f U' .SWKrt -. L A'n'tLi J EVENING' PUBLIC !LBI)GER--PHI13AIEEPHIA SAITURD&Y, &TJGTTST 19; , 1922 . " a ' " 'i i j ft i- H !i-i i i u ii 4 I' ' : i 11 m W mi f It l k i rt..i. i im. fWi :m y Zena Gale ILAUSON stepped from his jV$ roadster nrnl held out his hand Je Miss Kickson. But with a liana eri either side of the epening: she Bwiing herself down, landed softly, Bave him a warm, hard little fist find a thank you almost (rruff, and Was up tlie steps of her bearding eusc. The heuse itself looked as f it had measles and Clausen drove pn thinking what a frightful life Miss Rickson lived; his stenographer by day and a tenant of a Bcarred Bcarred Bcarred loeking bearding heuse by night. J.nd what a brick she Was brown, fesy, businesslike little brick. A eman, tee. Eyes that were deep K'ith what could be tenderness. "2sone of that," said Clausen and fumed into his own street. He put up his car, walked the alf block te his apartment and Zena dale is one of the most "understanding" teamen in America. She icritcs nearly alirnys of the smalt teien and tmnll-teun people, their trays little and big: their faults and their tine qualities, but into her writing she neurs a ir ilth of the splendid, kindly things which make America irhat it ts today. "When one speaks her nam' it recalls puigntintlii among her tnanii books lire "friendship Ytlh'ie," "'I he l.ni es of l'i Ileal and r.turrc," and last and pcci mere ntal than these that have gene before- "M us Lulu licit," took, play and moving picture. Though "The t'lausens" eemes from the pm of one of the fete authors in this scries tche arc net married, all sche read It irill agree that it gives one of the points m married life that may he numbered among these that are termed universal. hile he waited for the elevator he thought which he had kept in Iho background abruptly enveloped im, seemed te rush at him from lJutside: Suppose .Miss Rickson tvere waiting for him up in fourth peer front. Remance of a sweet hess almost forgotten might be possible with Miss Rickson. He hurried down the tiled hall te his own deer, burst in, sheuted: I'Hclle, Jep!" He was genuinely hocked at himself. He wanted te nake amends by a tremendous homecoming such as he had, before the 'teki mi rw: I) I V net ,-4.'.'V. fat. OLO ma' lentlrr ,,f n eat-) u' cruttki. lift brein OtarinriZ ' rtff t)t e a f nn or '.ues. teiifil 'Jack r, J;4aui' i ' llfr srvr'al Ct hf ' jiiml. 'l " '' "' nr' "' J rtttiirrf te r -idl llv v.finii' rukfnj tht Inw a pcna,'is. tlf trim te linarm 311' 311' Ticiena untherlnrt uien id Mm by com cem j7imit0 te TA.rhOKlt IHSr, of thi I.orden Cri--tnnl Int ll'grv,- Irc. fix TO tllVi n t'wti tun nbeiif tern, ' lenr l.i rutin Mutt en mi aifr'ss. who r'bufjl h tn. She n IM.S: IVhITF. diiiQlifr nt "eVu WMfn, curt of thr (imp i lie u'(t9 te retlrt. t Hli i IS inlrrntnl il Stafferd lOLlli: MMISII, a dall.fac'd but clrvrr Cirl vhe nets as "tamp" of tht black' tiieiliity acpi?. r.'OOK riil.E, one a gentleman. reu a tint'. and iu:nn it continues JnilH colonel pushed his chair back from the table and looked up with a juizzieal smile. jJiiTi kJ J'UU'UrJiyiiiNl 1 "New you're net going te take It furniture Inte it. Why net wait ' tard, Solemon," he said. "We bad te "First I'll find whether you're speak Hve you back nnd that was the only ig ti,e truth, and If you're net " icheme we could think of. Yeu see, j "stay a while," said Boundary, "It (here nic lets of little bits of business js etly jn ine (bat have te be cleared up, business in j5ut white wns gene, ivlilch iu Inn! u hand the same as my n, pushed pnst the servant, one of ftber business nsvicintes." i t1P readiest ami most dangerous of the "Where Is the g'rlV" as-ked the man ' t.oenels jnstrumPnt,( nn,i jnte the half Iteadily. dark corridor. There was a light en the "Will, I'm going te admit te you," iunjinR below, and as he ran down laid the I'elmiel with a line show of tHI stnrs 10 thought he saw some seme ruiikiie!?, "that I e put her away. bejy Btandlng there. It looked like n s'e harm Ims come te her, you under- j wemnn) till the figure turned, and then itnnd. She's nt n little place at Hut- I Solemon White". steed stock-Mill. It ticy lleutli, a heuse I took specially for jicr, Mineuudcd by loving guardians." "Mke 1'inteV" asked the mnn, leek ing down nt the silent Stlvn. 