The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-11-03

I've overstayed my welcome" he
ventured and smiled 1t her answering
laugh.
With a trace Of solicitude she said:
wait! I'll get you a raincoat" But
he reached out a OBTAINING hand. In
the darkness 1t encountered the bare
desh of her arm.
"Please don't! You'd have to strike
q light to find II. and l don't want a
light now"
1T has been a pleasant evening"" she
said namely.
Il saw you for the 6rst time tonight,
Cherry. 1 think l have begun to know
you"
Again she felt her heart leap. Reach
ing out to say goodby. bis hand slipped
down over her arm like q caress until
her palm lay in his.
With trembling. gentle hands she
pushed him from her.
When the black bulk of Marsh's can
merry doomed ahead Of Emerson he left
the gravel beach and turned up among
the buildings. seeking to retrace his
former course. As he turned the cor
ner of the first building be nearly ran
against q man who was standing mo-
tioniess against the wall. The fellow,
with . sharp exclamation. vanished
into the gloom. Boyd lost no time in
gaining the plank runway that led to
the dock and. finding an angle in the
building, backed into it and waited
From his momentary glimpse Of the
man rs he made OF he knew that he
was tall and active-just the sort of
person to prove dangerous in an en-
counter. But If his suspicious were
correct there must be others close by.
and Boyd wondered why he had heard
no signal. After a breathless wait Of
moment or two he stole cautiOusl!
out. and. selecting the darkest shad
ows. slipped from one to another till
he was caught by the sound of voices
issuing from the yawning entrance of
the main building on his right. The
next moment his tension rela xed: one
Of the speakers was woman Evil
for these people. whoever they were.
made no effort to conceal their pres
ence. On the contrary. the woman had
raised her tone to a louder pitch. al
though her words were still undistin
guishable
Greatly relieved. Boyd was about to
60 on. when sharp cry. like signal
came in the wOman's voice. cry
which turned to q genuine wall of dis
! tress The listener heard IL mans voice
/ cursing in answer. and then the sound
- W Fol hr
! choking cry. that brought him bound
! ing into the building He ran forw I'd
recklessly. but before he had covered
half the distance her coIlided violently
with a piece Of machi1 cry and went
| spra wiling to the door. A glance up
! ward revealed the dim outlines Of q
! topper" and showed him farther
| down the building. silbouetted briefly
| against the lesser darkness Of the wiD-
| dows. two struggling figures As he
regained his footing. something rushed
| past him-man or animal he could not
! tell which. for its feet made no more
sound upon the door than these of 4
wolf dog Then. az he bolted forward.
he heard a man cry out. and found
himself in the midst OF turmoil. His
hands encountered human body. and
he seized it, only to be hurled aside as
If with a giants strength. Again ne
clinched with a mans form. and Dor
1t to the door. cursing al the darkness
and reaching for it's throat His an
tagonist raised his voice In wild
clamor. while Boyd braced himself for
another assault from those huge hands
he had met Il moment before But ii
did not come Instead he heard a cry
from the woman. an answer in deep
er voice and then swift. pattering
footsteps growing fainter Meanwhile
the man with whom be was locked
was lighting desperately. with hands
and feet and teeth. shouting hoarsely.
Other footsteps sounded now. this
time approaching. then at the door q
lantern fiared A Waterman came run
chinery. followed by other figures hall
revealed.
Boyd had pinned his antagonist
against the cold sides of a retort al
last and with fingers clutched about
his throat was beating his head VIC
lently against the iron when by the
lanterns CLEAN he caught one glimpse
of the fat. purple face in front Of him
and loosed his hold with startled ex
clamation Released from the griI
that had nearly made an end Of him
Willis Marsh staggered to his feet
The man was wounded, badly
wounded. as he saw by the red strea 4
which gushed down over his breast
Marsh leveled a trembling finger a
Boyd and cried hysterically:
There he is. men. He tried to muir
der me. I'm hurt. I'll have hin
arrested"
The seriousness of the accusation
struck the young man on the instant
He turned upon the group.
II didn't do that I heard a hgh
going on and ran in here
Hes liar the wounded man In
terrupted shrilly Hes stabbed me
See!" He tried to strip the shirt fror
his wounds. then fell to chattering an