The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-02-23
lacks Prisoner
{ TACK!' said his father, as this fine
specimen of recent college grad

stone LOT Il time anu iuu Out VIM lIllS
enemy is, will you?'
Jack laughed. 1t was so droll; this
kind-hearted, overindulgent, pocket
exhaustless father of his having al en-
envy.
"Where shall I look for your enemy,
pater?"
'He writes from Tabatha. Here is
his third demand for money received
this week." and the ''pater" handed
Jack crisp, neat letter that had trav-
eled over 1000 miles.
''Have you answered any of his de-
mands?" asked Jack, more seriously,
as he read the threat on his fathers life
provided the demand for money was not
met.
"Of course not" replied Jacks ia
Their; "the man is nothing to me. Per
haps 1 had better put it into the hands
of detective, and not bother you. Give
me the letter"
''No, no." said Jack; "a couple of thou
sand miles run won't hurt me; I'm a
little tired of boring at law, anyway.
There's a train, an express, at six, I'll
take that, pater, and rest assured if
man by this creatures name is still
hanging out in Tabatba I'll have him
in not much over a week from to-day"
Jacks father smiled.
Don't run yourself into any special
danger on account of the crank, my
boy. There may be more danger about
it than l at first thought"
- &c = ,,,,,,,,,,1a,7 IA
he'll only have the kindness to hold on
in Tabatha till l get there; that's all l
ask"
"He will" said the father, "for he
writes that he awaits my check there
till it is received or I'm a corpse, and"
"The mans a fool or crazy" ex-
claimed Jack. Still, there was Carter
Harrison; there was Garfield. Better
have yourself guarded, father, till trap
the game"
Mr.. Whittemore shook his head. I'm
not a coward, Jack, and / should detest
having a detective forever at my heels.
If I seriously believed there was so
much danger as that I wouldn't let you
go. As it is, catch the villain if you're
able and relieve me of an annoyance;
an enemy, as called him at first"
"All right, old man. Good-by. I'm
off to the bank and the ticket Office
may not get home to dinner. Drop lie
line every day and I'll do the same
by you" and, grasping his fathers
hand, he was practically off on his com
mission as his father knew.
Six days later Jack was quite at home
in one of'the leading hotels of Tabatha
and preparing for his first sortie upon
the game. With the letter in hand that
had so threatened his father, he started
for the address which the letter con-
tanned. No such address was discover
able, and he turned his steps toward
the post office. As he did so a cab
dashed toward him, giving him no time
to get out of the way. Reaching up, he
caught the horse by the bride and
forced it back from the crossing. The
horse was a thin, overdriven creature,
or he could not have handled it so easily.
LET me by, sir" shouted the cabman
"Its matter of life and DEATH"
81 should say so, and my life and
death, too" replied Jack. Foot pas
sengers have the right of way on cross
ings. I'll hand you over to the police"
The 'cabby" turned white and made
feint to drive on, while a young wom-
an, much agitated, looked out of the ca b
door and said: please let US go on;
my father has just been hurt in an acct
dent, the cabman says, and he is taking
me to him"
Jack raised his hat and allowed the
cabman to drive on, the words "the
cabman says" repeating themselves in
his mind. Was it peculiar or not that
a cabman should inform the young
woman of an accident to her father,
and wasn't it rather questionable that
the same cabman should now turn into
that hard Whitechapel part of the city
which he had just gone through in his
search for the address in the letter he
carried. He turned and followed the
cab.
1t went slowly, for the spent horse
was limping now, and drew up in front
of an old brick tenement that looked
in the second stories completely aban-
doned. The young woman alighted,
asked two or three quick questions of
the cabman, then entered the house as
the cabman fumbled the money into
his pocketbook that she had given him
and drove away. A tawny-haired boy
was swapping marbles in the middle of
the street, and, seeiry Jack, ambled
toward him.
Say, mister, she war a nice-looking
lady, want she? Eff | was you I'd git
her out of that there. I'm not sayin'
nauthin', yer know"
"No," said Jack, sternly. who lives
there?" and he flung the boy a quarter.
81 don't know" answered the lad,
testing the quarter with his teeth to see
if it was genuine, but he's a strange
old duffer; money mad, l says. The
place for him's tHe sane 'sylum, pop
says"
"How long has he been living there p
"Nigh on to a month"
care you sure?'
course 1 is. Don't we live next
door?"
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