Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-12-03
CHAPTER VIII.
Another Letter For Phili1

| -A NdOM DeSlue MS prisoner IN
the deep gloom Philip saw
IssyzzESt Thorpe and his wife come
E2Y8S9 out OF the cabin a minute
later and hurry away through the
night. Then he dragged the guard
into the prison, relocked the door,
left the key in the lock, and returned
to Hodges Office to replace the old
clothes for his uniform.
Not until he stood looking down
upon the dead body again did the
enormity of his own offense begin to
crowd upon him. But he was not
frightened nor did he regret what he
had done. He turned out the light,
sat down, cod1ly filled his pipe, and
began turning the affair over, detail
by detail, in his mind. He had, at
least, followed Inspector MacGregor's
injunction--he had followed his con
science. Hodges had got what he de
served. and he had saved a man and
a woman.
But in spite of his first argument
he knew that MacGregor had not
foreseen a tragedy of this sort, and
that, in the eyes OF the law, he was
guilty of actively assisting in the
fight of two people who could not
possibly escape the penalty of justice
If caught. But they would not be
caught. He assured himself of that
smiling grimly in the darkness. Nc
one at Wekusko could explain what
had happened. He was positive tha'
the guard had not recognized him
and that he would think one O.
Thorpe's friends had effected the
rescue. And MacGregor-
Philip chuckled as he thought O.
the condemning evidence in his pos
session, the strange orders which
would mean dismissal for the inspec
tor, and perhaps a greater punish
ment, if he divulged them. He would
be safe in telling MacGregor some
thing of what had occurred in tn
little cabin. And then, as he sat ir
this grim atmosphere of death, :
thought came to him OF M'sieur Jan
cites skull. of Bucky Nome, and
the beautiful young wife at Lac Balm
| II Mrs. Becker could know OF this
too-if Bucky Nome. buried some
where deep in the northern wilder
ness. could see Hodges as he lay
there, dead on the cabin floor, Tt
the one it would be still create
punishment. to the other a warning
And yet, even as he thought of the
colonePs wife and OF her Irritation
with Nome, vision of her face cam
to him again, filled with the marvel
Gus sweetness, the purity and the
love which had enthralled him beside
the campfire.
For several hours Philip remained
in the shelter of Hodges Office. With
early dawn he stole out into the
forest, and little later made his ap
pearance in camp. saying that he haf
spent the night at lie Pas. Not unit
an hour later was it discovered tha
Hodges had been killed. the guart
made a prisoner and that Thorpe
and his wife were gone Philip a
once took charge of affairs and put :
strain on his professional knowledge
by declaring that Thorpe had un
doubtedly fed into the North Early
in the afternoon he started in pur
suit.
A dozen miles north of the Wekus.
ko camp he swung at right angles tC
the west, travelled fifteen miles, ther
cut straight course south It was
three days later before he showed uI
at LIE Pas, and learned that no one
had seen or heard of Thorpe and his
wife. Two days later he walked into
MacGregor's office. The inspector
fairly leaped from his chair to gree
him,
you got them. Steele!" he cried
"You got them after the mur-tht
killing of Hodges?"
Philip handed him a crumpled bi
Of paper.
"Those were your latest instruc
tions, sir" he replied quietly :"
followed them to the letter"
MacGregor read, and his face turn
ed as white as the paper he held
Good Cod" he gasped
He reeled rather than walked bacl
to his desk. dropped into a chair an,
buried his face in his arms. hi
shoulders shaking like those of sob
bing boy. 1t was long time befor
he looked UP, and during these min
utes. Philip. with his head bowed loy
to the other. told him OF all that ha,
happened in the little room at We
kusko. But he did not say that |
| was he who had surprised the guar
and released Thorpe and his wife.
At last MacGregor raised his heat
. "Philip" he said taking the voun