The Detroit times., 1912-06-06
MeMANnS M....
BROWN DERBY
~
Wells HASTINGS
&o9 Author Of GEO
The Professors Mystery
legshl9ll5 BobtIlers "a
CHAPTER XIV.
(Contlnued.)


At the end OF an hour | got up in
disg ist ! had had small hopes OF
learning anything really valuable, and
| yet | was disappointed and vaguely
troubled, for not only had | learned
absolutely nothing, but there was q
very fair chance that | had been
watched, or at least recognized. and
that the people who had taken Nancy
away from me would know before
morning what methods | was taking
| 10 find her. | paused AT the door &c
give one last glance about the grimy
| little place. | had pushed back my
chair Ioisily, yet no che had taken
the trouble to watch M leave-taking
The bartender was hopping spilled
beer with a dirty rag. Some monde
script was leaning against the bars
farther end; and the two men who
| had been there since my coming Still
lhuncheu together like two dreary
scare1Iows. | let the door swing be
hind me, and took long thankful
breath OF the clean night air. Even
Seventh Avenue seemed fresh and
sweetly fragrant after the stale
Inoisomeness that had eft behind; sc
that walked along filing my lungs
lin grateful relief, with the thankful
anticipation of the. hot bath awaiting
me.
WHAT impulse 1t was thai made me
turn around | can not say. We al
of us. suppose. retain few primal
creature instincts. Man has been
hunter for too few centuries TO forget
the ages when he was hunted As
II turned, half the empty block back
saw two men swerve into the
shadow OF a doorway. At least II
seemed to me that my turning had sc
made them swerve. And although
had got but a glimpse of them. ant
that a none too well-lighted half bloch
away. yet | thought recognized then
as the comrades OF the Reverend Mr.
Stevens. II | was being followed
determined that the chase should no.
tbe an easy one. 1 turned brfskfy a.
the first corner In the direction o.
Sixth Avenue. and when | had gone 8
! little way, stepped, myself, into con
senient shadow. AS | half expected
my two men turned the corner aftel
me, but evidently they We're not Il
be fooled into passing me. The street
as far as they could see, was empty
but they knew that | could not hav,
gone far and they stood together OF
the corner like two drunken com
panions saying an interminable AM
garruious good night. / suppose tina
II should have gone back to them; in
stead, l stole along as far as tn
shadow shielded me, and then, takinI
to my heels, ran at top sped for Sixtl
Avenue.
As | turned into Sixth Avenue
heard the crescendo roar of the VI
town elevated train behind me.
was faint aud still in the distance, bu
made the best of my speed for tn
intervening block, and took the stair
three at a time Even as | bough
my ticket, the train hammered Int,
the station. II was the work of
second, however, to drop the ticket Il
the box and ensconce myself in tn
train. All trains, find, are perverse
but elevated trains are perveTsity pei
sonified. II you approach them In
leisuTely manner, they slam thei
gates in your face Il you are in a hui
ry. they dawdle, gaping for a tard'
arrival. AS soon as | had taken m,
seat, / peered out upon the platform
II seemed as II the train would neN
er start. My two men came rushin
up the stairs and, think, omitted tn
formality of either purchasing or de
posting tickets They rushed to tn
gate of my car, but, | suppose, mus
have found it closed, for they turne
and / lost sight of them running Z
the rear OF the train. Whether the
got on or not | could not at the me
ment be sure. But / was not TO b
left long In doubt. for, as my trail
skirted the park and drew into Fifty
ninth-st., a sodden face peered in a
the rear door OF the car for a moment
and wolflsh eyes meeting mine. wa
Withdrawn as suddenly as IL came.
had at first intended going far ur
town and doubling back by means o
the subway; now, on sudden I'm
pulse, as the brakes went on and w
shuddered TO a standstill, | got "
quickly and made for the forwar
door. squeezing through the partly
opened gate. half running, half falling
down the long fight of stairs
What | should have done, OF course
was 10 turn in at the first decently
lighted place came to. II wa
through sheer stupidity that did not
but II was not until the next day tina
realized that already my address