Next little Katie was passed upward.
“Now,” said Terry, “I will jine the wee spalpeens and thin give ye a lift, Delia.”
The Irishman was a powerful man, and the task thus far was of the easiest character. He drew himself through the door on the roof, and extending one brawny hand to his wife, was in the act of lifting her after him, when a scream from Maggie caused him to loose his hold and look round.
“What’s the matter wid ye, Maggie?” he asked.
“Kate has just rolled off the roof!” was the terrifying reply.
CHAPTER XXIX—A SAD DISCOVERY
The horror-stricken Terry thought no more about his wife, whom he was in the act of lifting through the trap-door, but let go her hand, allowing her to drop with a crash that shook the whole building.
“Where is the child?” he asked, facing the elder daughter.
“Yonder; I was trying to hold her when she slipped away and rolled down the slope of the roof—”
But the father waited to hear no more. Just then the cry of his baby reached his ear, and he caught a glimpse of the white clothing which helped to buoy her up. Like an athlete, running along a spring-board to gather momentum for his tremendous leap, he took a couple of steps down the incline of the roof to the edge, from which he made a tremendous bound far out in the muddy torrent.