The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-05-09

wise COP knows when he's OF, duty
but that gets my goat Something's
going to happen. l feel IL In me. And
I'm going to stay and see It through"
Much as he needed the liquid re-
freshment which had presented Its
mental picture so allurinsly to his
mind, o'Sullivan felt that he could not
go home until he had solved the mys-
terry OF that chair. He could think of
no mechanical law which would enable
1t to balance itself upon a single
wheel with such ~tenacity that, with the
exertion Of his utmost strength, he
was unable TO disturb its equilibrium.
What a the hidden mechanism
which gave out that buzzfng sound 7
Suppose this were to be connected at
will with the running gearI Suppose,
for example, that hidden under the
seat Of the chair, was a powerful gas
engine, capable Of exercising sufficient
force to convert 1t, with a sharp.
wedge-like front, into a battering ram
and hurting it at thirty miles an hour
through the crowded streets of the me-
tropolis! A vista of possibilities
stretched before o'S~ullivan's mind.
M%uttering uneasily, he left Mulcahey
and started In pursuit Of the cripple,
with the intention of questioning him
further.
Jaw, it's only a bicycle chairi" ex.
claimed the other in disgust at his
friends curiosity, which he felt, in
some vague way, to be a reflection up
on his lack of interest. whats bit
ing you, Danny? Come back!" But
O'Sullivan was already out Of hearing
and crossing the road in the cripple's
wake, pausing only long enough to
shoe away the pestilential small boys
that logged the trail of his quarry. A
glance back showed that Mulcahey had
changed his mind and was coming aft
er him.
But to the disgust of both patrolmen
the cripple's chair seemed to take on
a sudden acceleration Of motion. O'Sul-
livan walked faster. Yes, there was
no doubt of it Although to his eye
the wheel did not seem to be revolving
more rapidly, yet the distance be-
tween himself and the peculiar vehicle
was materially increased. Then, re
Numbering that the man would I'M
doubtedly stop at Mr.. Staples house,
he proceeded more slowly and permit
ted Mulcahey to catch up with him.
They were about five hundred yards
behind when the chair came to a stop
outside the millionaire's residence.
Thou aouy thn nr{nnInI AU,,ra Iaory1 ~
and move painfully up the steps with
the aid of two crutches. Long before
they had come up the door had closed
on the man, and, when at last they ar
rived, the empty chair was buzzing
amiably upon the curb.
Il guess this story was straight
enough-there's no use waiting, Mul,'
said Patrolman O'Sullivan. Mulcahey
shook his head doubtfully. He was
not sure; he was not by any means
sure that, even IL the cripple's exit
were orderly and peaceful, he would
not arrest him on the chance of hav-
ing picked up an ex-convict. But even
while he debated the front door dew
open and the cripple came hurrying
down the stairs with the aid Of his
crutches, while from within the hall
resounded the screams OF the maids,
mingled with the shouts of the hnan-
cier. .H
AS the patrolman dashed to seize
the fellow Staples came bounding
down the steps.
ARREST him!" he yelled, purple with
fury. Hes an escaped convict and
he's got five thousand dollars OF mine.
damn him, in his coat pocket. Held
me up with a pistol and made me open
my safe. Hold him!"
Were holding him." answered Null
cahey grimly, as ne clutched the man
by the collar, while O'Sullivan extract
ed from his pockets a bullying wallet
and a revolver. LOADED in every
chamber" he exclaimed, inspecting
it. "Hey, youse must be mad, young
Teller. This amt no wild west show
this Is Brooklyni"
Tho cripple's face remained entirely
impassive as the policeman bundled
him back into his chair. Followed by
the wrathful cries Of the inancier,
they prepared to wheel him to the sta
ton house.
my money!" cried Mr.. Staples. II
identify that. He stole it from me a
minute ago."
Sorry, Mr. Staples" replied Mulca-
hey respectfully. "but you'll have to
get it from the sergeant sir. That's
the law, Mr.. Staples, and I'll have to
take 1t with me. You can reclaim it
any time, sir" he continued. "Or If
you care to come along now"
He had turned his back on the chair
as he began to speak, while O'Sullivan,
holding the pistol and the wallet, was
pushing back the crowd which had in
stantly assembled, his arm resting up
On the hand-wheel in order to keep
the vehicle motionless. OF a sudden,
quick as a flash, the cripple's mighty
right arm shot forth and clutched him
as in a wise; an instant later, and the
chair had shot down the street with
the force of a tornado, the wedge front
scattering the mob right and left, hurl'
ing them upon the sidewalk and into
the street. AS O'Sullivan went down
he felt the wallet torn from his clutch;
before he could recover self-possession
enough to fire, the vehicle was no.
where in sight; only far down the road
a spiral column of dust showed the
course 1t had taken.
The two patrolmen stared dismally
at M another; MulcaheJ from the
curb, where he stood staring helpless
ly after the machine. O'Sullivan from
the road. where he lay. dusty and torn