Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-26

resentment, while the clamor OF the
pursuing rabble shrilled loud and
near and ever nearer.
Exhausted as he was, the Irishmap
struggled with little skill before he
mastered his own surprise: and IN the
end saw his fms written along the
blade of thin, keen knife which the
Greek mad whipped from the folos OF
his garments and jerked threateningly
above his head.
It was falling when O'Rourke saw
it. In another breath he had been
stabbed. Unexpectedly the Greek
shrleked. dropped the knife as though
1t had turned suddenly white-hot in
his hands, and leaped back from
O'Rourke. nursing broken wrist;
while voice as sweet as the singing
of angels rang in the fugitive's ears,
though the spirit Of It's melody was
simple and crude enough.
"O'Rourke. be all tn powers! The
masther himself Glory. ye beggar,
tits sorry l am that I didn't split the
ugly face of We wild me sthick!
This way, yer honor! Come
Wild mel"
Blindly enough dndeed the world
was all awhirl about him) ORourke,
his arm grasped by strong and conf
dent hand, permitted himself to be
swung to the right and across the
street. In a thought blackness again
was ALI about him, but the hand
gripped his arm. hurrying him onward:
and he yielded blindly 10 its guidance
without power. for thai matter. to
question or to object: what breath
he had he sorely needed. And as blind
ly he stumbled on for perhaps another
hundred yards, while the voice of the
rabble made hideous the night be-
hind them. Hardly. indeed. had the
two whipped into the mouth of The
back-way ere it was choked by
swarm of pursners. But-"Niver
feari" said the voice at his side.
otis ourselves that'll outwit them.
:. Here. now, yer honor, do We
60 straight on widout sthoppin' ontil
We come to an iron dure in dead wall
at the end av this. Knock there
vance, count tin, and knock again.
11llead EN- away and be wild we again
in brace av shakes!"
Benumbed by fatigue and exhaus-
ton, O'Rourke obeyed. He was aware
that his preserver with wild whoop
had darted aside into a cross-alley, but
hardly aware of more. Mechanically
he blundered on until brought up by
a wall that closed and made Guide.
sac Of the way
With trembling hands he felt before
him, fingers encountering the smooth,
cool surface OF sheet OF metal. This,
then. was the door. As carefully as
he could he knocked. counted ten, and
knocked again-while the mob that
had iusted for his blood trailed off
down The side alley in frantic pursuit
Of his generous preserver. And ne
heard with a. smile. the latter's shrili
defiant Irish yells Turing them further
upon the false scent
"Tf It's not Danny" gssped the adj
yenturer. then myself's not the
ORourke, Bless the lad"
But as he breathed this benediction
the iron door swung inwards and he
stumbled across the threshold, half
fainting. hardly conscious that he had
done more than pass from open night
to the night OF an enclosed space. His
foot caught on some obstruction and
he went to his knees with a cry that
was a cross between sob and a
groan; and incontinently fell full
length upon an carthen floor. his head
pillowed on his arm, painting as If his
heart would break.
In the darkness above him someone
cried aloud. a startled cry. and then
the door was thrust to with clang
and rattle OF bolts. A match rasped
Exhausted as He Was. the lrishr1an
Struggled With Little Skill.
loudly and a flicker OF light leaped
from a small hand lamp and revealed
to its bearer the tagged and quivering
figure on the floor.
Some one sat down beside him With
low exclamation OF soiicitude and
gathered his head into her lap. Sons
one quite simply EMBODIED his neck