Jacques Futrelle

The Scarlet Thread Jacques Futrelle

Book Excerpt: ...t into the street. Below fifteen feet was the sidewalk; above was the solid front of the building, broken only by a flagpole which, properly roped, extended from the hall window of the next floor above out over the sidewalk a distance of twelve feet or so."Ever use that flagpole?" he asked the manager."Rarely," said the manager. "On holidays sometimes--Fourth of July and such times. We have a big flag for it."From the apartments The Thinking Machine led the way to the hall, up the stairs and to the flagpole. Leaning out of this window, he looked down toward the window of the apartments he had just left. Then he inspected the rope of the flagpole, drawing it through his slender hands slowly and carefully. At last he picked off a slender thread of scarlet and examined it."Ah," he exclaimed. Then to Hatch: "Let's go, Mr. Hatch. Thank you," this last to the manager, who had been a puzzled witness. Once on the street, side by side with The Thinking Machine, Hatch was bursting...