Evening star., 1941-08-23
CHAPTER XVII.
HOuSebreakerS.

CHAPTER XVII.
H0usebreakers.
JEFF smiled fetchingly at the wom-
an. oh" he said, II didn't know
Mr.. Ashley had a wife"
II didn't either" said the woman" |"
Are you his sister, them"
Hell, mol I amt related. /
wouldn't be! My names Banner
You must've rang the wrong bell"
Jef snapped his fingers in disgust
"Yeath, must have. What dope!"
That's okay. Ashley lives on the
top floor" She inspected me over
Jeff's shoulder.
I knew Philips door when saw
it. There was a knocker on it
| shaped like tiny black cat. jeff
marched right past it and started
climbing another flight of steps, steep
and narrow. Painting, I followed
him. He pushed open a door at
the top of the stairs and pulled me
through it after him. We stood in
the shadow of chimney on the
gravel roof.
"Jeff!" I wheezed. What are we
doing here?"
He moved to the edge of the roof
and looked down. We're using the
fire escape. That would be it and
that would be Ashley's window.
Cmon."
Jeff, you can't! You get 10 years
for that"
Not if you catch a murderer"
But somebody will call the police!
Or take shot at us!"
"Who?" We looked around over
the adjoining roofs. There was no
one in sight but a little boy with
big, unhappy blue eyes. He was
leaning on the parapet across the
Shaftway. In his hands was an
enormous homemade kite. He was
waiting for some wind. Hey, kid
jeff said, pointing to the fire escape,
is this the way to Perry street,"
JEFF Takes Chance.
Il don't know" the little boy said.
He'll tell his mother on us, JEFF,
and -"
My mother isn't nome!"
See, Haila. Let's CO."
didn't feel quite like it. "Jeff,
the window won't be open"
1T would be if you hadn't said
that"
eased myself down the iron steps
gingerly after JEFF, until we stood
on the balcony outside Ashley's
window. JEFF put his hands against
the pane and turned his head to
me. Gross all your fingers, Haila. "
did. jeff pressed upward; nothing
happened.
"Damn!" jeff said.
The little body said helpfully, "The
next one to it is open" We looked
and he was right. but it wasn't on
the fire escape. The sill was a good
feet from the rail of the fire es-
cape.
mo. jeff" I said. You'll kill
YOURSELF"
Don't be a sissy" the little boy
shouted.
JEFF grinned at me. See, 1 got
| to-"
He managed it very easily. That
made me the sissy. jeff opened the
window on the fire escape and
helped me in.
Ashley's apartment was a large
sized edition of his dressing room,
as scupulously clean and astonish-
ingly neat, considering the amount
of knickknacks he had amassed and
assiduously arranged. Every square
inch OF fiat surface was buried under
tiny f1gurines in terra Gotta and
ivory, china, animals, mostly cats,
little snow scenes in crystal balls,
cactus plants in hand-painted pots
and an assortment of ashtrays and
cigarette boxes that ran the gamut
"Snooping Again"
I stood there staring about me
helplessly. looked at JEFF; ne was
smiling and shaking his head. The
Government should pillow this room
under"
Find what you want and let's
get out of here, JEFF. I'm nervous"
LAS a cat?"
Please, jeff" I went to the
window and looked down Perry
street. jeff started opening draw
ers. thought I might as well CO.
operate. I opened door; 1t was a
closet kitchenette. I went into the
bathroom, a tiny, almost infini-
tesimal room, with dubonnet and
white monogrammed towels hung
tidily over the tub. Between it and
the lavatory was wedged a red
bathroom scale.
In the medicine cabinet, nesting
behind bottle of Listerine, found
three white tablets, the size of as
plrin. jeff" I called. When he
stuck his head in the door, I held
out tablet to him. "Look!'
"Yeah?"
They're the same as I found in
his dressing room!"
Il don't want them" He was
examining some kind of electric Vi
brating contraption with avid inter-
est
Don't be stupid, JEFF, we'll have
them analyzed. They may be NOR
phine!"
JEFF went back into the living
room. I followed him. We both
stopped. There was the sound OF
steps on the stairs. They came
briskly down the hall and halted
before the door. I looked frantically
at jeff.
The door swung open and Ashley
closed it and slipped his keys into
his pocket before he saw us. His ex.
preston changed from startled sur
prise to indignation, then to fury
Hello" jeff said.
Ashley looked at me. "Snoopine
again!" His lips were compressed
into a thin, prissy line. This is
unspeakable. I wish I hadn't caught
you. I'm not up to vile situation
like this"
JEFF Takes Blame.
I couldn't talk. I would have
given anything to have been in q
concentration camp; any place
somewhere else.
Ashley, I dragged Haila into
| this" left said ssT,ro the cpoorer