The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-05-24
CHAPTER xlv.--fco,tlnp.d,

~N'Hh'''@NSFt
He ran It's seldom he had run be.
fore, strainlng and laboring, stumbling.
recovering and ]pIubgtng onward. And,
by the gods, wasn't It hot The
khansln raved and tore Hike a sntrit
OF heI}fre through that narrow alley.
turning It into n miniature Inferno
But In the course of soma minutes
the ond Of the tunnel came IN view
q lighted rift between house walls
giving upon the Illuminated street be-.
yond, The sight brought forth a fresh
burst Of speed from O'Rourke lie
dashed madly out Of the alley,
stumbled and ran headlong into a
stroIing Greek, who grappIed with
MN. at frat in surprise and then in
resentment, while the clamor Of the
pursuing rabble sbrilled loud and
near and ever nearer,
Exhausted as he was, the Jrlghmap
struggled with little skill before he
mastered his own surprise; ana IN tna
end saw his 6nis written along the
plade OF a thin, keen knife which the
"reek mad whipped from the folds of
garments and ierked t~hreatenIpgly
above his head.
II was falling when ORourke gnu
IT, In another breath he had heer
stabbed, Unexpectedly the Greek
shFieked. dropped the knife as though
had turned suddenly whlte.bot In
nis hands, ana Ieapod back from
. hourke, nursing a broken wr,st.
while a voice as sweet as the singing
d angels rang in the fugItive's ears
.ao"sh the spirit of its melody wps
simple and crude enough.
"oRourke, be all tn powers, Tho
naSther himself Glory. yo beppor
us sorry | am that | didn't spllt the
iEF face OF we wild mo sthicky
yid mel" 00"A'
hIind'y enough (indeed The world
all awhirl about HIM O'Ronrho
Ia arm grasped by a strong and conf.
mana, permitted himself To ba
"0hg to the right and across tho d,
'reet In a thought ~blackness noo,r :
all about him, but the hamI
ripped his arm, hnrryIng him onward.
ne yielded blindly TO its guidance
without power. for that matter "a !
uesuon or to object; what hro.th .
c mad ne soroly needed. And as blind.
no stumbled on for perhaps apothor
yards, while the voice of tha Il
too'e made htdeous the nlght ha
ihom. Hardly, indeed had ,h, {,
whipped into the mouth Of the !,
ere II was choked hv =,
warm or p%ursuers. Dpt-"N,vor !
.nr! said the voice at hts s,da u
lIs ourselves thatll optw4t ,hn,s e
Here, now, yer honor. dn va '
. Stro'Eht on widout sthopptp' ontH =.
9 cone to an iron dure in a de,a won y
the end Ry this. Knock .haa
count tin, and knock nratn -
u 'eaa EN- away and be wild va again :,
3 brace av shAkes!" ="
henumbed by tatigue and sxh,r. "
d. y houfke obeyed, He was aware
al ms preseryer with a Wild wh,oy +.
VI uarted aside into n cross.alley Int ,
ROY aware Of more. Merbanicau, ~,
Numbered on until brourh, Nm =. ~
wall mat closed and matte a cnL.Se. "
c OF the way. "
,..s. Ii
NIth trembling hands he felt hofor, 81
H. fingers eueounteriug the smooth to
Oh surface OF a sheet of metal This, h,
en- was the door. As carefully ne rs
could he knocked, counted ten and m
.oekeG agsin-while the moh tbot In
a lusted for his blood trailed an
Wn the side alley in frantic pursuit @,
MS generous preseryer. And he tn
ara with a smile, the ~latter's sbrIl Ar
liant Irish yells Turing them further M
on the false scent.
II It's not Danny" gasped the ad. 10
ntarer' then myself's mot the tn
Rourke! Bless the ladi" bo
l9lNys ne brcathed this benedictlon tn
VI 1901 swung iuwards and he
d across the threshold. half. 90
hardly conscious that he had an
,svy, IRE than pass from open night IN,
fIAiGht OF an enclosed space. His an
INT On some obstruction and ne
t. his knees with a cry that TT,
ross between a sob and a o.
I'd incontinently fell mil an
sarrss'~rSon All earthen floor, his head Oh