Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-06-09
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started for the door where ne collided
with June. as she ran in swathed in
chiffon wells and motor coat.
"Oh, there YOU are" she smiled at
| his evident emba ~rassment. 'Yama,
here's the key to my large trunk-the
one with the trays, you know It's so
| jammed fun we can't close IL. VIII you
close and lock It after we've gone? The
| 5aSgageman win be here SOON
"Of certain, Miss June assented
| the grave little man.
THANK you. Now will you come out
and tuck us in the car? There's no one
who can fix an automobile robe as snug
lly as you can, Yama. Somehow or other
! it always stays put"
Although at her praise his little heart
swelled night to bursting, the mask or
| pale bronze did not even ripple, as Nama
| down the steps
| Flattened against the house, Sam
heard Mrs. Travis give final instructions
about locking up the place. Then June's
musical young voice called out:
Don't forget to give the eXpressman
the right address, Yama"
And they were gone. sam heard
Yama patter across the porch, close
the front door and walk through the
main nall AT the IOOL VI NilC oNohAA "e'J
! he stopped to switch off the hall light.
/ Then he mounted the stairs, his tread
so light that Sam had to strain his ears
to make certain.
4 dull rage burned in Eagan's heart;
the MALIGNANT. vigulent rage of the dup
ed crook who has never before doubted
his own craft. Drawing the light, the
possibility Of captuTe-everything-
/ hS stepped boldly through the open
window and walked to the center of the
room. His hand closed on the ugly
knife lying on the table, with savage
ness that was foreign to his usual
suave methods.
He ran his squat, fiat thumb along
the blade, and he smiled as he felt its
razor elqe cut into his tough hide de-
| spite the lightness of his touch. Then
he listened intently for a moment.
Overhead he heard the floor respond
almost inperceptibly to Yama's light
stems. That must be the room the
trunks were in, he decided Afraid to
switch off the dining room lights on
account Of the slight clicking sound, he
bent down and cre0t along the floor, so
that his body could not be seen from
the outside.
Once in the darkened hall, he stood
erect and rclt his way to the stairs.
They created family under his bulky
weight--too family to attract attention.
Yana his bacl; toward the door, was
try inC to persuade a bullying trunk that
his, slight weight was sufficient to end
the argument. Smiling Sam" crawled
across the hall and pulled himself up
alongside the door. Once more he slid
his thumb along the knife edge to make
sure it had not dulled.
Then he slowly ana silently opened
the door. Intent upon the stubborn
Job before him, Wanna heard nothing
sensed nothing. sam drew closer; one
f7t clenched and raised, the othef
gripping the curved, glinting knife.
When he was two feet behind the taut-
ly straining figure Of the Jap, he drew
his first free breath and expelled it
with a sharp, kissing sound.
Yama twisted suddenly, his face
green-white under the yellow overlay,
his Inns dragged back from his large,
projecting teeth. The hollows under
his high cheek bones deepened to cav
ems. a cultural gasp Of terror came
from his dry throat.
Sam stood over him, brandishing the
knife, snarling, swearing. threatening.
The delirious fright Of the little man
before him fired his blood. He was a
giant, an armed one-over an unarmed,
babling pygmy. He fourished his wea-
pom more extravaeantly. Then sudden
~ a great idea came to him, and to cell
citrate it he held the knife a few inch
es from Yama's throat and made a
graphic pass through the air, emitting
at the same time that pleasant, gurgling
sound which is supposed ii be the swan
SOM of a man having his throat cut.
Take the trays out of that trunk
and dump the things in that closet over
there" he commanded
Now look lively, you, and step, I'M
less you wanta be punctured," Ne added,
gerially.
without taking his eyes from the
grimly scintillating blade, Yama lifted
the tray and started for the other side
of the room. \ savage order halted
him
"Oh no you don't. Just wait for me,
YOU little sulphur-colored mutt. How
10 know you haven't a gun cached In
there?"
He logged the lettering little foot
steps with a heavy echo and trailed
them back to the trunk, as the action
was repeated with the second tray.
Now pull those Rigs out of the
trunk proper" Sam emphasized the COM
mand by jabbing the tip of the knife
into the trunk lid, where 1t stuck quiv-
ering from the force of the blow.
He bert over and watched the con-
tents as they flew through Yama's trem-
bling little talons. When he came to
the boat cushions, Sam grabbed Mis- bony
shoulders between an iron thumb and
forefinser.
Leave these things in--they're soft.
Fire out their tennis racket and the last
pair of shoes. Now look here, you bill
ious shrimp; you're going back to lock
me I'm that trunk Understand? You're
going to lock me in, ship me to the city
as baggage and keep your Sab muzzled.
II you breathe a word to anybody
here Sam drew an aeroplanic road map
with his knife-"Ill run this little lawn
mower down your throat, cut out your
vocal cords and string EN- on my either!
/ Get me? Now lock me in!'
Fortified with fear, Yama made an att
tempt to expostulate. Outside the slow.
regular trot-trot of well-fed placid truck
horses, pulling a rafting wagon sounded
unusually distinct on the night air
Sam brought the knife perilously close
to the Jap's dilated nostrils and drew
| il back and forth, uttering unpleasant
sounds with final flourish he drop
ed into the trunk and pulled the LID
/ down over him.
/ Lock it, or TIL carve a rose on your
! heartl' The muffled threat leaked