The Washington herald., 1915-03-28

sleeping man with vndictive hatred
Take it." urged Big Ben. rising. IF Fub sells 1t
tell me-" He picked up the shawl and clumsily
threw it around the womans shoulders. She looked
down at the shawl and toyed with its long, delicate
fringe She took it off slowly and gave it back to
the
Nothing doing" she sadly decided: then she slow
~ turned and looked her husband and walked
away There softening in Big Bens eyes as
she walked away. and then he, too, glanced at the
sleeping F1ub. He strolled to the door and came
back. Suddenly he stopped. The CLEAN Of some
thing yellow had caught his gaze He walked close
and bent low. He pulled the cigarette holder out
far enough identify 1t and pushed it back; then
he gave the sleeper kick
Get up, you thiefp' he roared
Fub sprans up. dazed-
whats thatf"
Il said get up, you thiefr' roared Big Ben lean
Jake abruptly stopped snoring and jumped up. He
was halfway to the ladder before he realized that
this not a raid and June. divining his inten-
ton, swiftly and put her hands the loose
clapboards Of the roof. Ben jerked the cigarette
holder from Flub's pocket You stole itr
"Ah, no. Benz protested the woman. II wasn't
out of the house five minutes. Flub was asleep
when went out, and he was asleep when come
back"
Flub seemed dazed by the accusation. but sudden
ly he let out yell Mechanically he had reached
in his vest pocket his habit when the
chamOs bag was there, and had discovered his loss.
My diamond" he yelled Its gomez And his
face turned white he looked around the tense
group. Slowly comprehension came TO him. You
framed me- he suddenly shouted. pointing trem
bling finger at Big Ben. You COPIED my diamond;
then you planted this cigarette holder you
could
You're liar" beloved Big Ben and sprang for
his
A knife cleaned in FLUIDS hand and he sashed
savagely at his onrushing opponent With roar
OF rage Big Ben caught the descending wrist. wrest
ed the weapon from it and plunged it to the hilt in
FLUIDS breast
There piercing shrek from the attic and
tearing of boards. The woman. quick of mind
she of body, the first to comprehend what
that might mean She sprang to the ladder, but as
she went she cast backward glance at the ifeless
man the floor. There shudder in her,
only cold triumph.
Its girl! She's the roof!' cried the woman
she gained the attic.
Lean Jake was the first out of the door and Big
Ben Just after him. They rounded the corner Of
the hut just in time to June jump from the roof
and dart for her boat 1t the woman who
caught her.
Let me gor implored June. II won't tellr'
Those last three words would seal her fate in the
mind of any murderous thief. Big Ben had caught
her roughly by the arm. and now he looked inquir.
ingly at the Others
Drown her." advised Lean Jake, who was moro
full Of fear than thief should be- "She knows too
much"
All three Of them looked at the water 1t spread
far into the marshes, and It held its secrets well
and long. Without word Big Ben swung June up
in his arms and started with her to the waters
edge, while she uttered shrek upon shrek.
A shot and then another answered Junes piercing
shrieks and down the channel from the inlet swift
ly sped the little cutter with Grin Cunningham at
the wheel revolver in hand!
Hands upr' yelled a strong voice. and another
shot startled the air Of the marshes Gilbert Blyei
He stood up In his racer, and over the wheel bent
heavy Edwards his eyes narrowed and his thick
bps firmly set
Big Ben had dropped June at the first shot and
had reached for his revolver Lean Jake had dropped
Tat on the ground behind bowder, but before Big
Ben could return the fire Of the oncoming boats
from the Hilarfty he was confused by a shot from
another quarter and through the reeds Of the marsh
there pushed a narrow steel gray motorboat in
which stood a tall man with soft hat and loose
" knotted cravat-
A stranger! And he nearer to the helpless
June than her pursuers from the Hilarity! She ran
toward him like a deer and as his driver drew close
inshore June spfang into the boat
Hurry she cried. please hunyr
The man, evidently artist, from the canyases
and folding easel in his boat followed her terrified
gaze as she glanced back, her terror divided BE-
tween the murderers the island and tho men In
the boats. The artist lowered June to a seat beside
him, and, with a word to the driver, they darted
away toward the channel A shot whzZed over
their heads they started and shot after shot r.
sounded from the upper channel
The man with the white mustache paid atten-
ton to Big Ben he steered his swift little cutter
around island and struck into the lower channel
after the artist and the beautiful young girl who
had escaped from the attic Nor did the man with
the black Vandyke waste any time upon the aston
ished thieves his boat, too, whizzed around the
Lean Jake raised up from behind his bowlder
as the boat shot by, and the three-Babe, Big Ben
and Jake-looked at each other in bewilderment.
Another boat came swishing down past the island
1t driven by blazing eyed little chauffeur with
a tiny mustache. and he was shouting at the top Of
his voice. Behind him sat stfiy a woman with
high cheek bones and a wilderness of gums and
she. too, was shouting:
"voilal voial voilar'
Another boat! In 1t were two men and a woman.
the driver a plump faced little man with deep con-
Germ upon his brow, the woman hysterical and the
other man with his teeth and fists clinched-
For ten minutes Babe and Big Ben and Lean Jake
stood there in dumb stupefaction waiting for
other boat
fro BE Continued