The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-05
CHAPTER xIt,
Death

- ODFREY. on hands and knees
s~ was peering into the room
W. Then he drew back and mo
toned MS forward.
In the middle OF the floor stood the
Boule cabinet, and before 1t. with hi.
back 70 the door, stood a man rippins
savagely away the strips Of buriap II
which 1t had been wrapped. talking
to himself the while in a sort Of saw
age singsong and pausing from mo.
ment TO moment to glance at a hud,
died bundle lying on the floor against
the opposite wall. For a time could
not make out what this bundle was.
Then. straining my eyes. saw that II
was the body Of a man, wrapped
round and round in some weblike
fabric.
And as stared at him I caught the
glitter OF his eyes as he watched the
man working at the cabinet-a glitter
not TO be mistaken-the same glitter
which had so frightened me once be-
fore. What was the meaning Of this
ferocious scene?
My heart leaped into my throat. for
Godfrey. with a sharp cry Of ''Stopr'
sprang to his feet and dashed into the
room. Simmonds at his heels.
/ suppose two seconds elapsed before
l reached the threshold, and stopped
there. staring. clutching at the wall to
steady myself.
There was the cabinet with it's wrap-
pings torn away. but the figure on the
hnd 49,
open doorway into another room stood
a man, a giant Of a man. his hands
above his head. his face working with
fear and rage. while Godfrey. his lips
curling into a hooking smile, pressed
q pistol against bis breast
Then. as / stood there staring. It
seemed to me that there was SOFT UI
flicker In the air above the mans head,
and he screamed shrilly.
Death he shrieked. ''Deathr'
For one dreadful instant longer he
stood there motionless; then, with a
strangled cry. he pitched forward heav-
fly at Godfrey's feet 1 have a con-
fused remembrance of Godfrey stoop-
ing for an instant above the body,
staring at It, and then. with sharp
cry. hurting himself through that open
doorway In a moment Godfrey was
back in the room, crossed 1t at bound
and dashed to the door opening into
the hall, just as it was slammed in
his face.
I saw him tear desperately at the
knob, then retreat two steps and hurl
himself against it. But 1t held nrm,
hV1y-e
OF hooking laughter that fairly froze
my blood.
Simmonds was quicker than I, and
together they threw themselves at the
door. It cracked ominously, but still
held Again they tried, and this time
1t split from top to bottom. Godfrey
kicked the pieces to either side and
slipped between them. Simmonds after
him.
reached the stair head in time to see
Godfrey try the front door and then |
turn along the lower hall leading to |
the back of the house. An instant |
later a chorus of frenzied women's |
shrieks made my hair stand ON end
How l got down the stairS1 do not |
know. But I, too. turned back along |
the lower hall, expecting any instant |
to come upon / knew not what horror. |
/ reached an open door. passed through |
It and found myself In the laundry In |
the midst Of a group OF excited and In
women, who greeted my APP
pearance with a fresh series of screams.
Unable to go farther, l sat Imply
down upon a box and looked at them
I was still sitting there when Godfrey
came back, breathing heavily. chagrin
and anger In his eyes.
"a crime has been committed up
stairs" he said to the manager. This
gentleman with me is Mr.. Simmonds
Of the detective bureau" and at the
words Simmonds showed bis shield
Eve shall have to notify headquar-
ters." Godfrey went on. land l would
advise that you keep your girls at their
work. don't suppose you want to be
mixed up in it,
Sure not" agreed the manager
promptly, and while Simmonds went
10 the phone and called up police head
quarters the manager had the girls
back at their work In short order.
Godfrey came over to me and laid |.
his hand on my shoulder.
"Why. Lester" he said. you look as
though you were at your last gasp.
81 am said. I'm going to have
nervous prostration If this thing keeps
1p. You're not looking particularly
happy yourself"
I'm not happy. I've let that fellow
ILL a man right under my nose-liter-
lilly under my nOse-and then get
lWayY' !