1 "Like I-ellie. New ou can't deny Ihat I.ellie'n a very nice girl," said tlie olenL'i. "Sit down, Solemon, and talk things ever." "When I've get my girl I'll tnlk things ever with you. Where is this jlaceT It is en Putney Heath," nnld the Colonel. "New uni I net being btrnight- ' lerwnrd v lilt you? If I had any bud designs ngtiiust the girl should I tell you; where bhe is? If ou go there, lonien, take tome of your pelice lendn" ."I nave no police menus, fcnm tne a aiigriy; ''ou knew it wen cneugn. Vte' tUat """"' ( f. M new, carried off when he was tee tired te mean it. "Helle, darling," she said. He had a fewift leek at the picture which had greeted him se many nights. The brownish room, the heaped-up table everything Jep did seemed te take se much cloth ej wool or whatever it was and of Jep herself in a street dress busy at Lord knew what. She was measuring something. She put up her face te be hissed, kissed him, smiled absently, said without looking at him: "They sent me up some that the moths have been in." "Oh, they did, did they said Clausen grimly. He made his preparations for dinner and B3 he came up the passage he sniffed distastefully at an odor wax, rubber, gravy the odor of home. The familiarity of the pictures en the passage walls oppressed him signed photographs, a pergola, El Capitan. A little gong was pecked at thrice by the maid trying simultaneously te "dish it" in the kitchen. Jep said "Ready, darling?" and came toward him picking threads from her skirt. THEY Trent down the passage. He lipped his arm about her. She hud his hand under hers. And when they sat at table Clausen looked at her across the soup and asked : "Did I have my arm around you just new, when we came down the pas sage?" "Why, yes, didn't you?" she said. "Tes, I think you did. why?" "Nothing," Mid Clausen, "I Jnst wondered." Frem time te time, at dinner, he looked at her stca'thily. Fifteen years they had had together. There were no . children. Suppose there should he twenty-five, thirty-five years mere. ' nd they loved c.irh ether. FJut hea vein above them both, hew dull they were. ' 'T think I'll send that moth-eaten stuff straight back te them," said Jep. "Wouldn't you. dear?" "I certainly would, darling," said C'lnusen. He thought of the sacrilege of using holy words In that unthinking fashion. He thought of the absurdity of nsseut trip like a sheep te something which he knew nothing whatever nbeut. He thought of Mis'? Itlek'.en whnt If sem morning she should bring In his letters and tny "There, dear" with that geed little way of dipping her head and turning It Fldcwfse with out turning her eyes. Tliey considered the theatre and gave up going. They considered telephon ing for eomebedv te come In and make tip a table nwl gave that up tee. Clmi. -en built a hrc and smoked nnd Jep read aloud. Then they sat talking. iimi they disagreed en "the etlilc of a bit el' gesMp nnd had n spirited ten m'niite.. He didn't quite like Jep when s-he ar gued she had se gentle nn exaspera tion. When they sat silent Clausen thought of Miss Hlck-en's, restful viay of rejoining "T'xactlj" te all his opin ions. He suddenly imagined her saying "lAiietly. dear:" imagined her sitting lieie beside him: caught the zest, the laughter, the thrill which talk with !r ".mid cen-elvably held Obedi eiitly en ti.nt- lie halted big meditations. He looked thoughtfully at Jep, Jep police? hands?" "Well, that's a question I've often asked myself." said the colonel. "I've often said " "What is the name of the lieiue?" Interrupted White. "I want te see whether you're playing pquare with me, Boundary, and if you're net, by " "Hen't threaten me, don't threaten me, Solemon," said the colonel with a geed-humored gesture: "I'm a nervous man and I suffer from heart disease, i Yeu ought