Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-03-10


{SS.SSsC rett. superintendent of po-
i!ce; Warren Smith and Horner, sheriff
of Carlow. lie spoke in low voice.
'My name is Meredith" he said MIR
Harkless was an old and-Hnd-" lie
paused for 4 moment. The Plattville
men nodded solemny. AN old and
dear friend of mne," ne went on. with
some, difficulty, and Warren Smith took
him silently by the hand.
You can come in and see this man,
the Teller, with us if you like. Mr.. Mcr-
edith" said the superintendent. "Your
friend made ii very hot for him be
fore the two Of 'em got away with him.
He's so shot and hacked UP his mother
wouldn't know him if she wanted To-.
Al least that's what they say out here.
We haven't seen him. He's called .Ier-
ny the Teller and one of my sergeants
found him in the freight yard Knew
1t was the Teller, because he was stow
cd away in ole of the empty cars that
came from Plattvlle last night And
Sla ttery THAT'S his running mate the
one we caught with the coat and hat
UWtned up that they beat their way on
that freight. Looks like Slattery-let
the Teller do all the fighting. he amt
scratched. We've been at Slattery
pretty hard, but he won't open his
head. and we hope 70 get something
out of this one. He's delirious. but
they ny he'll come To before he dies.
DO you want to go in with us?'
YES said Meredith simply, and n
young urgeOn presently appeared and
led them down wide corridor and up
a narrolr hall. and they entered Il
small, quiet ward.
There was a pungent smell of chem
icals in Il e room. The light was low.
and the diruness was imbued with a
thick. con fused murmur, incohercnt
whispering.l that came from cot in
The corner. II was the only cot in use
in the war,t. and Meredith was con
scious of a error that made him drean
10 look at it, to 20 near it. Beside i,
a nurse sat .alent. and upon it feebll
tossed the ra, :'scd body of him whom
Barrett had c; .led Jerry the Teller
The head WIS II Shapcless bundle, so
swathed it was with bandages and
cloths, and VIII It part of the face was
visible was di! tcolored and augmented
with drugs. 81 fetched under the white
sheet the man cooked Immensely tall
as Horner saw with vague msgiving-
and he lay in an odd, inhuman fash
ion, as though ne had been all broken
to pieces. His a ttempts to move vert
constantly sooth I'd by the nurse, and
he as constantly continued such ut
tempts, and one ha nd, though torn
and handagcd. was not to be restra ined
from Il wandering, restless movement
that Meredith felt to be pathetic. He
had entered the roo n with n flare OF
hate for the thug W HON he had come
to see die and WHO had struck down
the old friend whose neaTness he hao
never known until it was too late. But
at first sight of the broken figure Ii
felt all animosity fan away from him
Only awe remained and growing
traitorous pity as he watched the Ions
white fingers of the Teller pick at tn
coverlct The man was nutterinp
rapid fragments of words and sylla
bles.
j
Cay Meredith whispered TO the sur
geon. whom he know. Il feel as if !
had done the fellow to death myself
as If it were all ont of gear l know
now how Henry felt over the grea,
Guisard. How tall he looks! Tha
doesn't seem to me like thugs hand
The surgeon nodded. "Of course
MIG toll tn hn
count on Barrett and his scrgeants t.
make it, doubt if this is their man
When they found him, what clothe,
lie wore were torn and stained. bu
they had been good once, especially
the linen"
Barrett bent over the recumbent fig
ure. SEQ here. Jerry" he said, II want
10 talk to you little. Rouse up, will
you? / want 20 talk to you as a
friend
The incohercnt muttcring continued.
SEQ here, jerry repeated Barrett
more sharply. Jerry. Rouse Up, will
you? We don't want any foolng un
derstand that, Jerry" lie dropped hi
hand or the mans shoulder and SHOOT
him slightly.
Tie Teller uttered a short, gaspine
cry,
Let me, said Gay and swiftly In
faint Of drugs hung everywhere about
the building, and the almost impercep
tible permcation sckcncd him. 1t was
deadly, he thought. To him it was i'm
buod with hidcous portcnt OF suffer.
inG. The lights in the little ward wei
turned up, and they seemed to shine
from chamber Of horrors, while h,
waited as n brother might have waited
outside Ihe inqusition, if indeed n
brother would have been allowed 70
wait outside the inquisitlon.
Alas he had found John Harklcss
Ite had lost track of him as men some.
zines do loGe track of their best he.
loYed out it had always been Il com.
;0rt 10 know that IIarkcss was some
where, Il comfort without which he
could hardly have got along. Like 9TH
ers, he had been waiting for John to
turn UPON top, Of coursc-he mad such
ability, ability FOR anything. ana people
would always care Tor him and belicv,
in him SO that he would he showed
ahead no matter how much he hung
back himself; but Meredith had not
expected Kim to turn up in Indiana.
lie remembered now hearing a man
who had spent the day in Pattvllle on