Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-14

tramp, tramp, tdmP-i hcoIu lnc eoP footsteps.
 He stopped over there by the swing ing electric light above the gate I crouched down behind the iron bench. And my coat caught a twig on a bush and its crack-ck was like yell. 1 thought I'd die. thought I'd scream. thought I'd run. thought I'd faint. But I didn't-for there, asleep on rig that some one had for gotten to take in, was the house cat. gave her a quick slap, and she flew out and across the path like flash.
 The cop watched her, his hand on the gate, and, passed on.
 Mag Monahan, if Tom had come out that minute without a bean and gone home with me, I'd been so relieved I'd never have tried again. But he didn't come. Nothing happened. Nights and nights and nights went by, and the stiffness began to sound again. My throat went choking mad. I be- gan to shiver. and I reached for the rug the cat had lain on. Funny. how some things strike you! This was Latimer's rug. I had noticed i it that evening-a warm soft, mottled green that looked like silk and fur mixed could see the way his long, l white hands looked on it. and as touched it I could hear his voice Oh. Thou, who Man of baser Earth didst make,
 And ev'n with Paradise devise the Snake; l For all the Sin wherewith the Face of | Man
 1 Is blacken d-Man's forgiveness give-and | take!
 | Ever hear a man like that say a thing like that? No? We'll. it's-it's | different. It's as if the river had | spoken-or a tree-it's so-it's so diff | ferent. That saved me-that verse that remembered. said it over and over and over again to myself. fitted it to the ferry whistles on the bay-to the i cops steps as they passed asain-to the roar of the "L" train and the l jangling of the surface cars.
 And right in the middle of it-every drop of blood in my body seemed to leak out of me, and then come rush i Ing back to my head-I heard Tom $ l whistle.
 Oh, it's easy to say run" and really meant it when promised Tom. But you see hadn't heard that whistle then. When it came, 1t changed everything. It set the devil in me loose. felt as if the world was tearing something of mine away from me Stand for it? Not Nance Olden.
 did run-but it was toward the house. That whistle may have meant "Go!" To me it yelled "Come!"
 I got in through the window Tom had left open The place was still quiet. Nobody inside had heard that whistle so far as I could tell.
 I crept along-the carpets were thick and soft and silky as the rug I'd had my hands buried in to keep em warm.
 Along a long hall and through a great room. whose walls were thick with books, 1 was making for light l could see at the back of the house. That's where Tom Dorgan must be and where I must be to find out-to know.
 With my hands out in front of me hurried, but softly, and just as I had reached the portieres below which the 1 light streamed, my arms closed about a thing-cold as marble. naked-I thought it was dead body upright there, and with cry, I pitched for ward through the curtains into the lighted room.
 "Nance!-you devil!"
 You recognize it? Yep. 1t was Tom. Big Tom Dorgan. at the foot of Lati- mer's bed. his hands above his head, and Latimers gun aimed right at his heart.
 Think of the pluck of that cripple, 1 will you?
 His eyes turned on me for just sec ond. and then fixed themselves again on Tom. But his voice went straight at me, all right.
 You are something of thankless devil, I must admit. Miss-Omar." he ! said.
 I didn't say anything. You don't say things in answer to things like that You feel 'em.
 Ashamed, What do I care for a man with voice like that! But you should have heard how Toms growi sounded after 1t.
 "Why the hell didn't you light out?"
 T couldn't, Tom. just-couldn't, l" 1 sobbed.
 "There seems invariably to be a