'
Brooke swallowed the lump in
her throat.
Il wasn't asleep, Sam, and /
wasn't singing paint. | heard some
thing Her voice sounded hoarse
to herself.
"A window being opened7 That's
what / heard. But how could you
get here so soon?"
Breathlessly she told him OF the
man who had slipped through her
room, of following him into the hall.
you're kiddingl Nor Then why
didn't you yell for me7"
You're so reckless. Sam, was
afraid you might be hurt"
'eThat's the funniest thing ever
heard. How about yourself? Beat it
back to bed. Sam the boy sleuth Is
hot on the trail"
"You mustn't 60 downstairs"
WHO says ! mustn't. I'll snoop
around outside to be sure the guy has
gone. Beat it."
''If you 60 down, 60 too"
"Oh all right, all right. ! know
better than to argue with you when
you use that tone, Brooke. Got a
flash7 Wen creep down the back
stairs. Follow me. Wen get into
the front Of the house that way
He switched out the wall light,
opened the door and stood motion
less, listening.
Lets gol"
| Brooke nodded in response to his
whisper. The hall seemed miles
long as she tiptoed through the
dark; the back stairs endless In
number as she stole down, stopping
at every creak, holding her breath
at every sound which echoed as Il
amplificd in the walls.
| Sam stopped at the kitchen door
to listen. Crept on to the front hall
Brooke controlled an hysterica
urge to laugh as she stole after him
1.-THE Reyburns go sleuthing," she
thought, and chuckled.
| She felt Sans quick turn anc
glare, though she couldn't see 1t
The turn was catastrophe. HI
lurched into a chair. His muttered
"Thunderl" was submerged In
hoarse command:
Don't novel I've got you Gov
eredl"
| ~rIA ETE-U VIII