The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-18
PART II.

The excited whisperings OF the crowd
increased The two policemen were al
the wharf. The crowd would Dc
hernmed in, and the guilty men mus
be taken. The known murderer, un'
hurt, had long since swan across e
the main shore, and ii was only Ham
mond's loss of blood and leg wound thai
prevented him from following. To de-
stroy evidence was the only hope OF the
Twenty-Sevens. No man of the gang or
answerable TO the gang was to know
anything of the row. The dead man
could tell no tales, and the curses of the
Iwenty-Seven were heaped upon the dy-
ing because he did not hasten his own
exodus He was one of them, but death
might make him betray his slayer. he
must see lio one; he must get out OF the
world without naming his assassin.
With this purpose in view even the doc
tor was taken out 10 see Hammond's
wounds again, he loudly complaining
that his bandages panied him. The man
was thus left with only his friends.
The slim member of the gang, "Slxin-
nv" by name, was reporting to his chief.
-Iiam thinks woman seen him-a
strange woman in pink dress. I've
spotted her. She's been writin'-she's
got lot of papers in her rettycule.
'Git 'em," said the leader. "Git 'em!"
"I got the rettycule," grinned Skim
nv. "I bet she amt missed it yet"
The leader of the gang opened tho
little bag, a small thing of leather and
and bit of lead pencil In it~-that was
all.
you're a birdi" said the leader, hur-
rledly; "did We see her writin'?"
"I seen her writin'," replied Skinny.
"I dom like fghtin' wimen," said tho
Header, 'but them papers must be had;
if it's convenient TO We, I'd like TO have
little talk with that young pusson afore
she peaches"
''I'll spot her for ye."
In three minutes the pink dress was
spotted. The wearer of 10 was on hhe
wharf, standing little apart from tho
excited crowd and quite near the rivers
edge. The boat from the city was now
almost at the landing. Already Skinny
and the leader of the Twenty-Sevens
saw the squad of police; already they
knew that whatever must be done must
he done quickly.
'Tf she's got poners, Skinny, the lead
er hrcathed, we must have 'em. Jump
in a beat and row out right there HI
1,ush 'er in. She may be rescued by you,
but git them papersAfrst."
Skinny rushed away, and in few
minutes pushed out the rowboat to-
wards the middle Of the river, where
the current ran. The leader looked
about. He casually noticed a large
blond man who would probably be tho
first to land. The leader, Jelinko by
nar,e, did not know him. but instinct
lively feared him. No time was to be
lost, so he pushed roughly through the
crowd toward the slight figure of the
woman in pink, and, as she was scam
ming the boat passengers anxiously.
with one hand raised to shade her eyes,
he gave her a mighty push, almost
kick. and the woman went over into
the water at once.
Before he could take ten steps back
ward, in order to do away with the
least suspicion, ne was collared. Some
thing big and blond had him in firm
grasp. He was whirled about in the
midst of sound of cheers, growing
even louder. He fought hard, but he
might as well have fought iron. Even
as he'was dragged onward, he tried to
see whether Skinny was hurrying to
pick up the woman and secure the
written papers at all hazards. He saw
the boat nearing her. hut unless he
dreamed, he also saw that the small
Iworlan in the pink dress was keeping
herself up well and that there were
several men swimming to the rescue
He had never thought of women swim.
ming. He had thought they all wen,
down like drowned rats, helpless and
fainting.
/, In moment he was placed under ar.
rest. II saw him fling that woman into
the water" said Mcrriless. "T knew
she could swim, and was hound to have
him."
Then Merriless went down to the
bank with great strides. His blood was
boiling, his brain on fire. SlSinny's boat
had arrived, and the dripping pink.
dressed woman was helped into II, but
into it also climbed two men, and
Skinny had to row the whole crowd to
the wharf
As the small figure stepped out, some
one with coat and blanket was wait.
ing for her, and before her foot touched
the ground she was wrapped up and
carried over the gang-plank into the
lstenmer.
"Are you hurt, brave little woman?"
said the tenderest voice in the world.
All he could hear was: "Please don't
cay anything, not just this minute, Mr..
Merrilees."
He crushed her up against his shoul
der with the impetuosity of manhood.
swell, won'tl I'll put you into this
steamer stateroom. Cry IL out while
get some dry clothing. Lock YOUR door
and III put policeman outside. Poor
little woman! Brave little womanl'
The clothes proved TO be a hetero-
genous collection, but newspaper