The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-05-25
THE FARMER: MAY 25, 1915

breeding close over him. And against the insidious attack he was without | resource, helpless in his ignorance or where or when or how the blow would fall Already he had employed in vain one of the best men from the Pinker- ton agency to seek out the Master Mind. Now, however, under the urgen= cy of the card Wainwright left the ta- ble and went to the telephone, where l he established communication with the detective, Marshall, and made an ap- pointment. Then he returned to the | table and reso1utely continued the reading of his letters. Presently an- other communication absorbed his at tention.
 It was just now one of those recur- 1 rent seasons in New York city when there is a marrying of the grafters, or, rather, of a selected few of them In one most important instance there was a woefu1 lack. of admissible evidence against an offender whose guilt was nevertheless generally known The roughly scrawled, i'll spelt nissiye be- fore Wainwright promised to turn over the needed evidence, but only to Wain= wright himself in person, The reason for this condition seemed convincing enough The writer explained that his life would pay the penalty were his treachery made known to the guilty involved in his revelations.
 For the sake of his own safety the writer suggested that Wainwright should meet him the night following the receipt of the letter at half past II o'clock on the south side of Chelsea square, toward the west, end, where the proba bilities were that there would be almost no one else about, and the interview might pass unnoticed.
 At Il o'clock that night Wainwright set forth to the meeting with the un- known. Walking westward along Twentieth street, he peered sharply about him for a glimpse of any one Who might suggest his mysterious cor respondent, but the place was wholly deserted. The fact caused Vain wright no concern, for the hour of the appointment was not quite arrived. He stro1led slowly on until he was come within few yards of Tenth avenue.
 Suddenly shril1. cry startled him. He saw less than rod before him the figure of a man din1y visible in deeper shadows close by house wall. At the same moment there sounded another cry, and now he saw, behind the other.
 
 swiftly. Then, just as the two figures blended, lance of fire burned through the night, and the sharp crack of an automatic smote the stiffness of the square. Wainwright stood rooted to the spot in stupefaction over the un- expeetedness of the event. In a Hash he understood that an assassin had been lurking there in ambush await ing his coming. The shout of the oth- er man had been in warning. Evi- dently the newcomer had turned into the street from Tenth avenue just in time to observe the assailant as he stepped forth from his place of con cealment, and the newcomer had not hesitated to spring forward and grap- pie with the criminal. Doubtless the unexpected interruption had diverted the aiming of the weapon. Certainly another shot had been prevented by the fall of the weapon.
 One of the forms broke derce1y from the clutch of the other and disappeared | into Tenth avenue as his adversary went staggering back against the wall from the effect of a well delivered | blow.
 l "Quick-after him!' Wainwright heard l a gasping cry.
 | 1 and looked south, in which direction the thug had vanished. Then he stop ped short in wonder, for the man had ] gone from sight as if the earth had l opened to swallow him. A policeman l was approaching on the run, drawn by the noise of the shot, and there were 1 others pressing toward the scene o1 the encounter, the nucleus of a crowd
 Wainwright was relieved to find that l the policeman recognized him, and he 1 was in consequence spared some pos 1 sfb1e annoyances that might otherwise ! have been his from being involved in shooting affair at such an hour in such a neighborhood. But when he turned to express his grateful appre- l citation to the man who had rendered assistance so vita1Iy timely and eff
 cient he met with disappointme ment, fo1 there was no trace of his rescuer F. He questioned the policeman, but the puzzled official was unable to offer eff
 fective aid. Finally Wainwright tool a car eastward on his way home.
 Safe in bis apartment again, Vain
 wright sat long over cigar, ponder
 ing the events of the night It seem
 ed clear enough to him that the com
 munication requesting a meeting il
 Chelsea square had been only a rus'
 to secure his presence where he nigh Il be murdered at leisure.
 I Wainwright rose at last and wen
 into his bedchamber. There sounded
 the tingling of the telephone bell. Ell
 put the receiver to his ear. At ono,
 a voice came clearly:
 "Is this MT. Wainwr1ghtT' Anc
 then when he had answered in the af