Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-06-30


Like a dog he returned with
unction.
you, a man. would-would shoot a
woman?"
You're rot a woman, my lady;
you're a crook. Just as I'm not
man; I'm crook. We're equals, sex
less, soulless. You seem to have over.
| looked that. Amateurs often do.
| Tonight made you fair proposition,
to play square with me and profit.
You chose to be naughty. Now you
see the other side of the picture"
Bravado? Or deadly purpose? How
could she tell? Her heart misgave
| her; she crushed herself away from
| him as from some abnormally vicious.
loathly reptile.
He understood this; and regarded
her with a confident leer inscrutably
strong and malevoent
And there is one other reason why
you will think twice before making
row." he clinched his case. 'If YOU
did that, and | weakly permitted the
| police to nab and walk us off, the bust
ness would get in the papers-your
name and all; and-what'd Maitland
think of you then, my lady? What'd
he think when he read that Dan
Anisty had been pinched on Broad
way in company with the little woman
he'd been making eyes at-whom he
was going, in his fine manlike way,
to reach down hand to and yank
up out of the gutter and redeem and
and all that slush? Eh?"
And again his low evil laugh made
her shudder. 'NOw you won't risk
that. You'll come with me and be-
have, guess, all right"
She was dumb, stupefed with mis-
cry.
He turned upon her sharply.
"Well?"
Her lips moved in soundless assent
lips as pallid and bloodless as the
wan young face beneath the small
inconspicuous hat.
The man grunted impatiently; yet
was satisfied, knowing that he had
her now completely under control;
condition not hard to bring about in a
woman who, like this. was worn out
with physical fatigue and overwrought
with nervous strain The conditions
had been favorable, the result was
pre-eminently comfortable. She would
give him no more trouble.
The hanson swerved suddenly
across the car-tracks and pulled up at
the curb. Anisty rose with an eX-
clamation of relief and climbed down
to the sidewalk, turning and extending
hand to assist the girl.
Gomez" he said imperatively
We've no time to waste"
For an instant only she harbored a
fugitive thought of resistance; then
his eyes met hers and held them, and
her mind seemed to go blank under his
steadfast and domineering regard.
Come he repeated sharply. Trem-
bling, she placed a hand in his and
somehow found herself by his side
Regardless of appearances the man
retained her hand, merely shifting it
beneath his arm, where a firm pres
sure of the elbow held it as in wise.
You needn't wait" he said curtly
to the cabby; and swung about, the
girl by his side.
mo nonsense now" he warned her
tensely, again thrusting hand in his
breast pocket Significantly.
Il understand" she breathed family,
between closed teeth.
She had barely time to remark the
towering white facade OF upper Broad
ways tallest skyscraper ere she was
half led, half dragged into the entrance
of the building.
The marble slabs of the vestbule
echoed strangely to their footsteps
those slabs that shake from dawn to
dark with the tread of countless feet.
They moved rapidly toward the ele-
yator-shaft, passing on their way de-
serted cigar and news-stands shroud-
ed in dirty brown clothes. BY the dark
and silent well, where the six eleva-
and ready for use) stood motionless
as If slumbering in utter WEAKNESS
after the gigantic eXertions Of the day,
they came to a halt; and a chair was
scraped noisily on the floor as night
watchman rose, rubbing his eyes and
yawning, to face them.
Anisty opened the interview
brusquely. rs Mr.. Bannerman in
now?" he demanded.
The watchman opened his eyes
wider, losing some of his sleepy ex-
preston; and observed the speaker
and his companion-the small, shrink
ing, frightened-looking little woman
who bore so heavily on her escorts S
arm, as if ready to drop with ex-
haustion.
1t appeared that he knew Maitland
.l.A