The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-01-04
Continued From Last Saturday,

phdtS purpose become apparent. Then
however-and it happened while Alal
was looking back-the touring ca
drew In swiftly and easily and Mario
plat, rising in his seat, ieveled a re
volver over the windshield and fired.
The crack of his weapon was prac
tically coincident with a metallic thut
beneath the rear seat Of the taxicab.
Not for some moments did Alan ap
preciate the viciousness of the scheme
Surmising that the gasoline tank hat
been punctured by the bullet, he wa,
inclined to believe that Marrophat
hoped to stop the taxicab by depriv-
ing 1t, in course of time of its fuel.
And with this in mind he was present
s, 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 match 1t was the
girl who gave the alarm, suddenly
withdrawing her head from the win
dow to scream at Alan:
Hes fired the gasoline! It's fam
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 flame catches
up with the tank"
simultaneously the chauffeur, over
hearing, shut OF 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 a roar and then
a heap OF smoking ruins.
Without waiting to admire the spec
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
fiess, hove into view, Promising It's
driver anything he might ask, in or
) cut of reason, Alan gave him the ad-
dress, and helped the girl in.
: II Marrophat pursued Alan could SEQ
no sign of him. The second car made
better time than the first. Unhindered,
and as far as could be determined,
without being followed, 1t covered the
brief remaining distance in CRATE
fully short lapse Of time.
The suburb dropped behind a maze
OF streets where dwellings stood shout
der to shoulder and dooryards were
scant. The car swept up to 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
az well as figuratively, for each 9TH
er's sake, incredulity drew veil be-
fore his vision. He viewed the world
as in glass, darkly.
He was aware OF decently fur
nished minister's study; OF two wit
nesses in the guise of unassuming
womenfolk of the minister's house
hold; of the Rev. Mr.. Wright himself |
as a benevolent voice rolling sono-
rously forth from a black-c1ad pres
ence; OF the woman of his heart stand
= 49,
and responses made; & ring that
was magically conjured from some
store apparently maintained against
precisely similar emergencies; of a
hand that took the hand that was to be
his wife's and placed it in his; Of his
clumsy and witless bungling with the
task of fitting that ring to the finger
of his sweetheart's hand
And then he was aware of door
that banged violently in the hallway;
of the sound of a mans voice making
some indistinguishable demand; that
Roses hand was suddenly whipped
away, before he could fit on the ring;
that the study door was flung open and
that this animal Of Marrophat had
precipitated himself into the room
He opened his mouth to protest.
and Marrophat silenced him with a
cry.
You fool! Drop that ring! Stop
this farce! Don't you know whom
you're marrying? That woman is Ju-
dith Urine, you idiot-not Rose!"
Blankly Alan turned to the girl
Her flaming face, her sullen eyes, }
her very pose, from which the man ;
ler of Rose had dropped like cast
garment, confessed the truth of Mar
-ophats assertion. And as II this were :
not enough, Judith confessed 1t doubly :
With sudden outbreak Of such rage
Is never could have been brewed In
Roses gentle nature. !.
~You DEVIL" she cried-and threw !.
herself in front Of Marrophat with Z
pring as 1.-the as that Of leopardess. :
Take warning now from me: keep !,
ut Of my way forever after this-Qr ! :,