te knew better than that. I Hlshopihelme is the place. It is the fourth big heue after passing Trcd- ' ennis Itend a fine villa htandlns In It- , own Kreun(i,. jt leeks a bit deserted I because it was empty until a few dnyw age, when I put a scrap or two of was the first time he had seen Jack e' Judgment, The shimmer of the black silk coat, the cdrleus suggestion of pal ler which the white mask conveyed, the ! Rml(.i, ., throwing a black bar of hhndew diagonally across the face, lent tl.e figure a peculiarly sinlbter aspect. "Stand I" The voice was commanding, the glit tering revolver in the figure's hand mere he, "Who are you?" gasped Solemon White. , "Jack e' Judgment! nnve you ever heard of little JackV" , The figure chuckled. "Oh, here s n new out Solemon White, tee, uinl never heard of Jack e' Judgment! Didn't seu tee me when the took ine out of Snow (Irejery's pocket? Little Jack e' Judgment!" Solemon White btepped back, his face twitching- . , , "I ha.'fleuilnr tq.ae wun mm, ue Can I go te them with clean was responsive, eha had humor, she could be amusing. Cut he was se used te her. Her hands, that gesture te her hnlr, her absent leek, her little crooked yawns. Net a surprise, net even a variation. sh was Jep ferecr At ntne ,'lausen roc and wound the clock nnd observed ns usual that he only could let's leek tomorrow, dear must have It regulated. i est, nnd If we can get one, let's move "l'e heard you say that oceans of new." time, dear," Jep remarked also as usunl. "Idar" again. What a continual farce! And lie wished she wouldn't nl waj "-ay "oceans." What a rotten go eiervtiiing was. Hew hnd he get hlm- elf Inte this miserable little jail of n j llfe, full of clocks and keys ami Kettles. , What did any confounded thing mat- ter? Ne wonder everybody was tired of ever j body else. He faced about nnd sold abruptly. "I'm going out for a little while, Jep." "Well, where en earth are ou going';" she Inevitably asked. "Tn take a turn around a .block or two. I'm seedy I'm seedy!" said he, and went Ten minutes latr he was back and at tin- leek In his face Jep said: "My darling' Is anything the matter?" "I wi-h -u wouldn't call me Mar- hug' when j ii don't mean it," he burst out and edilrd : "I beg your pardon, Yes. snmMhiiitf is the matter. I met ' ,, , , ,, ,. Dibble d"n ii the office. He gave me the tip that this building Is te be pulled jilnwn." I'i.lW.1 lnvn '." he repeated, and he wishid irritably that she would net let her-elf l"uk se burpn-ed Jep always .1..I fi.r II. l-;i. I si'fti her de it In- tiuiniMtiliic tunes i-ver nothing. .-. pi. lied down." he repeated sharply "We'll nil bae te get out by 'You'll spe-sli or jeu don't pas,' said -licit e' Judgment snid henreT ; "nothing te de with that, de you hear?" "Where nre you going? Won't you tell Jack temethiiig. give him n bit of news? Peer old .fuel, hears nothing thc.-e days." The figure fclghed, laughter bubbling between the words. "I'm going en private business. Oct out of my w.iy." hnid the ether, re membering the urgency of his mis-den. "But you'll tell Jack e' Judgment?" wheedled the figure. "You'll tell peer old JiU'k wheie jeu are going te find , your beautiful daughter.'" j "Yeu knew !" mid the man. Ile took a htcp forward, but the , melvcr waved him back. I "You'll hpeak or you .don't pas'," Miid Jack e' Judgment. "Yeu don't i pan until eii r-peuk. De ou beur, Solemon White'.'" Tim man thought. "11 is a place culled Bnhopshelme," I he tuid grulllv, "uu Putney Heath. New let mi' puss." "Wait, wait! i-aul the figure eagerly. "Wait ler me only live minutes, l won't keep en! But don't go. There', dentil iluM't', Solemon White! It is 'waiting for J"U. Hen't ou feel it in' ylll' bones?" The voice Mink le a whimper, and in l Milt" of him til' ii cehl Miivi-r passed I down Wiles spine. He half turned te I nn ttanlr. v iy r-i-ar fall. Dibble heard it pretty straight. SnjH he's cot his eye en a flat and he's going te get out of here new and sub let till his lcase runs out. "Arthur." said Jep nbserbedly, "de you think we could get