Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-29

quietly but rapidly across the car tracks
to the sidewalk bordering the park. a
dozen nighthawk cabbies bore down upon
him. yelping in chorus. He motioned to
the foremost, jumped into the hanson
and gave the fellow his address,
Five dollars" he added, "if you make
it in five minutes
An astonished horse, reused from a
droop-eared lethargy. was yankcd almost
by main strength out of the cab rank and
could recover the long whip-lash had
and he found himself stretching away up
the avenue on a dead run.
Yet to Maitland the pace seemed deadly
slow. He fidgeted on the seat in an agony
Of impotence, dozen times feeling in
his waistcoat pocket for his latch keys.
They were there and his fingers itched to
use them.
BY the lights streaking past he knew
that their pace was furious. and was
haunted by fear lest 1t should bring the
police about his ears. At Goth street, in
the nproar, emerged hastily from the
sheltering gloom Of a store entrance,
shouted after the cabby an inarticulate
question and. getting no response. un-
sheathed his night stick and loped up the
avenue in pursuit. making the locust sing
upon the pavement at every jump.
In the cab Maitland. turning to watch
through the rear peep hole. was thrown
Violently against the side as the hanson
ed on one wheel into his street. Re-
covering, he seized the dashboard and
gathered himself together ready to spring
the instant the vehicle paused in It's head
long career.
Through the cabby's misunderstanding
of the address. in all likelihood. the hors
was refined in on its launches some three
houses distant from the apartment build
ing. Maitland found himself sprawling
on his hands and knees on the sidewalk
picked himself up, shouting You'll
waltz to the driver. and sprinted madly
own front door. keys ready in hand.
simultaneously the half-winded police
man numbered around the 9th avenue cor
ner. and man. detaching himself from
the shadows Of q neighboring doorway.
began to trot loutishly across the street,
evidently with the intention of intercept
ing Maitland at the door.
He was hardly quick enough. Maitland
did not even see him. The door slammed
in the mans face, and he painting harsh
ly. raped out an imprecation and began
frantic assault on the push button
marked CANTOR
AS for Maitland. he was taking the
stairs three at clip. and had his pass
feet touched the first landing An instant
later he thrust the door open and blum
dered blindly into the pitch darkness Of
his study.
For thought he stood bewildered and
dismayed by the absence of light. He
had thought. somehow. to find the gas
Jets fiar.ng. The atmosphere was hot and
foul with the odor of kerosene. the black
ness filled with strange sounds and mys-
FERROUS moving shapes A grunting gasp
zpoN f<N h 10 nd h<r, <l,o Gil =
the night alike were split by report. ac-
companied by a streak of orange flame
shooting ceilingward from the middle Of
the room.
Its light, transient as it was give him
some inkling of the situation. Unthink-
ingly he flung himself forward. ready. to
grapple with that which first should meet
his hands. Something soft and yielding
brushed against his shoulder. and SUBJ
consciously, In the auto-hypnosis Of his
voice cursing and a woman's cry of tri-
umph trailing of into wall of pain.
On the instant he found himself at grips
with the marauder. For moment both
swayed. dased by the shock of collision.
Then Maitland got footing on the CIR
pet and put forth his strength: the other
gave way. slipped and went to his knees
Maitland's hands found his throat, fingers
sinking deep into flesh as he bore the fell
low backward.
A match fared noiselessly and the gas
blaxed overhead. A cry OF establishment
choked in his throat as he recognized his
own features duplicated in the face of the
man whose throat he was slowly and re-
lentlessly constructing. Anisty! He had
not thought Of him or connected him with
the sounds that had thrilled and alarmed
him over the telephone wire coming out
OF the void and blackness of night. In
deed. he had hardly thought any coherent
thing about the matter. The ring of the
girls MOT had startled him, and he had
somehow thought. vaguely, that OHagan