News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1916-11-08


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. 1t was open. A
full, long minute elapsed. Even Sum
Fat held his breath throughout that
intermnable reconnaissance.
At length, treasured, the man slipped
into the room. Another minute: no
sound detachable more untoward than
that OF steady respiration in the bed
room; With movement as swift ana
sinister as the swoOp of a vulture, the
man sprang toward the bedroom door.
Leaping from a sitting position, with
a bound that was little less than a
flight through the air, the Chinaman
caught him halfway. There followed
a shrek, heavy fall that shook the
bungalow, the report of revolver,
sounds of scufiiing
Whitaker, half dazed found himself
standing in the doorway, regardless of
his injury.
He saw, as one who dreams and yet
is conscious that he does but dream,
Ember lighting candles-calmly apply
ing the flame of taper to one after
another as he made a round of the
scOnces. Sum Fat was kneeling on all
fours, above something that breathed
heavily and struggled without avail.
Whitaker's sleep-numbed faculties
cleared
'Ember!" he cried. "What in the
name of all things strange"
Ember threw him a pickering smile.
"Oh, there you are?" he said cheer
fully. i've got something interesting
to show you. Sum Fat''-he stopped
and picked up a revolver-'you may
let him up now, if you think he's safe"
ming. Had plenty"
lie mounted guard beside the door.
For an instant his captive seemed
reluctant to rise. Ember moved to his
side and stood over him, balancing the
revolver in his palm.
Come" he said impatiently. "Up
with your
The man sat up as If galvanized by
fear, got more slowly to his knees
then, grasping the edge of the table,
dragged himself laboriously to stand
ing position.
Whitaker's jaw dropped and his eyes
widened with wonder and pity. He
couldn't deny the man, yet he found 1t
hard to believe that this Quivering,
shaken creature, with his lean and
pasty face and desperate, glaring eyes,
this man in rough, stained, soiled and
shapeless garments, could be identical
with the well-set-up, prosperous and
confident man of affairs he remem-
bered as Drummond. And yet they
were one. Appalling TO contemplate
the swift, devastating course of moral
degeneration, that had spread like gan
creme through all the mans physical
and mental fiber
Take a good look" Ember advised
grimly. How about that pet myth
thing now? What price the astute
Perhaps you'd like to
take a few more funny cracks at my
simple faith in Authorizations.
81 had a notion he'd be hanging
around" Ember went on; 81 thought |
saw somebody hiding in the woods this
afternoon and then / was sure 1 saw
him skulking round the edges of the
after dinner. So / set Sum
Fat to watch. drove back to the village
to mislead him, left my car there and
walked back. And sure enough"
Without comment, Whitaker, unable
to stand any longer without discom-
fort. hObbled to a chair and sat down. |
"Welll" Drummond demanded harsh |
ly in a quavering snarL Now that |
you've got me, what're you going to |
do with met"
There was a high. hysterical accent |
in his voice that struck unpleasantly