The log cabin Democrat., 1909-11-10
EILERY GAVE PROOF 1t Was a Convincing Demonstration

brushed up against him, jarring the small package which Ellery carried | beneath his arm so that he had to re- adjust his grasp of it.
 It was snail box neatly tied up in fresh paper with violet cord. because his sister hat attended to that detail. It looked as if it might be jewellers plush box containing q diamond neck lace or s6methng of the sort. but in reality it held two sandWcl:eS.
 This was because Ellery i5 an a5- sent-minded individual who will not 1 heed the call of hunger unless some one is at hand forcibly to lead him to a meal Of late he had been working nights and forgetting to go out to dinner. coming out of his trance about ten o'clock. ravenous and faint
 If you put this box in front of you i upon your desk" his sister had tod him with faint sarcasm, maybe yo4 Il | re., >~,b>" = cHoH If ~: ct ''N ~ tents while you work"
 Eierv nad obadientiy carr'ed th" 1 box downtown with him. It was srsaIl l enough to escape general notice, but t seemed to have attracted the low | browed man
 Indeed, at the entrance to a convent ent alley that lurking individual sud denly gave Ellcry a push and made another unsuccessful grab at the box. Then he speedily bit the dust because Ellery in his indignation and alarm had immediately squared off and hit back chance planting his fist on tSc sensitive spot of the low broweI mans jaw.
 In the resultant confusion the man scrambled to his feet and heI. The box was recovered by it's owner whi'e the assembled populace cheored him for so ably defending his property. Ellery is man of peace. Under or dinary conditions he would beg par don of fly if he got in it's way. How ever. in his ears still rang pleasantly | the paudits of the street crowd as he entered the general office and related his adventure,
 You say you actually hit him2" do manded Busby with look of incrodu- ulity
 "You-in a vulgar street fight" mourned Williamson. "Oh. you shock me, dear boy"
 Maybe you think I'm a coward" bristled Ellery.
 No oh, mo-" soothed Hummer. Ert are you sure you really hit him?"
 For answer Ellery walked into lis private office and slammed tho d0"". I-nconsciously he doubled I'D his aI:l and felt his swelling biccps with a certain fierce pleasure. He measured good five feet eleven and was brOat of shoulder and inwardly he WritH ri at the inCredulous tones which a-i been employed by the mon in tho out r office. That they should think hi.a in capable of worsting an opponent or even of hitting back ranked in h,s mind That he was mild Of nainer and reserved of speech was no reason for putting him down as a mollycodI!e a afraid to call his soul his own.
 All day in intervals of work the 1t. tie stlng kept recurring to destroy Fl. lery's peace of mind. to rouse in h.:n a spirit of wrath. In subconsCious way he knew the mon in the off had talked the matter over and ha could imagine their comments anl their winks. Maybe they even went so far as to think h" hal eXaggerate l had even told a falSehooi.
 In sort of fury Eilery worked on that evening, deyouring his sanf wiches with slow. fierce Grinds of his
 ;.I f,A ing. He did not realize that those sandwiches had been lovingly filled with lettuce and mayonase sad chopped nuts-they might just as wei , have been spread with sawdust.
 He started home about ten o'clock Just as he reached the desertrf corner of the building from the shad ows stepped man with the gruh command Hands up."
 There was no one else in sight SC it was useless to call for help. Ihe man was bigger than Ellery but Fl lery's exasperation at this second as sault in one day overcame all other emotions.
 With an inarticulate howl and th-  made a leap at the robber in suhihh( disregard of possible siX-shooter. Hi! assailant crumpled up like pap"' man beneath the shock of Ellery , weight Without any wasting Q breath in preliminaries Ellery pro ceeded to pound the man s face as if | were a particularly tough beefsteai which he was in hurry to make ten der The joy of onset was still GTo. him as he pounded away, but his op ponent- twisted his countenance asid' to escape that implacable fist.
 Stop. Ellery, stop. gaspsd strangely familiar voice.
 : Looking closely the gladiator saw :! was Hummer from the office. Speech less he removed his knees from i.unl mer's chest and arose. staring. Lum mer remained sitting on the pavement touching his manEled ceuntenance 1T a gingerly fashion with trembling fin { gers and looking extremely sick an'