one. of these bungalows In the new addition? If we "ISut I don't want te move at all," said Clausen bitterly. "I like this place. I'm used te it. Whnt right has he get te turn us out?" "I saw ene of them last week," Jep ! went en absorbedly. "Darling little cupboards and buch oceans of cles- et?. ' "I don't want te move at all," Clau- son repeated doggedly, "I'm used te this place" His eye tested en the deep fireplnce that never smoked, en the faniilinr brown tile, en the shelves that could be reached from his chair. "Well, but darling!" Jep was be ginning. A thousand times had he seen her eettle down with the same gentle exasperation te an argument. "I'm gelntf te bed," said Clausen, and went, XTHXT day they drove out te leek at IN (,0 bungalows in the new addition, i It had been a terrlhle day nt the office, '. appointments broken, a big contract 'lest ami Mls Kickson at home ill. . w,pn he plc.M ljp Jcp waU,nj. en a corner Clausen was In no mood te like a. house en a street of nearl. Yes. (he Imntrnlen's were nmlentalilv nice, .le-i was in pcstiislc. ".See, dnr- ling. Oceans of pantries." She put, he tlinu"lit ilistnstefullv. rchlte Hlln!- , and an niitside dner for the iceman nbove every wltdy eonMderatlen. But even he w"as forced te admire the closet room, isAt rnnm An Unusual Story of a Blackmailing Gang and a Mysterious Avenger, by the Auther of "Green Rust," "The Daffodil Murder," "Clue of the Twisted Candle" "Wait!" Mid the figure again eagerly, fiercely. "1 shall keep you but n minute n pecend !" Solemon White steed Irresolutely, and the mask seemed te melt into the dark- ness. White strained his ears te hear 1 the soft putter of its checs as it mount ed the Ftairs, but no sound came. Then 1 with a start he seemed te awake as if from n bad dream, and without a word strode down the remaining stairs into the night. On the landing above, tha strange being who called himself ".lack e' Judg- i raent" steed outside the deer of Bound ary's flat. He had taken a key from his pocket and hnd it peieed, when he heard the clnltcr of the ether's feet. Ile steed undecidedly, but only for a second ; then the key slipped Inte the lock nnd the deer opened. The butler ! from his little pantry taw the figure nnd slsmmed his own deer, belting It with trembling fingers. In a second Jack e' Judgment waa In trio room, facing the paralyzed trio. He spoke no word, but cuddcnly his' right arm was raised, teme shining object flew from bis hand and there was a crash of glass nnd instantly ft vile (odor. On the opposite wall, where the I bottle bad broken, appeared a dark and ' iAi,ln i. Ktnin. Then, without te much as a laugh, lie btepped back through the deiaj and raced down the utalrs in purbuit of White. It was tee late; the man had disappeared. Jack e' Judgment btoed for n moment listening, then ha slipped off the black coat and ripped off the I mask. Tlie coat was ei me uncsc mm, for he rolled it Inte the bpace of a pocket handkerchief and slipped it into his pocket. The handkerchief went the same way. If there had been observers they would have caught u glimpse of a mnn in evening dress as he went swiftly down the half lighted stairway. He turned nnd walked ln the shadow of the building and nutted down n side itrcet where a big closed limousine was awaiting him. He Bave a murmured direction te the driver, and the car ped en its way. fllAPTKK VIII The Judgment of Death Solemon White bad, a taxi waiting J-y One e the Evening Public Ledgers New Short Stories in the Series of Unpublished Fiction by the Best American Writers of the Day "I wish you 'darling when the leaded windows, th compact kitchen. "Ne corners, theush," ha growled. "Ne corners, I can't smoke unless thcre's corners I tell you, Jep, I don't want te move." They went home In the rain and all the way there Jcp was absorbed!' and aloud Imagining furniture Inte that bungalow. Clausen sat silent, hunched nt the wheel. He was thinking hew frightfully used he was te Jep's en thusiasms. "Miss Rickson," he thought, "new she'd be se different. Se