would be Freckles' undoing, "why did you close the door of the shaft
before you started down?"

"Well, you see, sir," began Freckles, still tremulously, "I'm so
used to closin' doors. Closin' doors has become a kind of second
nature with me. I've been told about it so many times. And up there,
though I thought I was losin' my life, still I didn't neglect my
duty."

The Governor put his hand to his mouth and coughed.

"And why," he went on, more secure now, for a boy who could get out
of that could get out of anything, "why was it you didn't make some
immediate effort to get Mr. Ludlow down? Why didn't you notify
someone, or do something about it?"

"Why, I supposed, of course, he walked down by the stairs," cried
Freckles. "I never dreamed he'd want to trust the elevator after the
way she had acted."

"The door was locked," snarled the eminent lobbyist.

"Well, now, you see, I didn't know that," explained Freckles
expansively. "Late in the afternoon I took a run up just to test the
car--and there you were! I never was so surprised in my life. I
supposed, of course, sir, that you'd spent the afternoon in the
Senate, along with everybody else."

Once more the Governor put his hand to his mouth.