The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-08-30

SOuIGWcSloIu uUuUinS. 1luS0fWOO0
gave orders to have his car placed on
the station spur and went on with his
| work.
1t was after midnight, when he had
closed his desk and was taking final
pull at the short pipe which was his
working companion. that the car door
opened silently and he saw an appari-
i ton.
Standing in the doorway and CROP
| ing with her hands held out before as
| IL she were blind was woman. Her
| gown was the tawdry half dress OF the
| dance halls. and the wrap over her
| bare shoulders was gaudy Imitation
/ in colors Of the Spanish mantilla- Her
| head was without covering, and her
| hair, which was luxuriant, hung in dis
/ order over her face. One glance at
| the eyes. fixed and staring, assured
Lidgerwood instantly that he had to
| do with one who was either drink
maddened or demented.
| Where is he?" the intruder asked in
| a throaty whisper. staring. not at him,
| as Lidgerwood was quick to observe,
but straight ahead at the portieres cut
| ting off the stateroom corridor from
| the open compartment And then: II
told you l would come, Rankin. I've
been watching years and years for
your car to come in. Look-1 want
you to see what you have made Of me,
you and that other man."
. Lidgerwood sat perfectly still. It
was quite evident that the woman did
not see him. But his thoughts were
busy. Though it was by little more
| than chance, be knew that Hallock's
Christian name was Rankin. and in
stantly be recalled all that McCloskey
had told him about the chief clerks
| marital troubles. Was this poor
painted wreck the woman who was or
who had been Hallock's wife? The
question had scarcely formulated it
self before she began again.
why don't you answer me? Where
are you?" she demanded in the same
husky whisper You needn't hide. I
know you are here. What have you
done to that man? You said you
would kill him You promised me
that. Rankin. Have you done it?"
Lidgerwood reached up cautiously
behind him and slowly turned off the
gas from the bracket desk lamp. With
out wishing to pry deeper than he
should into a thing which had all the
earmarks of Il tragedy he could not
help feeling that he was on the verge
Of discoveries which might have an
important bearing upon the mysterious
! vi, to h. S1a IL all
And be was afraid the woman would
see him.
But he was not permitted to make
the discoveries. The woman had TAX
en- two OR three steps into the car, still
cropping her way as if the brightly
lighted interior were the darkest OF
cayerns, when some one swung ovel
the railing of the observation plat
form, and Superintendent Leckhard
appeared at the open door. Without
hesitation he entered and touched the
woman on the shoulder. "Hello. Mad
gie," he said. not urgently. You here
again? It's pretty late for you to bt
out, isn't it? Better trot away and
60 to bed If you've got one to go to
He isn't here"
The woman put her hands to bel
face. and Lidgerwood saw that sh'
was shaking as il with a sudden chill
, Then she turned and darted ava,
? like frightened animal. Leckhart
was drawing chair up to face Lid
! | gerwoOd-
> did she give you a turn?' he aske,
when Lidgerwood reached up an,
turned the desk lamp on full again.
Not exactly that, though it wa
certainly startling enough. / had n
n warning at all When l looked up sh
was standing pretty nearly where sh
was when you came in. She didn'
a seem to see me at all, and she wa
d talking crafty all the time to som
one else-some one who isn't here"
Il know" said Leckhard. "She ha
done it before"
j. "Who is she trying to find" aske'
5, Lidgerwood. wishing to have his sus
s. picion either denied or confirmed.
: Didn't she call him by name? Sh
d usually does. It's your chief CLERK
Hallock. She is-or was-his wife
. Haven't you heard the CHASTITY stor
q yetT'
"No, and, Leckhard, I don't knoy
L., that l care to hear it It can't poss
bly, concern me-
h 'There Is another man mixed up Il
ft-the man whom she is always ask
ing If Hallock has killed. Curiousl
enough, she never names the othe
man. and there have been a goo
s many guesses. l believe your hea
st boilermaker, Gridley. has the mos
1 votes. He's been seen with her her
l. now and then when he's on one Of hi
d periodicals. By Jove. Lidgerwood,
don't envy you your job over yonde
in the Red desert a little bit. Blu
about the consolidation Of the yard
" here. got a telegram after I wire
,e you making it necessary for me to 6
,. west on main line q early in the mor1
u ing. so I stayed up to talk this var
1t business over with you tonight"
II 1t was we'll along In the small hour
t. when the roll of blue print maps wa
- finally laid aside and Leckhard ros
"A yawning. Well carry it out as 70
* propose and divide the expense b.
II tween the two divisions he said
* conclusion. "Frisbie has left it to u
g and he will approve whatever we agre
le upon. win you go up to the hot
/ with me or bunk down here|
Lidgerwood said he would stay Wit
a his car or, better still, now that th