Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-31

| w men 1 kldNtu away rum hCA ohN ANS%A~N
me up tried once to tell her that l
didn't really care for her-only once"
The memory brought beads of sweat to
the detectives brow Between her and
Felicite led a dogs life. If I'd had the
money I'd have left town.
| I'D been meeting her on street cor
ners up TO that point but she finally
/ told me to come to the house while Pog-
ri was away-it was the day you were
hurt l rebelled, but she made such a
scene ] had to agree or be arrested for
blocking traffic. She carries dagger
Norvin. in her stocking or somewhere;
It's no longer than your finger but It's
the meanest looking weapon I ever saw
Well, went along about dark, deter
mined to have il out with her once Tor
| all. but those aristocrats during the
French revolution had nothing on me- /
know how 1t feels to mount the steps
of the guillotine.
THE PoggFs parlor furniture is up
holstered in red and smells musty.
sat on the edge of a chair, one eye on
her and the other taking In my sur
lroundjngs. There's a fine crayon en-
ilargement of Joe with his uniform, in
a gold frame with blue mosquito net
ting over ii to disappoint the flies
four-ninety-eight, and we supply the
frame-done by an old master of the
County Fair school. There's an organ
in the parlor, too, with stuffed hsh
hawk on it.
"She seemed quite subdued and coy
at first so 1 took heart, never dream
ing she'd wear her dirk in the house.
But say! That woman was raised on
raw beef Before ] could wink she had
it out; it has an ivory hilt, and you
could split a silk thread with il. 1
suppose she didn't want to spoil the
parlor furniture with me, although I'd
never have showed against that up
hols.ery, or else she's in the habit OF
preparing herself for manslaughter by
a system of vocal calisthenics. At any
rate. we were haYing it hot and heavy
and I was trying to think of some good
and unselhsh actions 1 had done when
we heard the back door of the cottage
open and close, then somebody moving
in the hall
Mrs. Po5zi turned green-not white
-green And 1 began to picture the
headlines in the morning papers! The
Bachelor and the Policeman's Wife,
they seemed to say. 1t wasn't Poggi,
however as 1 discovered when the fell
low called to her. He was breathing
heavily as if he had been running.
She signalled me to keep quiet, then
went out. and / heard them talking,
but couldn't understand what was said.
When she came back she was greener
than ever and told me to go, which
did, realizing that the day of miracles
is not done. I fell down three times
and ran over chair getting out of
that neighborhood."
Blake, who had listened eagerly, In
quired:
1.-THE man was Maruffi?"
Exactly! L got back to the club in
time to hear about his arrest and es-
cape and your fight here. The town
was ringing with It; everybody was
Mortified and amazed. What particu-
uarly stunned me was the news that
Maruffi, not Poggi, was the head of the
Malta; but my experience in criminal
work has taught me 70 be guided by
circumstances and not theory, so when
learned more about Caesars escape L
fell TO wandering where he could hide.
Then 1 recalled his secret meetings
with Joe Poggi, and that scalding vol
cano of emotion from whom 1 had
| Just been delivered. Her fright when
she let me out, something familiar in
the voice which called to her came
back, and-well, ] couldn't help guess
| Ing the truth. Maruffi was in the
house of one of the officers who was
supposed to be hunting him.
But his capture?''
Simple enough. went to O'Neil and
told him. We got posse together and
went after him. We descended in such
force and so suddenly that he didn't
have a chance to resist. If I'd known
who he was at first I'd have tried to
take him single-handed."
"Then it's well you didn't know, 4"
Blake smiled.
What bothers me-" Dreux confessed,
'is how Mrs. Poggi regards my action.
| IL hate to appear cad. I'd apologize
if dared"
vittoria appeared to warn Dreux that
his visit must end. When the little man
had gone Norvin inquired:
You knew of Maruffis arrest?"
ooh, yes!''
why didn't you tell me?"
you were in no condition to hear
news of importance"
els that why you have been so silent?''
''Hushl You have talked quite enough
for the present"
You act strangely-differently he
insisted.
for your recovery. so l do as l am
ordered
And you haven't 6hanged?" he in
quired wistfully.
Not at all. 1 am quite the same
quite the same girl you knew in Sicily!'
He did not relish her undertone and
wondered if illness had quickened his
Imagination, If he was forever seeing
more in her manner, hearing more in her
words, than she meant. There was
something intangibly cold and distant
about her, or seemed to be-. During
the first feverish hours after his return
to consciousness he had seen her hang
ing over him with a wonderful loving
tenderness-it was that which had
closed his wounds and brought him back
toward health so swiftly-but as his
brain had cleared and he had grown
more rational this vision had disappear
ed, along with his other fancies.
CONTINUED in Next Issue.)