The Washington times., 1913-04-21
CHAPTER XVII.
The Third Confession.

Jeffrey was moving in the dark,
and in a moment l heard the door
pulled shut again.
Its all right" he said quietly,
But apparently it's up TO us to get the
poor chap out of here"
Who do you mean" l whispered.
Barton said Jeffrey. ''Didn YOU
recognize him?" He flashed on his
torch and / stared at the inert man on
the floor. He di look pretty Wild he
went on. Il don't know that I'd have
the bandages. Then | half expected
We might find him here"
We were both bending over the pros
tTate man now. lie was unconscious
white as death and with the growing
smudge of red on the bandages, CHASTITY.
It's the wound his wife gave him."
said Jeffrey. Hes broken il open
again. and 1 don't wonder"
1t wasn't very serious hemorrhage.
though. The smudge wasn't growing
a lot of vitality. Already he was show
ing signs of coming back TO conscious
what was it that frightened him.
jeffrey / asked. What was it he
was running away from, do you know
easily. They'll hardly trouble US. But
what's really after him may prove a
handful for us. We've got TO get him
out of here, Drew. He can tell us more
about what happened in this house that
other night than l supposed he could
once gets his hands on him we'll never
know what il is he has to tell. We've
got to get him out of here and into
that hotel room at Oldborough, and the
sooner we get about it the better. Wait
a minute."
He pulled a small silysr flask out OF
his pocket and handed il to me. Give
him a little of that he said.
With the first drop of the brandy
that passed his lips Barton,s eyelids
trembled. then opened a little, and 1
found him looking at me with an unsee-
ing stare. $780,. .,,a .rsd Oh.
follow YOU. too?'' Then, rousing little
more. he frowned at NE AS though /
were not the one he expected. Where
am II" he whispered. And who are
you?''
you're all right Jeffrey whispered,
coming up with pillow. Were friends.
We're going to get you out OF mere,
Then / am here he said, with
shudder
I'm the Beech Hill house?'' said JET
frey. "Oh, Yes, but you won't be long.
We're friends. | tell you. You've MOTH
ing to worry about. Drink some more
of the brandy ana then We ii see lt you
can go on your own pins"
There was another flare of lightning
and a crash of thunder, and this time 1t
was followed by roar of rain upon the
skylight The sound seemed to horriiy
Barton anew to the very verge of panic.
Make it stop! I can't stand that
noise
Jeffrey nodded assent to my look of
inquiry and. each of us taking an arm.
we raised him to his feet. For some
reason that I could not understand JEFF
frev did not avail himself of his torch,
and we felt Our way along in the dark
7 noticed that the side pocket OF Bar
toms coat was bulgine with something
heavy, and ! felt more like burglar
than ever had had leisure to feel since
we had got into this room.
We squeezed through the low door
into the closet and then out into the
big room with the bay window. When
we got out into the corridor ] almost
baIked. for the thread of light still
shone through under the Loor and We
had to go almost up to ii to reach the
read Of the stairs. They weren't wide
enough for three of us 30 go abreast.
so Jeffrey went ahead. and ], supporting
rarton, followed. To nv surprise he
didn't go to the open window where
We had gone in, but turned OFF to the
left, conducted US down a corridor, shot
q bolt or two and opened a door that