Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-31
Initials Only" y By Anna katherine Green
Thrilling Mystery Story Of Modern Times

those lines?" Numbered the inexorable
voice
For nobody; not for myself even. This
is the first time they have left their hid
ing place in my brain"
Can you swear to that?"
Il can, and will, il you require it, But
you ought to believe my word, sir. l am
square as a die in all matters not con-
nected-well, not connected with my pro-
fession," he smiled. in burst of that
whimsical humor which not even the Sc
robustness of the moment could quite sup
press.
And what surety have that you do
not consider this very matter of mine as
coming within the bounds you speak Off"
None. But you must trust me that
far"
Brotherson surveyed him with an irony
which conveyed very different message
TO the detective than any he had intended.
Then quickly:
To how many have you spoken, dilat-
ing upon this device, and publishing
abroad my secret?"
Il have spoken to no one, not even to
Mr.. Gryce. That shows my honesty as
nothing else can"
You have kept my secret intact?"
Entirely so, sir
so that no one, here or elsewhere,
shares our knowledge of the new points
in this mechanism"
81 say so. sir
Then if I should kill you" came in fe-
rocious accents, nowhere"
You would be the only one to own
that knowledge. But you won't kill me-"
"Why?"
Need | go into reasons"
why, l say?"
Because your conscience is already too
heavily laden to bear the burden Of an
other unprovoked crime
Brotherson, starting back, glared with
open ferocity upon the man who dared to
! face him with such an accusation.
God! Why didn't l shoot you on en-
trance" he cried. your courage is GER
tairly colossal"
fine smile. without even the hint
of humor now, touched the daring de-
tectives lip. Brotherson's anger seemed
to grow under it, and he loudly repeated:
TITS more than colossal; it's abnormal
and"-a moments pause then with an
! ironic emphasize quite unnecessary.
save as a matter Of display, unless you
think YOU need it TO sustain you through
the ordeal you are counting You wish to
!
II sincerely do"
You consider yourself competent"
| 81 de-"
Brotherson's eyes fell and he walked
once to the extremity of the oval flooring
and back.
''Wel, we'll grant that. But that's
not all that is necessary. My require
ments demand a companion in my first
! fight. VIII you 60 up in the car with me
on Saturday night"
A quick affirmative was on Sweetwa-
ters lips but the glimpse which he got of
the speakers face glowering upon him
from the shadows into which Brotherson
had withdrawn stopped it's utterance, and
! the silence grew heavy. Though it may
not have lasted long by the clock, the in
1 slant of breathless contemplation of each
| others features across the intervening
space was of incalculable moment to
Sweetwater and possibly to Brotherson.
! AS drowning men are said to live over
their whole history between their first
plunge and final rise to light and air, so,
through the mind of the detective, rushed
the memories of his past and the fast
fading glories of his future; and rebeling
at the subtle peril he saw in that sar-
donic eye, he vociferated an impulsive:
mo. I'll not" and paused, caught by
a new and irresistible sensation
! breath of wind-the first he had felt
that night-had swept in through some
crevice in the curving WALL tapping the
canvas enveloping the great car. 1t acted
/ like peal to battle. After all, a man
must take some risks in his life, and his
heart was in this trial OF a redoubtable
mechanism in which he had full faith He
could not say noI to the prospect of being
J the first to share triumph which would
send his name to the ends Of the earth;
and, changing the trend of his sentence
| he repeated with calmness which had
the force of a great decision:
Il will not fail you in anything If
she rises" here his trembling hand fell
on the curtain shutting off his view OF
the ship, "she shall take me with her,
/ so that when she descends l may be the
! first to congratulate the proud inventor
of such a marvel"
80 be it," shot from the others lips
! his eyes losing their threatening look,
and his whole countenance suddenly aglow
with the enthusiasm of awakened genius
Coming from the shadows, he laid his
hand on the cord regulating the rise
and fall of the cOncealng curtain.
Here she Isl" he cried, and drew the
cord
The canvas shook, gathered itself into
great folds and disappeared in the shad-
ows from which he had just stepped.
The air car stood revealed-a star
! Ting, because wholly unique, vision.
Long did Sweetwater survey it, then
| turning with a beaming face upon the
watchful inventor, he uttered loud "Hur-
i rah!"
Next moment, with everything forgot
! ten between them save the glores of this
| invention, both dropped simultaneously
to the floor and began that minute exam
| nation of the mechanism necessary to
| their mutual work.
| His Great Hour
| Saturday night at o'clock.
| So the fat had gone forth, with no con-
cession to be made on account of weather.
| AS Oswald came from his supper and
| took a look at the heavens from the
small front porch, he was deeply troubled
that Orlando had remained so obstinate
on this point For there were ominous
clouds rolling up from the east, and the
storms in this region of high mountains
and ahrtnf valleys uere mt light nor