Evening star., 1912-10-04
CHAPTER XXII.-Continued.

CHAPTER XXII.-Continued.
'"The Poggis. parlor furniture : IS up
holstered in red and smells musty. 1
sat on the edge Of chair. one eye on
her and the other taking in my surround
ings. There's a fine crayon enlargement
Of Joe with his uniform, in. gold frame
with blue mosquito netting over 1T TO
disappoint the flies - -four-ninety-eigh
and we supply the frame-done by an
old master Of the county fair school.
There's an organ in the parlor, too, win
a stuffed fish hawk on it.
'She seemed quite subdued and coy at
first. so 1 took heart. never dreaming
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 silk thread with it. suppose sne
didn't want to spoil the parlor furniture
! with me, although I'd never have showed
against that upholstery. or else snes IN
the habit Of preparing herself for man
| slaughter by q system OF vocal calls
themes. At any rate, we were having II
hot and heavy, and was trying to think
Of some good and unselfish actions had
done when we heard the back door OF
the cottage open and close, then some
body moving In the hall.
MRS. Poggi turned green-not white
green! And l began to picture the head
lines in the morning papers! The Bache-
lor and the Policeman's Wife. they
seemed to say. 1t wasn't Pogg1. however,
as 1 discovered when the fellow called to
her. He was breathing heavily. as II he
had been running. She signaled me to
keep quiet then went out. and l nearo
them talking. but couldn't understand
what was said. When she came back
she was greener than ever and told me
to go, which l. did. realizing that the
day of miracles is not done. l fell down
| three times and ran over child getting
! out of that neighborhood.'
Blake, who had listened eagerly. In
quired:
1.-THE man was Marufi?'
| Exactly! I got back to the club in
time to hear about his arrest and escape
and your fight here: The town was
and amazed. What particularly stunned
me was the news that Marun1, not Poggi.
was the head of the Malta; but my ex-
| perience in criminal work has taught me
| theory, so when learned more about
Caesars escape fell to wondering where
he could hide. Then l recalled his Sc
cret meetings with Joe Poggi and that
had just been delivered. Her fright
when she let me out. something familiar
| in the voice which called to her came
| back, and-well. I couldn't help guessing
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 ana
went after him. We descended in such
force and so suddenly that he didn't have
a chance to resist. II I'd known who he
was at first I'd have tried to take him
single-handed'
smiled.
what bothers me-" Dreux confessed,
'is how Mrs. Poggf regards my action.
II hate to appear cad. ia apologize
| if I dared"
Vittoria appeared to warn Dreux that
/ his visit must end. When the little man
had gone Norvin inquired:
| "You knew of Maruffi's arrest?"
! "Oh, yes!'
why didn't you tell me?''
! You were in no condition to hear news
Of Importance.
''Is that why you have been SO silent?"
flush! You have talked quite enough
for the present"
| You act strangely-differently, he in
sisted.
| II am your nurse. I am responsible
| for your recovery, SO I do as / am or
dered."
And you haven't changed?' he in
quired, wistfulIy
mot at ALL am quite the same-quite
the same girl you knew in Sicily" He
] did not relish her undertone and won
| dered If illness had quickened his imag-
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 hanging over him with
a wonderful loving tenderness it was
| that which had closed his wounds and
/ brought him back toward health so swift
ly-but as his brain had cleared and he
| had grown more rational this vision had
disappeared, along with his other fancies
| He wondered whether knowledge of his
pseudo-engagement to Myra Nell had
! anything to do with her manner. He
knew that she was in the girls conf
dence. Naturally he himself was not
quite at his ease in regard to Miss War
rem. The rumor about his advancing
| the money for her carnival expenses had
been quieted through Bernie's efforts and
sary few. Although Myra Nell had re-
| fused his offers of marriage and treated
! the matter lightly he could not help feel
| ing that this attitude was assumed or ex-
| aggerated to cover her humiliation-or
was it something deeper? 1t would be
| terrible if she really cared for him in
| earnest. Her own character protected
| her from scandal. The breaking off of
not hurt her-unless she really loved him.
! He closed his eyes, cursing Bernie in
| wardly. After time he again addressed
| Vittoria.
| lelI me, lie Sa1O, now MdruW came
| to spare you. My last vision was of him
aiming
He had but four Shots
| "Four?'
Yes: he had used two in his escape
| from the officers-before he came here"
| II see! 1t was horrible. j felt as il 1
had failed YOU at the critical moment
just as l failed
| ''As You failed whom?"
"MartelH' The word sounded in his
cio io,,ifi IA
hardly realize that he had spoken it, He
had always meant to tell her, of course,
but the moment had taken him un-
awares. His conscience. his inmost feel
ing, had found voice apart from his
volition. There was little silence. At
length she said. in a low, constrained
tone:
= did you fail him?"
- d1d: he said, chokingly and, the