btill and nnd considerate. Thinking of n man's comfort Instead of the closets." And new for the first time he let himself think of her without reproach. While he was hanging up his coat, Jcp cnlled te him from her roem: "Darling," she said, "when we came in tha heuse just new, did I kiss you?" "Why. yes, I think se," snid Clau Clau eon. "Why?" "Oh, nothing. I didn't think I'd forgotten," she answered. "I never mean te forget." Claasen theught: "Geed heavens, have we come te this?" When he Joined her she was bending ever tha living-room table, all heaped up again wilth whatever it was nnd she was saying absolutely that these looked just as methy as the ethers did. He wondered discontentedly if any ether woman en earth found moths In every- ! thimr the way Jen did. "I'll bet you'll find moths In the new ' bungalow," he told her. "I'll bet you'll finil moths In I'nradist! " Through dinner she talked of the new , bungalow, nnd Ulausen, going in by the rire rrenneri. lin niieu ins nine and I fire, groaned. He filled his pipe and ' and gave his directions. He was suf flcicntly loyal te the band te avoid ' calling special attention te the house i where the girl was lrnprisened, and he i told his cab te wnlt at the end of I Putney Heath. The night wns wild and boisterous nnd very dark, but he carried an electric tercli, and presently he came te weather-stained gates bear ing In letters, which had halt faded, the name he teught. He pushed open the gate with tome trouble. There' was n curving carriage drive which led te the front deer, which steed at the head of a flight of steps under a square and ugly portico. He looked up at the bulldlnr, but it wns ln darkness. Appnrantly it was empty, but hi knew enough of the colonel's methods te be sure thnt Bound ary would net advertise the presence of the girl te the outside world. He steed hesitating wondering. The whole thing might be a trap, but Solo Selo Sole mon Whlte was net easily Ecared. He A G'lVan te Bed Story : The Little Fish Nanwd , ONCE upon a time, dear children,! there was a little fish named Hareld who lived in a Inks near a bathing beach. (Johnny, get off tha piano). Hareld was carefully fetched up and was net allowed te associate with min nows who were flighty and had no morals te speak of. "One should be very careful, Hareld," his mother used te tell him, "and always de what's right." "Why?" Hareld wcMld ask, but his mother never could think of any geed reasons, ether than one should de right because it was the right thing te de. Hareld didn't think that was much of a reason. Neither de I. BUT as time went en Hareld grew te y6ung fish-heed, becoming mere and mere baffled ubeut life. The people who came te the bathing beach puziled him most of all. What curious fins they had! And practically no M'UiCs at all except violently uilereil ones that Hupped iireiind them us the, swam, Aim new conceited tliey were. There wasn't one of them wlu ..mir: I swim as geed as a mjnnew uuU yet t wouldn't call m you don't mean it" thought about tha fireplaca which draw se well and the old brown tile and the bookshelves near enough te reach from his chair. But It wasn't these things which held him. It was their glorious aceustemedncss. "I don't want te leave this place," be Insisted. "I'm used te It I tell you, Jep, I'm se used te It that I'm I'm rooted. I'd be miserable anywhere else." "I'm used te it, tee," she admitted. "Truly, for all my talk, I'm homesick already." "Then let's cut talking about It, for new," said Clausen. THE evening passed as all evenings passed. They considered the the atre and gave up going. They consid ered telephoning for somebody te come In and make up a table and gave that up, tee. Clausen lighted the fire and Gmeked, and Jep read aloud. Then they sat talking. Once they disagreed. Then they slipped into silence. And Clausen fell te thinking of Miss Rick son. He had heard her say Incredibly little, nnd yet he could feel the zest, the l laughter, the thrill which talk with her could conceivably held. Dut he and Jep had nothing