Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-27
CHAPTER XII.
"Dan"-Oujxote,


"Dan"-Quixote.
Leaving the hotel. Maitland strobe
quietly but rapidly across the car
tracks to the sidewalk bordering the
park A dozen pighthawk 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 yanked al
most by main strength out of the cab
rank and into the middle of the ave-
nue. Before he could recover, the
long whip-lash had leaped out over
the roof of the vehicle, and he found
himself stretching away up the avenue
on dead run.
Yet to Maitland the pace seemed
deadly slow. He tidgeted on the seat
In an agony OF Impotence. dozen
times feeling in waistcoat pocket for
his latch keys. They we're there, and
Ills uusGlS iiCuCu ~ uoC TWILL
By the lights streaking past he
knew that their pace was furious. and
was haunted by fear lest it should
bring the police about his ears. At
Twenty ninth street, indeed, dream.
ing policeman, startled by the uproar,
emerged hastily from the sheltering
gloom of a store entrance. shouted
after the cabby an inarticulate ques-
ton, and, getting no response, I'M
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 rocked on one wheel into
dashboard and gathered himself to-
gether, ready to spring the instant the
vehicle paused in its headlong career.
Through the cabby's misunderstand-
ing OF the address, in all likelihood,
the horse was refined in on Its
uduuCIlcS 6OInC lhleC IoQoSo ui2NoiI
from the apartment building. Matt
land found himself sprawling on his
hands and knees on the sidewalk,
picked himself up. shouting: You'll
waltz" to the driver, and sprinted
madly the few yards separating him
from his own front door, keys ready in
hand
simultaneously the half-winded po.
liceman numbered around the Fifth
avenue corner, and man, detaching
himself from the shadows OF neigh!
boring doorway. began to trot loutish
ly across the street, evidently with
the intention Of intercepting Maitland
at the door.
He was hardly quick enough. Matt
land did not even see him. The door
painting harshly. raped out an i'm
precation and began frantic assault
on the push-button marked "Janitor."
AS for Maitland, he was taking the
stairs three at clip, and had his pass
key in the latch almost as soon as his
lCSl IOuCuCu VIC AoAuAhS. All AL
slant later he thrust the door open and
Numbered blindly into the pitch dark
ness of his study.
For thought he stood bewildered
and dismayed by the absence Of light.
He had thought, somehow, to find the
gas Jets darins. The atmosphere was
hot and foul with the odor of kero-
sene, the blackness filled with strange
sounds and mysterious moving shapes.
A granting gasp came to his ears, and
then the silence and the night alike
were split by a report, accompanied by
streak of orange flame shooting
ceilingward from the middle of the
room.
It's light, transient as 1t was, gave
him some inkling of the situation. I'm
thinkingly he flung himself forward,
ready to grapple with that which first
should meet his hands. Something
soft and yielding brushed against his
shoulder, and subconsciously, in the
auto-hypnosis of his excitement, he
was aware of mans voice cursing
and a woman's cry OF triumph trailing
off into wall of pain.
On the instant he found himself at
grips with the marauder. For a mo-
ment both swayed. dazed by the shock
of collision. Then Maitland got foot
ing on the carpet and put forth his
strength; the other gave way, slipped,
and went to his knees. Maitlands
hands found his throat, fingers sinking
deep into flesh as he bore the fellow
backward.
A match flared noiselessly and the
gas blazed overhead. A cry of aston
ishment choked in his throaat as he
recognized his own features duplicated
in the face of the man whose throat he
was slowly and relentlessly construct
ing. 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. Indeed,
he had hardly thought any coherent
thing about the matter. The ring Of
the girls "No!" had startled him, and
he had somehow thought, vaguely.