FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83  
84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   >>   >|  
opening his eyes wider. "No," declared Darrin promptly. "Prescott did it." "But good old Dave was right at hand to help," Dick contended staunchly. "Get yourselves together, boys. Then we'll get down out of here," urged Mr. Macey. "I haven't done anything, but I feel as though I'd be the one to reel and faint." "Take this scarf, now, please," begged Dick, holding open his coat. The real estate man looked over the bauble that had placed two manly lives in such desperate jeopardy. The fabric was much torn, but all the precious stones still appeared to be there. Mr. Macey folded the scarf and placed it in one of his own inner pockets. "Now, let us get down out of here," begged the real estate man. "This place is giving me the horrors." "You can start ahead, sir," laughed Dave. "But we want time to put our shoes on." Two or three minutes later the four started below, going slowly over the ladder part of the route. When they struck the winding staircase they went a bit more rapidly. Down in the street it seemed to the watchers as though ages had passed since the two boys had been seen going inside from the iron balcony. But now, at last, Herr Schimmelpodt heard steps inside, so he threw open the heavy door at once. As Dick and Dave came out again into the sunlight what a mighty roar of applause and cheering went up. Then Herr Schimmelpodt, advancing to the edge of the steps, and laying one hand over his heart, bowed profoundly and repeatedly. That turned the cheering to laughter. The big German held up his right hand for silence. "Ladies und chentlemen," shouted Herr Schimmelpodt, as soon as he could make him self heard, "I don't vant to bose as a hero!" "That's all right," came with a burst of goodhumored laughter. "You're not!" "It vos really nottings vot I did," continued the German, with another bow. "True for you." "Maybe," continued Herr Schimmelpodt, "you think I vos afraid when I climb dot pole. But I wos not---I pledch you mein vord. It is nottings for me to climb flagpoles. Ven I vos ein poy in Germany I did it efery day. But I will not dake up your time mit idle remarks. I repeat dot I am not ein hero." The wily old German had played out his purpose. He had turned the wild cheering, which he knew would have embarrassed Prescott, into a good-natured laugh. He had diverted the first big burst of attention away from the boys, much to the relief of the l
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83  
84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Schimmelpodt

 

German

 

cheering

 
nottings
 
continued
 

estate

 
turned
 

laughter

 

inside

 

Prescott


begged
 

contended

 

bauble

 

holding

 

Darrin

 
promptly
 

looked

 

goodhumored

 

profoundly

 
repeatedly

advancing

 
laying
 

chentlemen

 

shouted

 

Ladies

 

staunchly

 

silence

 
declared
 

opening

 

purpose


played

 

remarks

 

repeat

 

attention

 

relief

 

diverted

 

embarrassed

 

natured

 

pledch

 

afraid


flagpoles

 

Germany

 

applause

 

laughed

 

started

 

desperate

 
slowly
 

minutes

 

jeopardy

 

horrors