Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-03-27

even as her voice rang out, high and
shrill; even as that lethal object OF
chill.hardened steel spun upward, the
light was switched suddenly of and
we we're In grumous darkness.
II was she who. pressing the button
at her side. had dropped over us this
mantle Of invsibllity no less obscur
Ing than the tabled Hell Keplein; and
It was she. too, who now opened the
other door Of the brougham, and with
a murmured Come Hurryl" drew
me after her into the dread uncertain
~ OF an environment OF which we
knew nothing.
The gloom without was scarcely less
thick than that within. or my five
senses. therefore. all keenly alert. that
Of sight told me nothing; but my ears
and nostrils, aided and abetted by
my perception OF sodden planking be
meath my feet, informed me that we
had alighted in a stable. The sound
of pounding hoofs echoed from near.
by stalls and unmistakable equine
odors We're strongly pervasive.
Upon my hearing there fell too, as
We fled, the high-pitched nasal cackle
Of excited and perplexed celestials,
whose eyes. dazzled by the brougham's
lamps, failed to follow US into that OBJ
security which lay in the wake OF the
conveyance. and through which, hand
in hand, Evelyn and | crept crouch
ingly toward the street, our hearts
hammering but our breathing smoth-
cred lest It betray our whereabouts
and precipitate pursuit.
If in our fond fancy We expected
an unimpeded way, however, our eX-
pectations were not realized. Where
the darkness was densest there rose
an obstruction. From out of the black
pair of arms encircled me-a pair Of
arms. long, sinewy and muscular.
which frightened about me with a sud-
den vise-like pressure, holding me pow
erless. My hold of Evelyn's hand was
/ thus abruptly sundered, and though
| she could not see, she sensed the en-
| counter. Once more she screamed.
High and shrill her young voice rose
above the noise of the stamping horses
and the quantity strident chatter OF
the confused Mongollans. 1t was not
so much a mere cry OF alright as II
was an appeal for help. And 1t met
with surprisingly prompt response.
Before its echo had died, the double
sliding doors which separated our
stable dungeon from the sidewalk
were swept swiftly apart, admitting
the revealing CLEAN from. a street
lamp across the way, and admitting
too, the husky, commanding figure oi
man with raised revolver, followed
by a mob OF neighborhood denizens
attracted by the unusual and excited
by the girls penetrating vociferation
Quickly as ! had been seized, even
I more quickly was released The en-
circling arms fell away instantly, and
the giant who had held me turned
with an oath Of defiance and confront
! ed the invaders. In both oath and at
titude there was a reminder Of some
thing heard and seen before; and
( treading upon the heels Of reminder
came recognition. II was Philetu:
Murphy, red and burly, who now tow
cred menacingly above our armed
savior II was Philetus Murphy who
swinging viciously for his adversary
jaw, staggered back the same instant
his arm dropping and bullet in his
shoulder.
For moment following the shot
there was dead silence Then cams
pandemonium. The mob, already aug
mented from score to a hundred
surged into the stable as a spring fiooc
| surges over broken dams. With Eve
Ign in a corner behind me / fought
OF the crowding, believing throng
while Murphy lay groaning at our feet
and his assailant. who, when once his
face met the light, discovered wai
O'Hara, my own detective. smashed
heads right and left with the butt Of
his revolver. and hoarsely commanded
room for his fallen enemy.
What might have happened, VIA
fatalities might have ensued had &
not been for the fortuitous arrival o
three uniformed members of the met
ropolitan police force ] STALL not at
tempt 10 conjecture. Their clubs,
! hnON, ulu SOOu btIhlCe5 ana snO
or two fired over the heads OF tn,
rioting crowd had wonderfully paci
flying effect.
Poor Evelyn. in spite OF an heroical
ly stubborn insistence 10 be cours
} geous, was as thoroughly frightened
as l have ever seen her. When, a
length, the stable was cleared. an
lamps were lighted, she was still pal
|. lid as marble, ard her lip quivere,
with an obstinacy that no Restraining
: teeth nor hiding hand could disguise
oh! Wasn't it excitlng!" she ez
claimed, with an effort at nonchalanc
that was almost pathetic. Il wouldn'
p have missed this experience for any
thing in the world" And then, discoy
ering little trickle Of blood on m
: cheek. which a diligently piled hand
kerchief had not fully succeeded Il
keeping out OF sight. she was at one
. all solicitude. "Oh, Philip" she cried
with wide eyes, swimming. "vou'r