Under His Thumb — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

UNDER HIS THUMB. 11 With a tiny saw which he produced from a pocket, the man quickly made a slot in the sash on each side of the mark. Then, with a keen-bladed knife he deftly clipped off a small section of the sash, wrapped the piece in tissue paper, and then stood motionless as a statue, gazing out into the court. | All this was accomplished so quickly that, with the exception of Steve Lawton, not a soul in the room noticed the action. And before Steve had time to conjecture concerning the stranger’s purpose, his attention was diverted by a most thrilling occur- rence. | He heard the sounds of a scuffle behind the railing. Turning quickly, he was in time to see a man spring past the guard at one of the doors, followed by two others in swift pursuit. The fugitive was George Dyer, the foreman; the pursuers were policemen. At the same. instant a shout was ed that elec- trified all who heard it. “Stop him! Stop the miscreant!’’ Half involuntarily, Steve sprang past the guard into the passage-way beyond—on, until he reached the stair-way leading to the basement. | The policemen had kept on past this stair-way, sup- posing the one of whom they were in pursuit to have — made for the street door. But a significant sound from below caused Steve to dart down the stairs in- stead. | Reaching a small room below, which was dimly hghted, the lad paused to listen. | Why he was pursuing George Dyer he did not > know. Why were the policemen chasing him? What had the young foreman done? Surely he could not be the—— (Ele) (e(oy payirel exeye) cS