Under His Thumb — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

UNDER HIS THUMB. 4 ~ Such were the excited utterances on all sides; but no coherent reply was made to any of them. The clanking of the great printing presses in the basement had ceased, and from below a great num- ber of men and boys poured into the passage-way where Steve and the young foreman had encountered. each other. None of them seemed to know which way to turn. Some thought the sounds proceeded from one of the upper rooms; to others it seemed as though the pis- _ tol report was in the street, or the adjoining build- ing. Several stopped to question Dyer, and this gave Steve the desired opportunity. He adroitly freed his arm from the young man’s erasp, and before the latter could again seize him the lad reached the next door-way, and darted through. In another deat steve was at the door of the counting-room. It was closed, and as yet no one had arrived upon the scene. Evidently, to all save the young apprentice, the startling sounds had appeared to proceed from another quarter of the building. But the lad, being directly over the room in ques- tion at the moment, could not have been deceived. He was surprised to find the door closed. It was customary during business hours to allow all the doors communicating with the counting-room and main office to stand open. “This is a queer go!’’ Steve exclaimed, aloud. His hand rested upon the knob, but an indefinable dread caused him to hesitate. He listened intently for a moment. He could hear footsteps coming and going in all parts of the build- — cS €o Gomicboo