The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-01-02

THAT Woman IL Judith
street ferry of the Erie!"
Impossible! l don't believe it!
wont!"
Lets not" she agreed But, Alan
"Yes?"
Promise me-if he should manage
to catch up with us-you won't let him
talk to you l mean, don't let him"
mo fear of that!" he asservated
hotly. "If he tries to exchange one
word with mel only wish he would"
She seemed satisfied with that; but
the incident had served appreciably to
chill their spirits. They accomplished
the remainder of that voyage in
silence that was no less depressed be-
cause they sat hand in hand through
out.
Nor was their taxicab three minutes
out of the ferry house on the Jersey
later by Alanis extravagant promises,
was doing his best to fracture the
speed laws and escape arrest-when
the girls fears were amply justified;
a shout from behind drew Alan's head
out of the window on one side and the
girls on the other and proved to both
that Marrophat had indeed found some
way to make the crossing without
great delay.
His touring car was within fifty
yards when they first were aware of
It; and Marrophat, standing on the
running-board, was shouting inarticu-
lately and f1ourishing an imperative
hand; while the distance between
them was momentarily growing less
noticeable.
AS Marrophat's car drew abreast
Alan nodded and said quietly: DON'T
be alarmed; l can attend to this gen.
tleman single-handed."
And this he proceeded to demon
strate with admirable ease, even
though called upon to do SO far SOON
er than he had thought to be-thanks
to Marrophat's hair-brained precipi
fancy. For, failing to influence the
taxi driver by shouted demands or
threats, or to gain the least attention
from Alan, Trine's first lieutenant alb
ruptly and surprisingly took his life
in his hands and in one wild bound
bridged the distance between the two
flying cars and landed on the taxi's
running board.
Stop!" he screamed madly. stop,
say! You don't know what you're
doing! Let me tell you
He got that far but no farther. In
the same breath Alan had flung wide
the door and was at the fellows throat.
There was struggle Of negligible
duration; Marrophat was in no way
his antagonists match; within three
seconds he threw out both hands,
clutched hopelessly at the framework
of the cab, and fell heavily to the
street.
The taxi sped on without pause, its
driver deaf to the halls of innocent If
indignant bystanders. Alan pulled
himself together and looked back just
in time to catch a glimpse of num-
Der Of loafers lifting Marrophat to his
feet and helping him to the sidewalk
of an unsavory-looking tenement, be-
fore the cab took corner on two
wheels :"
mot seriously injured, l fancy" he
told the girl in response to her eager
look. Worse luck!" he added
gloomily.
But it seemed that he was to have
greater cause than this to complain OF
his luck, before that ride was ended,
Three blocks further on tire blew
out with report like cannon-crack-
or, and the taxi lurched perilously
hesitated, slowed down, and limpedi
dejectedly to the curb.
Alan and the chauffeur piled out in:
the same instant, the one standing
an eye out as we'll for
another cab-while the other assessed
damages.
Nothing for it but new tire, sir"
this last reported sympathetically. 1T
must have been a broken bottle or
like that-it sure did rip
the usefulness clean out of that SHOE"
eco to it," Alan advised him terse-
ly; "and if you make quick job Of 1t,
I'll stand the cost Of the new tire"
"But if another cab comes along
while you're at it you'll lose us as
quick as wink. Here's my card, in
case we have to desert you in hurry;
you understand this is matter of life
and death, and I'll have no time to
settle up with you. But you can call
at Mr.. Digby's office and he'll fix
things up to your satisfaction"
The man took the card and after a
glance at the name touched his hat
with more noticeable respect.
"All right, Mr.. Law" he agreed;
you say" And forthwith
got to work.
The rapidity with which he COM
pleted the change of tires proved him,
IN excellent chauffeur. an adept at his |
;raft;- but the delay was one disas-