The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-10-21

| The captive Strengthened him
self as we'll as his bonds woult
i let him.
/ "You-you've let the psyche
logical moment go by, gentlemen
I've got my second wind. You
may burn and destroy and shoe
as you please, but while I'm alive
I'll stay with you. Blaze away
II that's what you want to do"
/ The horror-stricken watcher a
the door covered her face will
her hands to shut out the sigh
of the murder. 1t was not unit
Lidgerwood's voice, calm ant
even-toned and haunting, brok'
the silence that she ventured tt
look again.
We'll, gentleman, I'm waiting
Why don't you shoot? You are
greater towards than l have evel
been, with all my shiverings ant
teeth-chatterings. Isn't the stake
big enough to warrant your las
desperate play? I'll make it big
ger. You are the two men who
broke the rail joint at Silver
Switch. All, that hits you, doesn't
it,"
shut up!" growled the tai
man, with a frightful impreca'
ton. But the smaller of the two
was silent.
Lidgerwood's grin was CHASTITY
"You curs!" he scoffed. you
haven't even the courage OF your
own necessities! Why don't you
pluck up the nerve to shoot, and
| be done with it? I'll make il
still more binding upon you; ii
yon don't kill me now, while you
have the chance, as God is my
witness I'll hang you both for
those murders last night at Sill
yer Switch. l know you, in spite
of your flimsy disguise, l can
call you both by name!"
Our in the yard the ceilings and
shoutings had taken on new
note, and the windows of the up
per room were jarring with the
thunder of incoming trains. Flea
nor Brewster heard the new
sounds vaguely; the jangle and
clank of the trains, the quick,
steady tramp of disciplined men,
snapped-out words of command,
the sudden cessation of the riot
elamor, and now a shuffling of
feet on the stairway behind her.
Still she could not move; still
she was speechless and SPELL
bound, but no longer from ter
ror. Her cousin--her lover
how she had misjudged him! He
cowardl This man who was
holding his two executioners at
bay, quelling them. cowing them
by the sheer force of the stronger
will, and of a courage that was
infinitely greater than theirs?
The shuffling footsteps came
nearer, and once again Lidger-
wood Strengthened himself in his
chair, this time with mighty
struggle that broke the knotted
cords and freed him.
Il said | could name you, and
l will" he cried, springing to his
feet. "You," pointing to the
smaller man, you are Pennington
Flemisher: and you," wheeling
upon the tall man and lowering
his voice, you are Rankin Hal
| lock!"
The light of the fire in the shop
yard had died down until its red
glow no longer drove the shadows
from the corners of the room.
Eleanor shrank aside when a
dozen men pushed their way into
the private office. Then, sudden
ly the electric lights went on, and
a gruff voice sold, Drop them
guns, you two. The shows over. -
1t was Judson who gave the or
der. and it was obeyed sullenly.
The engineer-constable thrust a
handcuffed prisoner of his own
capturing into the lighted room.
There he is. Mr.. Lidgerwood,"
snarled Judson. 81 nabbed him
over yonder at the first, workin
to put it out, Just as If he hadn' t
| told his gang to go and set it,"
"Hallock!" exclaimed the SUI
perintendent, starting as If he
had seen a ghost. How is this ?
Are there two of your"
Hallock looked down moodily.
There were two of us who want
ed your job, and the other one
needed it badly enough to wreck
trains and kill people, and to lead
lot of pigheaded trainmen and
mechanics into a riot to cover his
tracks"
Lidgerwood turned quickly.
"Unmask these men, Judson."
1t was the signal for a tumult.
The tall man fought desperately
to preserve his disguise, but Flem-
ister's mask was torn off in the
first rush. Then came a diver
sion, sudden and fiereely tragic.
With a cry of rage that was like
the yell of a mailman, Hallock
flung himself upon the mine
owner, beating him down with
his manacled hands, choking him,
grinding him into the dust of the
floor. And when the avenger of
wrongs was pulled off and
dragged to his feet. Lidgerwood,
looking past the death-grapple,
saw the figure of a woman sway
ing at the corridor door; saw the
awful horror in her eyes. In the
turning OF a leaf he had fought
his way to her.