Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-10-15


| ~ tor were following him.
Some sense, whether of sight or
hearing he knew not, warned him Of
movement near ut hand, an impalpable
effort, physical tension as of u man
laboring under extreme but repressed
excitement.
He paid little heed to it. All the sur
roundings IN this weird dwelling were
so greatly at variance with his antici-
pations that lie partly expected to find
further surprises.
| DR. Williams did not answer. Philip
advanced halting foot, Il hesitating
| hand cropping for door.
Instantly q stout rope fell over his
shoulders, a moose was tightly drawn.
| and he was jerked violently to the
stone floor Of the passage. He feh
prone OH his face, hurting his nose and
mouth. The shock Jared him greatly,
| but his hands, il not his arms, were
| free, and, with the instinct Of self pres
ervation that replaces I'LL other sensa-
tions in moments Of extreme peril, be
strove valiantly to rise.
| But lie was grasped by the neck with
brutal force and some one knelt on
his back.
"l'hilip Anson,' Kissed mans
| voice, do you remember Jocky Ma
SOM
| So he had fallen into trap, cunning
i hot is,t Al
| ton Of fact and artitice he had yet to
learn. Jocky Mason, the skuIlsihg
criminal of Johnson's News. Was he
in that mans power?
Under such conditions a man thinks
| quickly. Philips first ordered thought
| was one OF relief. He had fallen into
the clutches of an English brigand.
Money would settle this difficulty If all
| other means failed.
"Yes, yes" he gurgled, half stran-
| gled by the fierce pressure on his
| throat.
you hit me once from behind. You
| can't complain if do the same. You
| sent me to living hell for ten years
not your fault that it wasn't forever.
Lie still. Not all your money can save
you now. | am judge aud jury and
hell itself. You are dylng--dying-
dead"
And with the final words drawled
| into his ears with bitter intensity
| Philip felt terrible blow descend Oh
his head. There was no pain, no fear,
no poignant emotion ut leaving all the
world held SO dear to him. There was
| all awful shock. A thundercloud SEEM
| ed to burst in his brain, and he sank
into the void without a groan.
Now, In falling the hard felt hat he
wore dropped in front OF his face. The
first wild movement Of his head tilted
it outward, but the savage jerk given
by his assailant brought the rim slight
ly over his skull again.
In the almost complete darkness OF
| the passage Mason could not see the
slight protection this afforded to his
victim, and the sledge hammer blow
| he delivered with life preserver-that
murderous implement named so utter
ly at variance with its purpose-did not
reveal the presence Of an obstacle.
He struck with a force that would
have stunned an OK; it must have killed
| any man be he the hardest skulled abo-
| rigine that ever breathed. But the
stout rim Of the hat, though crushed
| like an eggshell, took off some OF the
/ To-, trannanHnMl
| pact. Philip, though quite insensible,
| was not dead. His sentient faculties
| were annihilated for the time, but his
| heart continued Its life giving func.
| tions, and he breathed with impercep-
| tible flutterings.
| Mason rose. painting with excitement,
! glutted with satisfied hate. He lifted
his victims inert form with the ease
| of his great strength.
"Come onw he shouted and strobe
toward door, which he kicked open.
A step sounded hlStingly In the pas
| sage. Gren.er. the sio-disant doctor,
livld now and shaking with the ague Of
| irretrievable crime. stumbled after his
more callOuS associate. CncohsciouSis
he kicked Philips hat to one side. He
| entered the room, an apartment with
boundless view of the sea.
Here there was more light than In
the kitchen. The windows faced to-
ward the northwest. and the last radi-
ance of setting sun illumined wall
on the right.
"Not therc. he aasped. "In this
chair. His face-I must see his face"
Mason, still claspins his inanimate
burden, laughed with snarl.
"Stop that" he roared. "Pull your
self together. Get some brandy. I've
done my work. If you can't do yours,
let NE finish It,"
"Oh, Just moment! Give me time!
! hate the sight Of blood. Get towel.
Bind it round his neck. His clothes!
They will be saturated. And wipe bis
face must see his face"
Grenier was hysterical. He had the
highly strung nervous system OF girl
where deeds of blosdshed We're con-
\ cernad While Mason Obeyel his IN