The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-24

inclined to believe that Marrophat
hoped to stop the taxicab by deprtv.
ing 1t, in course of time. Of its fuel.
And with this in mind he was present
ly surprised, as the cab took corner,
to see Marrophat's car stop at that
corner and Marrophat himself get
down. The brow of hill interviewed,
shutting OF sight of the BLACKBOARD as
he knelt and lit a match. 1t was the
girl who gave the alarm, suddenly
Withdrawing her head from the win
dow to scream at Alan:
"He's fired the gasoline! It's ham,
ing along the street, following the line
Of the leak-and catching up with us!"
Without pausing to put his hand to
the latch, Alan kicked the door open.
Jump" he cried. For your life
jump! As soon as that fame catches
up with the tank"
simultaneously the chauffeur. over.
hearing, shut off the power.
The three gained the sidewalk bare
ly in time: the tiny trail of flames. al
most imperceptible in the sunlight,
was not yard from the jet that squirt
ed through the bullet hole in the tank.
In the flutter of an eyelash the explo-
sion followed. Had the cab been load
ed with nitroglycerin its destruction
could have been no more absolute.
There was roar and then
a heap Of smoking ruins.
;v,v 70 odrv,tro tho
tacle, Alan caught the arm Of the girl
and hurried her up the street, at the
same time calling to the chauffeur to
follow. And chance brought them to
the next corner as another cab, fare
less, hove into view. Promising its
driver anything he might ask, in or
out of reason, Alan gave him the ad-
dress, and helped the girl in.
If Marrophat pursued Alan could see
no sign of him. The second car made
better time than the first. Unhindered,
+, and as far as could be determined,
without being followed, it covered the
brief remaining distance in CRATE
fully short lapse of time.
The suburb dropped behind maze
of streets where dwellings stood shout.
der to shoulder and dooryards were
scant. The car swept up to a corner
house of modest and homely aspect.
Two minutes more, and Alan was ex-
changing salutations with and making
his bride-to-be known to Digby's good
friend, the Reverend Mr. Wright.
Embarrassment worked confusion
with the young mans perceptive facul
ties. AS this moment approached
when two should be made one who had
gone through fire and food, literally
as we'll as iguratively, for each 9th
er's sake, incredulity drew a veil be
fore his vision. He viewed the worlt
as in a glass, darkly.
He was aware OF q decently fur
nished minister's study; Of two wit
nesses in the guise Of unassuminl
womenfou of the minister's house
hold; Of the Rev. Mr.. Wright himsel
as benevolent voice rolling sono
rously forth from a black-clad pres
ence; Of the woman Of his heart stand
ing opposite him; Of questions aske
and responses made; of ring tina
was magically conjured from som
, store apparently maintained agains
I precisely similar emergencies; Of
hand that took the hand that was to b
his wife's and placed it in his; of hi
clumsy and witless bungling with tn
task of fitting that ring to the finge
+ | ~ hio cwoptheart'a hand
And then he was aware of q doc
that banged violently in the hallway
Of the sound Of a mans voice maxim
: some indistinguishable demand; tbs
Roses hand was suddenly whippe
away, before he could At on the ring
= that the study door was flung open an
= that this animal, Of Marr0phat ha
!. precipitated himself into the room.
He opened his mouth to protest
and Marrophat silenced him with
!, cry.
"You fool! Drop that ring! Ste
this farce! Don't you know who
= you're marrying? That woman 10 J
2 dith Tripe, you idiot-not Rose!"
:. Blankly Alan turned to the girl.
Her flaming face, her sullen eye
>, her very pose, from which the ma
!. ner of Rose had dropped like . ca
garment, confessed the truth Of Ma
: rophat's assertion. And as II this we
y not enough, Judith confessed It doub
with q sudden outbreak Of such raj
!. % never could have been brewed
y" Roses gentle nature.
"You devil!" she cried-and thru
. herself in front Of Marrophat with
y spring as 1.-the a. that Of q leopardel
N take warning now from me: ke
= out Of my way forever after this-
~ take the consequences! God know
!" she painted, why don't kill you
~ you stand!"
- He was in her way, between her q
the open door. She gave him
=, chance to move aside. but seized b
30 fiercely by the wrists that he
4. stinctively lifted to protect hims'
~ and she fairly threw him half doc
feet from her. He brought up W
Q crash against the wall even as
l., door slammed behind the girl.
u. When Alan, the first to recov
- gained the sidewalk. she was alrea
.r in the taxicab. Whatever reward {
"a had promised the man, he whipped
ha machine away as if from the fear
,o. sudden death.
=. And darting from the house hi
or. on the minister's heels. Marropl