Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06
Continued from page s

Continued from page s
HE reached town sometime in advance of
- the Sheriff's squad; and after calling at
the railroad station to make sure of his wire
he returned the horse and sat down at the
writing table in the tavern office to grind out
his copy. He was still writing when the
town began to wake and stir in response to
the posses arrival with the prisoners. In
few minutes the tavern Office was filled with
a throng of excited news seekers. From lip
to lip the word was passed that Carter Hem
ming had been arrested as leader of the
Mauldin raiders and was now in Jail.
Harding gathered up his copy and elbowed
his way to the door, Further writing in the
tavern pandemonium was out of the ques-
ton, and besides he had enough now to start
the operator on the sending. On the porch
he ran headlong into the arms of the big
Sheriff, and when he got his breath he found
to his amazement and indignation that he
was under arrest.
"Thats right, growled the big man, drag
ging him roughly to the street. @You say
you're newspaper man, and l amt calm
you liar-yet. But you hired horse an
hour or SO ago and rid it out to Jeff Maui
din's-I got man that swear he saw you
crossin' to Mauldin's house just as we rid
up Then in a harsh whisper, 3You knowed
where Cart Hemming was amin for this
mornin', and you follered him. I'm goin' to
put you where you'll do the least harm
You come along with me-
Two minutes later Harding found himself
behind the bars in the county jail. When
he was able to look the preposterous thing
fairly in the eye he knew why he had been
so summarily effaced. Gilkey meant to
give young Hemming chance to plead not
to
swear truthfully that Hemming was not
their leader, and they doubtless would. In
the Sheriff's point of view he, Harding, was
the only witness who needed to be Quoted
THE reporter sat down on the single stool
in the cell and tried to think it out.
With scarcely more than an hour to spare, it
was useless to attempt to reach Chicago
with the great story in time for the morning
paper He wondered what the Girl would
say, and he was still wondering when the
cell door was opened from the corridor and
she walked in upon him.
Good Heavens!' he exclaimed, jumping
to his feet. what are you doing here at
this time of night?"
Il came to see you, was the straightfor-
ward reply. 3Word was brought to the
house, and came down with Cassie She is
with her brother now. What have you been
doing, Wally?'
Nothing he ragged, 1less than nothing
| saw the raid at Mauldjn' S, there's moth
ing criminal about that, l hope,-and l had
to see it to be able to write about it. And
now they've jagged me before could get
my stuff on the wire!'
3But why?" she persisted.
He was still clinging blindly to his secret,
the secret that must be kept until the
grand climax of the story should be reached
in the arraignment of the son in the fathers
court, and the proving of the brothers 10y
atty to his sister by his offering himself as her
lovers substitute.
you'll know why sometime, Girl I'm
the god in the machine in this play; but I'm
also Shylock. I've got to have my pound of
flesh. After I've got it we'll all come down
70 tlaa l.cxl,t.