The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-01-02
Copyright, 1899. by Herbert S. Stone & Co.
CHAPTER YII.-CoSTISUED.

CHAPTER YII.-CoSTINUED.
Number Two was speaking. Come,
hurry up with those TOOLS he was
saying. The police are pretty sure to
keep an eye upon the place still. The
only wonder is that they haven't left
some one in charge. Good God! what's
that?"
And then | heard another aud a
deeper voice
Move a step. either of you, and
fire. They have left some IN in charge.
win you surrender quietly or shall
The next instant there was the re-
port of firearms, followed by a scuffling
noise and q cry.
| waited to hear no more.
I'm better out OF this than in it, and
for several reasons / said to myself.
MY explanation wouldn't satisfy
either side, If were called upon to
make ii. II the Syndicate of Scoun-
drels gets to know I've been playing
the spy on them, there would be an
other vacancy in the council, for the
villains would never rest till they'd
poisoned, or drowned. or knitted, or
Gghamited me. And | don't know that
| should find myself altogether popular
With the police if / had to tell them
my story. Besides which, they
mightn't believe it, and, for all | know,
| might find myself in the dock along
with the other two, So I'll leave you to
settle your little difference among
Yourselves. gentlemen"
~ One can think in three seconds what
cannot be written down in thirty. The
report of the pistol Ia still ringing
in my cars as | opened the door, and,
stepping cut, walked away at a pace
which. though it was not so rapid as TO
attract notice, Was, l can promise You,
smart, Very glad I was too when
had turned the corner of the square,
but it was not until | found myself in
a crowded ~thoroughtare, and | knew
that had put a good 500 yards between
myself and the place, that / began to
slacken.
The evening papers had no more
eager reader than | that night, and it
was with no little CONSERVATION that |
saw the following announcemen in a
late edition:
"A tragic discovery wa made this
afternoon at SO Fassett Square, Dals-
ton, THE house in which a quantity of
,dynamite was recently discovered by
NSske police. Constable X24 noticed
hen JDassing on his round that the
tT1sse door vas open, and or entering
and searching the premises, he discov-
cred in the cellar the dead body o.
the policeman who had been left in
charge. The unfortunate man had
been stabbed 10 the heart, but by whom
there was no evidence to show, but
.that a struggle had taken place was
aclear from the fact that a revolver,
chamber of which had been discharged,
) and which has been identified as his
property, was found lying beside him.
70 is, however. supposed that the crime
was committed by some member, or
members, of the gang by whom the dy-
Mantle had been concealed on the
premises. and that they had revisited
the house, not knowing that the police
lad left anyone in charge"
And in the stop Prsss' space in
the paper, which is devoted to late
news, | found the following-to me
extremely significant announcement
The police refuse to give any par
ticulars in regard to the sensational
murder of a policeman at Fassett
Square, Dalston. Our representative,
. however. succeeded this afternoon in
obtaining a short interview with the
wife OF the murdered man, who has
informed him of a curious circumstance
in connection with the case. This is
that an empty beer barrel. which was
lying in the cellar where the body was
found, had been very carefully taken
to pieces, and this she is confident was
not done by her husband, who she as
.sured our representative had no tools
on the premises by which the work
could have been accomplished"
This is bad news" | said to my
self as ] laid down the paper. "The
scoundrels have not only got clean
away, hut they have evidently accom-
plished the object of their visit, and
succeeded in taking The dynamite with
them. 1t makes me feel very IN
comfortable about the whole business;
although even II ! had gone down to
the cellar | should not have been in
time to save the poor fellows life; and
after all. II the police don't take proper
steps to guard premises which the
are in charge of. it's their affair, not
mine.
But o that know the %scoundrels
have got possession of the dynamite,
and that they intendfo use it in blow
ing up Lord C~rantforpe's house. ]
will make it my business to see that
they don't do anything Of the sort;
end, knowing what | do of them and
their plans, | think | shall succeed,
though | fancy I'm setting myself a
risky job"
CHATTER WIZ
/ BECOME A PAVEMENT ARTIST.
AS the council wal to meet again in
savao davc tho proha hilitins unra that |