The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-02-11

effort to restrain.
"HuEh. man, hushp' ezfEeated IN
der my breath. Hell hear your
For answer his teeth chartered, even
his, and heard him fUnnhIsng with
his matrheS mo. Bunny; be won't
hear U.s." whispered Ra6les presently,
and he rose from his knees and 1t a
gas Jet as the match burned down.
Angus Baird was lying on his own
floor, dead, with his gray hairs glued
together by his blood: near him a poker
with the black end glistening; in a cor
ner his desk, rsnSacked, Uttered. A
clock tickod noisily on the chimney
piece. For perhaps hundred seconds
there was no other sound.
Rafies stood very still. staring down
at the dead as a man miRht stare into
an abyss after striking blindly to its
brink. His breath came audibly
through wide >nostrils. He made no
other sign, and his lips seemed sealed.
THAT light" said 1 hOsrsely, ''ths
light we saw under the door,
With a start he tuTRed to me.
ITS true! l had forgotten f. II
was in here l saw it fRst!
HE mtlst' be upstairs stiEfg'
eff he isNwe'fi soon rout him out.
Come on
Instead I laid, hsnd tupoa his arm,
implorinG him to reject tb1t his enemy
was dead new, that we sAoubd Ger
tainly be involved. that now or never
was our own time to escape. He shock
me OF in,a suddentfuSy Ofli@Patieace,
a reckless ccnteBptzaB- his eyes, and,
bidding me\saEe my own SKIN II
liked he once mere turAsd his back
mon me andAtAfs y4ine left sH1e 'h4H r.
solved to ta&eShiEa at lis w9Hd. Lad
he forgotten on what errand he him
self was here? Was he determined
that this night should cad Ia black dis
aster? As 1 asked myself these ques-
tons hts match Jared lathe hall. In
ansther unOmentNeAe stadrsA0Were croAk-
ing under his feet, even as they had
creaked under those Of the murderer,
and the humane instinct that inspired
him in defiance Of his risk was borne
IN Also upon my slower sensfstiH4es.
Conld we let the murderer gO2 Ny
answer was to bound mp the breaking
stairs and to overhaul Raf1es on the
landing.
But three doors presented them
selves. The first opened into bed
room. with the bed turned down, but
undist11rbed. The second room was
emu+y IN every sense. The third door
was locked.
RafBes lit the landing gas.
Hes In there" he said. cooking MS
revolver. do you remember bow we
used to break into the stuGeS at
! school? Here goes"
His fat foot crashed over the key
hole; the lock gave, the door few open'
and in the sudden draft the LANDING
gas heeled over Ike cobble In a
souall. As the dame righted Itself l
saw a hxed bath, two bath towels
knotted together, an open window a
covering figure and ,Raf1es struck
aghast on the threshold.
"Jack-RutterT
The words came thick and slow with
horror, and ia horror / heard Hyselr
repeating them, while the covering
/ figure by the bathroom window rose
gradually erect.
ITS your he whispered In amaze
ment no less than our own. ITS you
two! What's it mean, Ranies2 1 saw
you get over the gate; bell rang; the
place is full Of them. Then you broke
in. What's 1t all mean"
I'VE may tell you that when y0u
tell us what in Gods name you've
done. Rutterr'
Done? What have 1 done" The
unhappy wretch came out Into the
light with bloodshot blinking eyes and
a bloody shirt front You know
you've seen-but I'll tell you II you
like. I've killed a robber; that's all.
I've killed a robber. a usurer, a jackal,
a biackmailer. the cleverest and the
cruelest villain unhung. I'm ready to
hang for him. I'd kill him again"
And ne ioosed ns fa~cNir in he are
I fine defiance 10 his dissiPa'ed EYES,
bis breast nesviug. his Jaw Ike q
, rock.
shall tell you nov It happened p
he went passiOnately on. -Ae's made
nv life a hell these weeks and months
past. You may know that. A per
feet hell. Well. tonight met him in
Bond street Do you remember when
] met you fellows? He wasn't
twenty yards behind you. He was on
4 your tracks, Raffies; be saw me nod tC
you and stopped me and asked me
who you were He seemed as keen as
knives TO know; couldn't think why
and didn't care either. for l saw my
chance. / said I'd tell him all about
you il he'd give me a private inter
view. He said be wouldn't said hG
should and held him by the coat. By
the time let him go you were out Of
sight, and 1 waited where l was til
he came back in despair. | had thu
whip hand Of him then. / could dc
tate where the interview should be
and made him take me home win
him. still swearing TO tell him al
about you when we'd had our tall