Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-02
! Mary Roberts Rinehart 81
Thrilling Mystery Of
The Curve Of the Catenary"
Continued From Yesterday

~
He didn't even hear me- But when
we got out of the crowded part Of
town he relaxed, If you can call it
that. and talked a little. about the
mill, and an order we'd been angling
for, and some new machinery.
ollie" he said suddenly. as we
slued around corner and got under
way again, what was little Miss
Hazeltine crying for in the office this
morning?"
Search me. For the vote, maybe"
You hadn't hurt her feelings,
them"
Me? What do you think I ann"
Maybe sulked. 1 don't know. I
remember leaning back, and think
ing of Miss Hazeltine in the morn
ings, with the sort of boyish collar
and tie she wore, and her sleek hair,
very shiny, and her nice eyes, brown,
with little flecks of yellow in them,
and comparing her with Lottie Muir
ray. And Lotte lost on every count.
AS well as / could tell we were
going along Grove street then. not far
from the park.
All at once the taxi. which had been
going straight enough, veered to the
side. The next minute we'd leaped
the curb and brought up against a
house. The knock threw us both for
there we were, radiator against the
building, lamps smashed and out, and
the engine going on merrily l leaped
out and yelled at the driver.
What the dickens do you mean?"
roared. ''I'll report you for this.
You're drunk. You're
He never moved.
Drunk, paralyzed," said to Mar
tin. We're lucky he didn't kill u.s."
Martin was getting out He'd
brought up against the side of the car
and bruised the corner of his eye He
struck a match, and I could see that
he was pale. He bent over the driv-
er and held the match close.
Hes hurt, Ollie" he said. Hes
by Jove!"
I'm not going into details about
this part of it I don't like to think
or 1t. But the papers have been full
OF the story, so you know about it.
1t is quite true. The chauffeur's throat
was cut. think he died while we
looked at him. for he slid down in
the seat and his head lolled over
shockingly.
Martins match went out and we
stood there without speaking. l
couldn't have spoken to save my life.
My mouth felt like a blotter.
Dead" Martin said, speaking very
slowly. Hes dead, Ollie"
He can't be dead" I insisted. It
didn't sound like my voice. IF he's
dead. he's been murdered. And who
could have murdered him? I had my
eyes on him just before we veered.
He was alone. Unless a piece Of glass
from the lamps-but that's hardly
possible"
! l suppose we were both dazed, for
we set to work like two idiots, light
ing matches and looking for glass. The
lamps were smashed, but the glass
was mostly in the frames, or lust he
meath on the pavement
Anyhow I said at last. with a
flicker Of Intelligence, eff 1t was fly
| ing glass, that would mean that the
lamps were broken before he turned
! OF the street Wed have heard them
smash"
AS long as I didn't look at the fell
low I was all right. That is, I could
| certain extent. But 1t was Martin
who struck another match and bent
over him. He looked at him steadily.
with his face as white as chalk. Then
he lifted the match and looked over
the frame of the taxicab. At the
time thought it was one of those
things that people do, without reason,
under stress of excitement
So far no one had noticed us. hut
as he spoke a policeman made out
the deeper shadow of the taxi on the
| pavement and came running, "Any-
body hurt ?" he called.
The chauffeur"
The policeman painted UP. still
wake up at night, and hear the law
coming up on the run, so to speak. and
Martin standing there staring at the
taxi, with a burned-out match in his
hand. I was trying to light a cigaret.
| and I'm blessed If I could get the
match near enough to the end to fire
! the thing.
/ Much hurt"
I'm afraid So" said Martin.
Drunk. probably" He flashed a
night lamp over us both There ought
to be a law against selling these feI.
lows liquor. You gentlemen all right %
The mans been murdered" said