te say te each ether, really, which they had net already said. He rose abruptly. "I'm going out for n little while, Jep," he said. "Where en earth are you going?" she re-joined, as always. This time as he went he did net reply. k ix tiiuiuiab n lie irniitfi un rnn scarred bearding house and asked for Miss Ruth Rickson. "I've something I want te talk nrrr with you," he told her earnestly. "Are you wen eneugu te nate a elta of sup- i ner wnn me : I per with me took u revolver from Ids specket, drew rmck the hammer and wnlked forward cautiously. There was no sign of life. The rustling of shrubs and trees was the only mournful sound which varied the rear of the storm. He was opposite the deer, and one feet was raised te surmount the first step, when there came n sound like the sharp tap of n drum. "Hap, rap!" Solemon White steed for fully a !,eceml bpfer h crumpled nnd fell, and he wns dead before he reached the ground. Still there was no sign or sound of life. A church clock boomed out the quarter te ten. A meter car went past, and then the laurel bushes by the sldegat8 when iemethlng cold and hard wns of the steps moved, and a man In a ! pu,hed ngaInst w, rnr nml he turnctl black mackintosh stepped out. He bent I round. ever the dend man, picked up the I "Put up your hnnds!" said a mock fallen torch anil flashed the light en ' ing voice. "Put them up!" the dead man s face; then, with a grunt The Frenchman's hands slowly rose, of ratlsfnctien, Itneul Pontarlier un- "New turn leund and face the house. I - U i O e AS n m "One should he very careful, Har Har old," his mother used te tell him they bragged about their ability some thing scandalous. y QNE day as Hareld was watching ingly, for his little ,ldcs all , .. ' l.rJfte!M ". M..I..I ou, he noticed .cr "drop "Belnclhlni Tn he dea c hll ' en Isu'ln'5' ' "U merul' vvntcr which bl.c had been chewing. De rig : or else don't e, i.. Consumed with curiosity he waited Uwiin ni T bed s ' t,l,lsl't' "I am net. thank you," came hack at him crisply. "Won't this wait until morning? I'll be down at work then. "It will net wait," said Clausen, just as crisply. And then she said that the landlady sometimes let her use her own sitting-room and she would sec. Ten minutes and Clausen wnB In the landlady's sitting-room nnd Rutli Rickson sat befere him. She was in her office dress nnd she waited primly and as if she were about te take dicta tion j but with a faint, puzzled frown. It was a terrible room, this in which they were seated. The colors fairly locked horns. Above Miss Rickson'. head depended a bright oil of a deg much tee large for his kennel. The light iwoeped down from the naked gas Jets. There was an odor of cold storage. "I can't get you out of my mind," Clausen began abruptly. "Loek here, I want te help you." ' "Help me?" She looked still mere puzzled. Her somewhat wary presence was net as Clausen had Imaged It. She made It a bit difficult for him te go en. He was net very euro what he Intended te say anyhow had net been sure any of the time. He bad depended en Inspiration and her man ner was net Inspiring him. "Yes. Help help you somehow te get a better deal," be brought out. "Thank you. That's very nice of you. Hew?" Inquired Miss Rickson rapidly. It was the exact manner in which she sometimes said, "Will you spall that name for me, please?" Olauien floundered. "I don't knew," he Mid. "Ten tall mt. What de you what de 70a want te de?" Miss Rickson was watching him. It cam te Clausen that she was enor mously able te take car of herself, te make her own deals. There In the office, taking his orders In silence, defer ential, gentle, she had never seemed anything like se self-sufficient as she seemed new. St "I want te be a stenographer," she said. "" "That's fairly plain, isn't 'It, by my taking the trouble te learn the stuff?" "Yes, of course. But haven't you any ether ambition? Haven't you ever wanted " Clausen was feeling rather foolish, as If the only reason which he could think of offhand for coming te see her had failed. "Why," said Miss