New Nick Carter Weekly, No. 31 — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

advantage. can not b last he got free from the curtain he struck |"0W Open a tiny CEaek. NEW NICK CARTER WEEKLY. CHAPTER VII. - corridor and a moment later the sound of steps going down the long flight of stairs, A RACE DOWN STAIRS. | As the door opened readily from inside it was tess than a second before Trim had ugh it ea the hall. If this had happened during business | hours it is probable that every tenant in| the big building would have been dis-| turbed by the racket. The green curtain being between| Trim and his antagonist, prevented either | man from getting a grip upon the other at, first. Trim was also bothered to some extent | by the long clothes line which was still} fastened to one shoulder. He had tossed his parcel to the floor! when he fell in so that that was no} longer in his way, but for a moment or| two there was a very confused struggle | as each man in the darkness tried to push | the curtain aside so as to use his hands to | building t pecities of his setae atch ‘thers the day before, but in order to make per- fectly certain that he should lose no time ‘in missing a stairway in the darkness, he ‘took out his pocket lantern and drew the ‘slide. He was on the dead run to the stair- 'way as he did this and just as the light flashed out he was passing one of the ele- | vators. A glance at it showed that sitanais ‘some carelessness the iron door had been | left unlatched. When an elevator door is fully closed it be opened from the outside, and. every 1 man who runs an elevator is sup- posed to see that each door he passes - firmly latched. a This one had been missed and it was For Trim’s pur- as if it were wide -Asthe man beneath the curtain was frightened nearly out of his senses he nade a desperate attempt to break away from tue dete tive altogether, and when at out wildly, fetching Trima severe blow | PoS€s this was as | open. Be sin apten3 ee, capri ces Without the slightest hesitation he The detective was after him instantly, ishut up his lantern, thrust it in his although his brain reeled with the force pocket and leaped to the door, which he — of the man’s blow. pushed aside. Now that - the The elevator was at the bottum. ‘Trim. _curtain was sown the | Tri ‘im "GE “ak ae "that ta anlar Fess hand and steadied himself waite he leaned where the man was, for he could hear|far over the edge of the elevator well un- the clicking of metal and the bolts of the| til he caught the wire cable that sup-.. door were shot back. ‘ported the machine. Between himself and ° door Trim! This ran straight down from the pul-.. could see an object dimly that he sup- | ‘leys on the roof to the evita: in the posed was a long office table. | basement. : He was on his feet now, and to save | Having clutched the cable Trim let 20 | tir ne cad B ge seg) hands upon this table |W ith his hand and leaped out into the. we k 4g gainst something at | ol ne is f that he had not tise able to see, ‘suit he might ive aie jlevie at ‘the broke the force of his| e ped him so that he landed | thought only of getting to the bottom on his anda and knees pon the further; ahead of the fugitive; and as he said . ide. afterward he was doing what any athlete lis i tant’s delay gave the other with a level head could do. mwas| Wit ptr eae Bierce the | cable. which not only seril of the situation, but as it was, he ) ) picking wi = up ‘he felt a little rush of now, he hi air upon his face as the door was thrown | ‘wound | his | pen and slammed to again. with hi He heard retreating footsteps in the, slide down the wire rope. comicbooks.com