The Washington times., 1908-08-30

He DurpDScIF arrived al taslielofu
late az night. and by that time the
liquor he had taken was having some
effect upon him, bat in a way whicS.
he could not understand. lie was exc
citable and nervous. and me jumped
nearly Out Of his skin when. havins
turned cut of tie station door, he felt
a hand suddenly grasp his arm lie
faced round with a savage growl On
the man who had thus accosted him.
Damn you, he suaried. Let me
go.
The man who mad laid hands on him
drew back little; Le lifted de-
preciating hand.
"Eh, BiH2" ne said Don't you re-
member me. your Old pal stafford
fancy Here-come along with me-
I've something to tell you And f0r
Gods sake. BlH HolHns. Keep oH ne
Ozark side OF TIe street,
A. these words Hallins became sud.
denly alive 20 the fact thar scme
crisis was at hand He Grew near
er TO Finuey and looked searchusiy
I'm his lace.
''AY hat S up2" ac said what's 1t
al mean-Uhy should ] keep ou Jhe
dark sIde of the strcl,.- o.
Fiuuey looked about him. tile yard
outside the little station was darS
and deserted OF life, a stray lamp
here and there gave out d feeble sput-
ter OF yellow light. and between them
lay ample patches of blackness. The
lao men had unc0nsCI0Jsly drawn
nearer 10 one Of Them as lley -LlK-
ed.
What's the meaning Of &C alp" rs
peated HoIiBs resenUuily
Finney advanced his face close to
Hoilius ear.
BIZ. lie whispered. "the police are
wanting you-they re ON the lookout
there was plain clothes man or the
station, bat you sc shaved your MUS
tache off
HoIIins pulled himself up. lie Was
not as surprised as hc might have
been. buJ he wa5 thunderslr1e6 to ind
that things We're happening so quickly
lie stared at Funey with ncreduIOus
eyes and laughed hoarscly
"PoIicet Wanting me- ne said.
What the he'll do the police want me
for, i like 60 know.
Finney pulled out newspaper from
has coat pocket and tapped il with a
significant gesture of his fingers.
Bill, he whispered in "a stuI lower
voice. Bill" They-they-Ne found
Lloyd s body It's all here in The
evening paper-In the P0s,-BMr
The silence that followed was broken
by HoIIins.
''DamnatoH,~ he said They can't
ma done that-lts d lie.
Its true enough, Bu-.- repIied Pin
ney earnestly. Its all here in the
paper-you can read il for yourself.
But 1 heard Of it s0onar-vou see. with
having been iH the force before / lost
my leg You didn't notice that, did
you, Bill? / hear a thing or two now
and again. and. Of course. when the
matter of your disappearance was in
the papers this morning / dropped in
at the station, casual like. lust 10 sea
If they'd heard anything"
Had they? asked Houins.
At that time they hadn't, but thew
did hear this afternoon, 2" answered
Finney
What did they hear?"
Nay, il was naught but a wire
asking them 10 keep a lookout for you
IN case you came down here. said
flnney- ''Of course, they knew you
were a Castleford man
Damn it,, groWled HoIlins. If
they did know it 1 didn't know that
they did never told them"
You forgot how easy 'twouId be
10 trace you down here. said Finney.
And you can do a deal in an hour or
two when you've once set the teIe-
graph wires TO work" "
Hollins stood staring at his old COM
rade as II he did not know what tc
say next He was now amazed at the
rapid alteration IN the state Of affairs.
and his brain, dull and stupid from
the quantity OF drink which he had
taken, refused 10 act properly when
called upon.
Must be all a mistake. this finding
Of him. he jerked out suddenly.
How in he'll could they ind him?,
They let a man with lights down
the hole in the rocks by a rope" an
swered Finney. That's waat il saws
in the evening papers Today at noon
that was. And. Of course. they cried
the news all over the country. You're
pretty badly wanted. BiII-there's no
doubt about it. ="
Hollins felt that this old acqualnt-
ance was speaking the truth. and he
looked al him again in the gloom and
strove in a vague. dull fashion 10
realize the full significance Of the
situation.
How did you come 10 know me?''
he said at last. It's ten years since
we met. and I've had my mustache
shaved OF.
Il didn't know you at nrst, Bill"
replied the other. Il saw you on the
platform at NoTmanton Il came on
from there by your train). and at first
I couldn't have told you from Adam,
But I'd just been reading all about It
in the newspaper, and IL struck me the
man walking up and down the plat
form was you, and I looked you over
again carefully, and then I knew you.
7 watched you through the glass
door when you went into the refresh
ment room TO get drink, and recog-
nized the way in which you lifted the
glass to your mouth. Then I got into
the next carriage TO yours, and there
was a plain clothes man at the station
here, but he didn't tumble 10 you at
all. But he's a new man; there are
plenty IN the town that viii know you.
mustache or not
Then I'd better make myself
scarce" said HoIlins, returning to-
ward the station. 1T seems likely TO
be rather too hot for me here"