Rickson, "I sup pose I want te be married." Clausen was stnrtled. "Yeu are go ing te be married?" he Inquired. "Nobody that I'd have has ever aaked me. But," said Miss Rickson gravely, "he may, ha may." She smiled a little then and dipped her head. It went through the mind of Clausen that this bookkeeper, or whoever he might prove, would be the one te hear her agree, "Exactly, dear," or would she agrce se very much? Really, she was very different from the Miss Rick son in his office. She sat there waiting politely, te hear what he was going te say next. Ana wnat was ne going te say next? "Yeu you wouldn't want te go te college?" he asked her, looking mero foolish still. "Me? Net much. I'm no teacher born. Thrcs and a bath that's my measure. And my mother will live with me when I get It." Clausen arose. He looked around him a little wildly. "But couldn't you live somewhere new?" he wanted te knew. "Where where such a cursed deg wouldn't sit in front of a kennel lie doesn't fit?" She looked quite Wank. "What's the matter with the deg?" she inquired, and dipped her head, and turned her face a mt wuneut turning ner eyes and ran her hnnd up ever her bobbed hair at tne Dacu. Hue was se utterly irhnrminir wnen sne was silent ami charming when she was silent and By Edgar screwed his silencer and slipped his automatic Inte tha wet pocket of his mackintosh. Feeling ln nn Inside pocket for a cigarette, he found one and lit it from the smoldering end of n tinder lighter. Then, carefully concealing the lighted cigarette in the palm of his hnnd, he walked softly nnd noiselessly down the drive, keeping te tha shadow of the bushes and watching te left nnd right for signs of approaching pedestrians. At two points he could see the heath read, and nobody was ln sight. There was plenty of time, nnd men had been ruined by haste. He reached the gate and carefully looked ever. The read was deserted. His Imnd waa en the Hareld By J. P. McEVOY I patiently until she had gene nnd then ,he sneaked up and grabbed it. Net much taste te tliK" he bald, and he chewed en it thoughtfully. "Maybe I'd better chew it bome mere." te he did. Still he Couldn't tnste any thing, but it fascinated him just the same. Little did he think that it was chew ing gum he had found, and still less did he knew thnt his mother wns coming around the corner te catch him. But such wns the case. "IJAROlft)!" she cried, "can I be- lieve my eyes. Is it really you and nre you really chewing gum? Oh. Hareld, Hareld, and lifter the careful fetching up I gave you." Hareld stat ted guiltily nnd hwal- levved the gum te cover up his bin. And, ui course, no wu nun s u,l firifis-ivil I agreeing. She waa se utterly mttm ,: when, new, she wheeled toward m. . "Loek here, Mr. Clausen," Bh. L, briskly, "Why did you come te Tea tonight?" l Bw tt She was looking at him aggressdwi. And nbruptly-perhaps It was bccilu he just noted the thinness of u wrists Clausen was swept by t J. Pity. 1W little thing, J J suspecting everybody, quite en her ew In this big town. Peer little thing i this fearful bearding-house, just Ck Ing ahead en the chance that ,! bookkeeper or ether would marry h out of things. A lonely, sordid exJ! .-...-. V.WUUUIU nuie ming, ne new He leaned forward. saw. "Miss Rickson," he said, "my .if, and I have been married fn, .. H years. We have only ourselves te loot after. SltUng with her tonight ln Z comfort and security and and com. panlenshlp, I ln fact, as I told yea 1 couldn't get you out of my mind. And I resolved te see If I couldn't brighten up life a little for you as a sort of er thank offering for the brightness If my own I" Fer the first time that evenin. u.. Rickson relaxed. The sweetness csme back te her face, her head dropped her eyes were liquid. ' "There Isn't a thing you can de ' she told him. "But my, what a prime, you are." rS A spontaneous word from him y about a raise, they pal-ted. Under the ej of the accursed deg ha took htr hand ln a friendly, though formal leT. taking. Tha bearding-house with tie measles facade he left la a high