Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-12-15
CHAPTER xl--contlnued,

C1AF X Ni--OOnllU0Cus
-13-
Ember pushed back his chair and.
rising, strolled to the door. "Moonrise
and a fine, clear night" he said, star
ing through the wire mesh OF the
screen. "Wish you were well enough
to go riding with me. However, you
won't be laid up long, / fancy. And
I'll be back day after tomorrow. NOW
1 must cut along"
And within ten minutes Whitaker
hoard the motor car rumble off on the
woodland road. He wasn't altogether
sorry to be left to his own society, but
in spite of his half-hearted perturba-
tion and dissatisfaction, the WEAKNESS
of a long, full day was so heavy upon
him that he went to sleep almost be-
fore Sum Fat had finished making him
comfortable.
Distinguishing the candle, the China
man, moving with the silent assurance
of a cat in the dark, closed and latched
the shutters, then sat down just out
side the living-room door, to wait and
witch, sleeplessly alert.
An hour passed in silence, and an
other, and yet another. Sum Fat sat
moveless In the shadow, which blended
so perfectly with his dark blue silk
garments as to render him almost in
distlngushable--a figure as patient
and imperturbable MS any bland, stout,
craven god of his religion. But In time
there fell upon his ears another sound,
to which he stirred, IL imperceptibly-
drawing himself together, tensing and
fiexing his tired muscles while his eyes
shifted quickly from one quarter to
another of the darkened living room
and the still more dark bedchamber.
And yet apparently all that had
reused him was the drowsy whistle of
a whlppoorwill.
Then, with no other presage, q
shadow fitted past one Of the side win
dows, and in another reappeared more
substantially on the veranda. Sum
Fat grew altogether tense, his gaze
fixed and exclusively focused upon
that apparition.
Cautiously, nOiselessly, edging inch
by inch across the veranda, the man
approached the door. It was open. A
full, long minute elapsed. Even Sum
Fat held his breath throughout that
iDterminable reconnaissance.
At length, reassured, the man slipped
Into the room. Another minute: nc
sound detectable more untoward thar
that of steady respiration in the bed
room; with a movement as swift ant
sinister as the swoop Of a vulture, thu
man sprang toward the bedroom door
Leaplng from sitting position, witt
bound that was little less than {
flight through the air, the Chinnmal
caught him halfway. There followe,
shrek, a heavy fall that shook tn
bungalow, the report OF a revolver
sounds Of scufiiing
Whitaker, half dazed, found himsel
standing In the doorway. regardless o
his injury.
He saw, as one who dreams and ye
Is conscious that he does but dream
Ember lighting candles-calmly apply
Ing the flame Of a taper to one afte
another al he made a round Of tn
sconces. Sum Fat was kneellng on a
fours, above something that breathe
heavily and struggled without avail.
Whitaker's sleep-numbed facultie
cleared.
"Ember" he cried. "What in th
name of all things strange"
Ember threw him Pickering smil
"Oh, there you are" he said chee
fully. 1--WE got something interestl1
to show you. Sum Fat"-he stoope
and picked up a revolver-"you ms
let him up now, if you think he's safe
"Safe enough" Sum Fat rose, gri
ming. "Had plenty"
He mounted guard beside the doc
For an instant his captive seem,
reluctant to rise. Ember moved to h
side and stood over him, balancing 4
revolver in his palm.
"Come," he said impatiently. "J
with your
The man sat up as If galvanized
fear, got more slowly to his, kne,
then, grasplng the edge of the tab
dragged himself laboriously to a star
ing position.
Whitaker's jaw dropped and his ey
widened with wonder and pity.
couldn't deny the man, yet he found
hard to believe that this quiveril
shaken creature, with his lean q
pOsty face and desperate, glaring ey
this man in rough, stained, soiled a
shapeless garments, could be identi
with the well-set-up, prosperous a
confident man of affairs he RENE
bered as Drummond. And yet Il
were one. Appalling to contempl
the swift, devastating course of mo
degeneration, that had spread like &
creme through all the mans physi
and mental fiber
"Take a good look" Ember advi
grimly. "How about that pet m
thing now? What price the asst
sleuth-eh? Perhaps you'd like
take a few more funny cracks at
simple faith in hallucinations.
II had notion he'd be hang
around" Ember went on; II thougl
saw somebody hiding In tine woods
afternoon; and then was sure
him skulklng round the edges OF
clearing after dinner. so set S
Fat 10 watch, drove back to the will
10 mislend him, left my car there
walked back. And sure enough 7
Without comment, Whitaker, un,
TO stand any longer without disc
fort hnbbled to chair and sat do
"Well?" Drummond demanded ha