Mexico Missouri message., 1915-05-13
A GHOSTLY TRAILER
BY JOHN ROBBINS.


he had never contemplated murder.
That had been a grim accident. Hav-
ing got the safe open, he had raised
his head to find old Barrett standing
in the doorway, holding a leveled re-
volver at him.
Hands up!" said the old man, smil-
ing grimly.
| Bloomfield flung up his hands, and,
as the old mans revolver wavered in
the tired hand, leaped. He had timed
himself to q nicely, for the bullet
whizzed past his ear, and in an in
slant he had seized the weapon and
brought It down on old Barrett's head
with stunning force.
He knew Barrett was dead. He
knelt over the body and felt the heart
cease to beat, raised the wrist and
felt the. pulse throb into silence. He
stood up, and in a moment the full
realization of his fate flashed through
his brain. He saw the electric chair,
the bonds, the switches.
With a shudder Of revulsion Bloom
field stepped back, closed the safe,
and, with his plumber In his pocket,
planned his new movements in the
light Of this development. He had In
tended to lie low in the city--now he
saw that he must make for distant
town. In the metropolis the hunt
would not let up for couple of years.
In Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland. {.
his courage began to return. He would
not look at the body upon the floor. A
dog was bowling in room near at
hand. It must be old Barretts dog,
the miser's. The eerie sound made
Bloomfield's blood run cold.
He made his way out by the window
to the street. Nobody was stirring.
With his fifty thousand in his pocket
book he strobe on gayly. His spirits
we're high. Nobody had seen him
come or go. The dog was still howl
ing, though. ..
The bowling sounded nearer.
Bloomfield glanced round, to see the
creature at his heels. 1t was a white
and yellow bloodhound, and 1t shifted
at his trail, whining, not very loud
but dismally and mournfully.
Bloomfield stopped and called to It.
He snapped his fingers, but the crea'
ture leaped away with terrified
moan. When Bloomfield resumed his
pacing the dog followed him, no near
, err, no further away, always whining
softly. It was terrific indictment
the dumb creature following, follow
! ing.
I Bloomfield tried to shake 1t of. He
4 turned I'D a side street. He took 9
a short cut among some houses, hastily
!. before the dog rounded the corner. tt
. his relief the bowling sounded further
away. But when he emerged into the
parallel road he saw the dog follow
|. ing him, Just as before. 1t was a lit
. tie nearer, now, and It howled louder
i and barred its fangs.
In a fury, he picked up stones ant
began throwing them at the creature
: It leaped agilely away and howleC
more loudly. Bloomfield saw one d
two passers.by look at him curiously
He cursed the dog.
II was nearly morning. BLOOMFIELD
abandoned his plan Of taking thu
train. He resolved to carry out hi
original idea Of lying low. He hat
: rented a fiat and stored It with foul
months supply of food. Nobod!
: would know him, except the 1anitor
and he was not likely to suspect any
thing.
: He was within a block Of 1t wheI
: the dog. as If divining his purpose
leaped in front OF him and begaI
! snarling and barking furiously. Bloom
field was in despair. Clearly the .crea
ture meant to spring at his throat l
he persisted He turned, and now
madness came over him, an insane
desire to give himself up, to suffe
anything rather than endure that ter
rible persecution. It seemed to hir
like a heaven-sent punishment. HI
did not know where to go.
! Half an hour later he found that hi
feet had taken him to the outside o
Barrett's house again. He had gon
there unconsciously, but now Their
q came upon him that obsession o
s which he had heard, TO see the bod
Q Of the man he had killed. II was no
9 quite light yet. CHANGING hastily vi
and down the street, Bloomfield hoist
Q ed himself up to the second-story win
q dow and re-entered the room.
IS Out Of the shadows leaped a form
that clutched him in a wise. A pal
of handouts were snapped upon hi
5 wrists.
You'll tell me, suppose, you didn'
N beat up old man Barrett this night
Tell that to the judge"
"Is he--living7"
HE is, and he's likely to live,
I. that's any consolation to you"
Il Bloomfield was laughing hysterical
q ly. ~
d Il thought I'd killed the old guy,
r he sobbed II won't make any trou
a BILE. ! never meant TO touch him, any
way, only he drew on me. But
3. wasn't you that got me, 1t was tina
\ hound of his"