The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-08-05


For seven or eight blocks. after She
left police Headquarters June Travis
hurried on. from stree, to street. TO.
icaman Neeas ever close N her sid
The officers eyes never for an in
slant left the coat that hung over his
companion arm
The girl was in despair. She had
planned 50 clcyerly this kidnapping Of
tie coat
She was helpless dcspairing. And
with the blind instinct Of the despair
ing. she uncorsc,uusly turned her
steps homcward
Where does this cutter OF yours
live, anyhow. Dummy" the policeman
was asking
June paused, uncertainty This farce
could not 20 on much longer Mccks
was beginning TO grow suspicious
A quarter block ahead. the boulc
ward split into a ~ At the lett il
; continued at its present level. At The
right ran flight OF forty marble steps.
leading downward to a tcrracrd ave
( nue. one tier below the boulevard on
the city's hillside
And then. as ever of late in her mo
/ meuts Of direst need. an inspiration
| came 10 the girl.
Once more she took up her former
brisk stride; the grumbling Mccks
close behind her As they came TO
the fork Of the boulevard, she halted
| again.
Well" growled Meeks. which way.
now?"
She pointed down the long fight Of
marble steps. snowy in the vivid
moonlight. The man hcsitatrI She
glanced at him and saw the reason
His eyes were fixed in stupid wonder
at the right hand with which she was
pointing. On the surface OF the hand
cleaned tho Red Circle: mercilessly
distinct in the clear light.
June caught the policeman roughly
by the arm with her other hand. point
ed again toward the terrace beneath
them. and started down the steps at a
run.
Fearful of losing sight OF the pre-
cious coat. the policeman also broke
into numbering run. protesting
Hey, Go easy there, What's your
hurry? Want me to break my neck"
Even as he spoke. June planted her
feet firmly on one broad step and
came to an abrupt standstill Mecks
could not check his own speed as sud |
denly. So he lunged ahead a step or
two.
AS he numbered past her. the girl
deity swung her stick; holding it by
the ferule end The crook handle
caught Policeman Meeks neatly /
around the left ankle.
At the sane instant. June braced |
herself. and jerked backward with the |
stick.
Policeman Meeks' body smote the
stairway about six steps farther
down; bounded in air; missed a step
or two; then struck the stairway
again and proceeded to roll rapidly
down the remaining twenty-fOur steps.
For a bare half-second. the patrol
man lay halfstunned and breathless.
Then he scrambled groaningly to his
feet. sore all over.
Gone" croaked Policeman Meeks.
still catching his breath with difficult
ty. Gone"
1t was Yama's custom. on nocnlit
nights, to take his Japanese flute from
his tin trunk in the storeroOm and to
fare forth into the farthest reaches OF
the Travis garden; there to lean pen
clump Of shrubs. and, his eyes on the
moon, to play sentimental and hideous
Japanese melodies TO it,
Tonight. Yama was tootling away
right dreamfully, when the sound of
cracking bushes broke in upon his
music.
He stepped out of the shrubbery
clump to investigate. Then, the fiCte
fell from bis nerveless fingers and he
stared google eyed.
Across a patch OF lawn a figure was
its feet soundless on the turf.
a /
paused, at the bottom OF a vine trellis;
then skillfully began to climb the trel-
lis
1t reached a second story balcony;
stepped over the railing and began to
tumble with the long French windows
Of a room. The windows opened and
the figure glided into the room; soft
ly closing the windows behind it.
The spell was broken. With a yell
Of alarm, Yama grabbed up his fallen
flute and dashed for the house A sec
Ond or so latter burst unceremonious-
ly into the library where Mrs. Travis
and Mary were sitting
Scuse." he sputtered. 'Scuse,
please! But man climb up to honor
able Miss June's room"
The women flew upstairs. Yama,
prudently arming himself with a large
poker. followed.
When he reached the second floor
Mrs. Travis was already hammering
frartically at the locked outer door
of Junes suite.
What is it?" called a drowsy voice
from inside.
Quick" called Mary. Let us in,
dearie. There's a man"
In a minute" yawned June's voice
from the bedroom; Il can't find the
light"
The girl. never pausing for An in