The herald., 1912-10-31
A SUDDEN
CHANGE
By OLIVE EDNA MAY

Tom Mackins, carpenter passing
along a lonely road to work. heard
sounds Of a scuffle ahead and. hurry
ing on, saw a we'll dressed man strug
Cling with a robber. Tom ran up. in
tending to help the gentleman, when
the latter fell.
While the assailant was rifiing the un
fortunate mans pockets Tom came up
and jumped on the robber. After a
hot fight the rascal freed himself and
ran. leaving Tom covered with blood
and dirt and too exhausted TO follow
him.
Tom sat up and looked about him.
dazed. The robber had gone on in the
direction Tom had been going, while
from the other came the creaking OF
q wagon. When it reached Mackins.
jumping down. those In 1t examined
the body and found a stab In the left
side. He was dead.
You get into this wagon" said one
OF the men TO Tom.
Tom protested and tried to tell the
true story. but the men wouldn't lis
ten TO him. They put the body Of the
murdered man In the wagon and took
Tom on the seat between them. Then
they drove on to the next village.
where they put Tom for safe keeping
In a room over the grocery store. lock
Ing him in till they could notify the au
thorities.
The first thing that occurred to Tom
was how much may happen within a
few minutes. Half an hour before he
had left home with a light heart. and
now he had the prospect of swinging
at the end Of a rope for a murder of
which he was not only innocent, but
had tried to prevent. He was not slow
in realizing the fact that he had no
defense to offer and made up his mind
that II possible he had better make an
escape before he was taken over by
the sheriff. The county seat where the
case would be reported was twenty
miles away. and 1t was quite prob
able that the sheriff might not arrive
to take him away before evening.
Tom did a very quick job of think
ing. the result Of which was that he
attracted the attention Of the grocer
below by stamping on the floor. The
man came up and found Tom appar-
emily writhing in agony. Tom told him
that he was suffering from a liver at
tack to which he was subject and beg
ged for lemon. which he said was his
nnl 30
grocer brought him the lemon. Tom
swallowed some of the Juice and sud- |
denly recovered. Then he asked for
writing materials that he might inform |
his wife Of his misfortune. The grocer |
brought the materials, and Tom wrote |
the note. leaving it unsealed. 1t was
examined by several citizens In the |
store below, and since it contained |
nothing contraband of the condition of |
a prisoner 1t was forwarded to Mrs |
Mackins
Both the wife and daughter were |
too shocked to read the letter careful |
ly at first. but presently the latter took
1t up and read 1t again.
What does this postscript mean.
motherT she asked You forgot to |
take the candle grease out of my coat
sleeve"
Mrs. Mackins could not understand |
what 1t meant, and her daughter Ellen
began to suspect that her father meant
something. the meaning Of which must
be djciphered.
Il think 1t means" said Ellen, that
we're to do with the letter what we
do In taking candle grease out Of
cloth I have it. We put a piece of
paper on the cloth. then run a hot iron
over the paper"
An iron stood on the stove. and.
seizing It. Ellen ran 1t over the paper.
Dark brown letters came out as fol-
lows:
Bring me my circular saw at once"
Tom knew that letters made with
lemon Juice. though invisible when
dried on the paper. II heated will come
out brown color
Ellen ran to her fathers tool chest.
got the saw and started for the vii
lage. Reaching the place Of his cap
tivity, she asked to see him and was
admitted. He had been left in care
OF the grocer and several citizens. who
had agreed to keep him till the arrival
Of the sheriff. Ellen was admitted to
see her father. She was taken ND to
the room where he was confined and
locked In with him. being first told
that when she wished to leave she
should stamp on the floor. AS soon as
she was alone with her father she
handed him the saw.
Now, the room Mackins was confined
In communicated with another, the
door OF which was locked. Tom had
already cut hole In ii with his knife
and now sawed one big enough to ad-
nit an arm The key was on the 9th
er side Of the door. and, turning Il. he
found egress into the other room.
Then he changed clothes with Ellen,
who was big. strong girl nearly as
tall as himself. and with a "God save
your from her passed through the
next room. entered hall. mounted to
third story. where he dropped on the
roof Of an adjoining building on which
there was an outside staircase In the
rear. and thence to freedom.
When the sheriff came he found e.
len dressed In her fathers clothes and