though Impromptu sense of having plgy ,, ' benefactor. Clausen hadn't anci humor. Net enough te laugh at him. self. With a measureless proclivity for self-justification he almost theugnt new, that it was expressly In order te make this preposition that h hid escaped te Miss Rickson. All the same ha entered his enn apartment quietly and rather u if it thought or hoped that Jep might It nsJeep. She was net asleep. She cams flylaj te meet him, her face radiant, and he saw that something had happened; sometblng that she liked; that thtj would like. "Oh, dearest," she cried, "what de you think? It's nil a mistakeMr. Dibble called up te say they aren't going te tear down the building this year it all. And we don't hnvc te move." "Say," eald Clausen. "Say!" He sat before the fire and filled hli pipe. The fireplace that drew se well, the book shelves near enough te le reaencu lrem ins chair and the old brown familiar tile wcre theirs for t long time te come. He looked round en these tilings. He liked them, he tvn used te them. He looked across at Jep and bmllcd. He was used te them it he was used te her. Thnt held him. He stared at her, his pipe suspended. He was net likely te think things out, but gently, a cer tain satisfied sense of her very aocus aecus aocus temedness assailed him. Of her fa miliarity as of a well-loved home. He cared nnd she cared nnd they alwnri would care. It had always been and it would nlwnys be. An eternity of twin; accustomed te each ether. Se accus tomed that ench hardly knew the eth'r te be there at all. He had no idea hew te voice what lit wns feeling. Se he get up and weutil the clock. "It's get te be regulated, that thbg,' lie heard himself mutter. Jep smiled up at him lastly. "If you didn't say that every wht dear," she observed, "I'd miss It" He steed looking down at her. Am! then ha said in a vast centent: "We certainly are used te each ether dearest aren't we?" Cevurtahl. Hit. tv Vnlltd ratr ftMitMf'. XII rlehtJ reservti, llttreducHm trtMWfl. Wallace Quick!" said the voice, "rasrcaw! Halt!" Raeul stepped. If he could only get his hands down nnd duck, one llghtnlrj dive His captor evidently read Mi thoughts, for he felt a hand slip into lllu mnnlrlnsteli nnrtbAf ni Ii tCUi Tt licved of the weight of his nutemstlc. .., . .... ....-in ue lervvaru, up the steps, oiep' The stranger had seen the huddlfl figure of White, and steeped ever him. He mnde no comment. He knew tin man was dead before his hnndi had touched him. ".Mount the steps, canaille!" "ii the voice; nnd Itaeul walked slowly UP the htepa of the heuse and halted wltb Ills face ngainst the deer. A hand came up under his uplift"! arm and sought the keyhole. A tw minutes' fumbling until the prenn et the skeleton key had found Its corre sponding wards, and then the deer swung open, emitting a scent of reustb nevn nml rlrumr "Marcher. !" said (he strnnser, tail Itneul walked forward ami heard tl deer slam behind him. The house was, net empty, in '", sense thnt it was unfurnished. W unknown was using nn eleclrit. torch extraordinary brilliancy, and icvealcd dilapidated lmllstnnd urn! a musty chair. He took u brief survey and then Mid: "Down these stuirs!" and the murderer obeyed, , They weie in the kitchen new, ea ngain tlie bright light gleamed abeu . The windows wcre heavily "l'ut'er!ft ,i .. - .. ..,i.i ii lew v pieces of china en the t-lilflwaru-dlrly. There was u gas bracket ' center, ever a large deal table. nju th iv Hiiiiniii'r iiiiiiin uin - " ,i, nuu Ins of escaping gas, rtrui'li a J ih t It, and then ler the I rsl mc 'J b, i -mi I., f.i.n- nml iibten Mimeiit ui'O" hi lit :aze man who held him. niinjrl "Monsieur," he stammered, "" U,'i'iic masked figure hlippt-.l hi J'JJ,, into his pocket and flicked .; ' '1 '',, the tabic, uinl Itaeul, leek i b u u, Miw the jack of cltilh mid hiutt his end was iii'iir. ,j Te, he continued M'';,JL' Caaurlaht. UtClurt Newsgwr """"Td '.i tf' , -mv- rii J.W- .fcr: .i-zw-m iiy . I - f- , --.-. .il. . FS' -1 . . -.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers