The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-05-11
BY T.. w. Hornung.

the jagged Jumps or light In tn,
ivy-stranged bedroom windows
q already everything was darE
; downstairs.
= Here was the pale new sods
: they could just be seen, though
: his feet first felt their inequali
ties. His cigaret was the one
pin-prick OF light in all the gar
. den, though each draw brought
/ the buff brim of Jim Paley's
, Panama within an inch of his
) eyes, its fine texture like coarse
: mating at the range.
And the chair in which jim
: Paley had sat smoking this time
, last night, and doing the might
, before when the shot disturb ed
him. was just where he expected
his shins to find it; the wickers
squeaked as John Dollar took his
place.
, Less need now not to make a
sound; but he made no more than
he could help, for the night was
still and sultry, without any OF
the garden noises of a night ago.
1t was as though nature had STOP
ped her orchestra in disgust at
the plot and counterpart brewing
on her darkened stage.
/ The cigaret-end was thrown
away; 1t might have been a stone
that fell upon the grass, and Dol
lar could almost hear 1t sizzling
In the dew. His aural nerves were
tuned to the last pitch of sensi-
tive acknowledgement; a fly on the
dropping Panama-brim would not
have failed to scratch the brain 8
coat of eurd." How much
less the swift and furtive football
that came kissing the wet lawn at
last!
1t was more than football;
there was a following swish of
some long garment trailing
through the wet. 1t came near;
it all stopped dead. Dollar had
nodded heavily as if in sleep; had
jerked his head up higher; SEEM
ed to be dropping off again in
greater comfort.
The footballs and the swish
came on like thunder now. But
now his eyelids were only droop-
ing like the brim above them; in
the broad light of their abnormal
perceptivity, it was as If his own
eyes threw a dreadful halo round
the figure they beheld.
1t was a swaddled figure,
creeping into monstrisity, crouch
ing early for its spring. It had
draped arms extending, with
some cloth or band looped and
frightened at each stride; on the
rounded shoulders bobbed the
craning head and darkened. face
of General Dysone. - -
In his last stride he swerved as
IL to get as much behind the
chair as its position under the
tree permitted. The cloth clap
ped as 1t came taut over Dollars
head, but was not actually round
his neck when he ducked and
turned, and hit out and up with
all his might. He felt the rasp
of 15-hour beard, heard the
click of teeth; the lawn quaked,
and white robes settled upon a
senseless heap, as the plumage on
a murdered pigeon.
Dollar knelt over him and felt
his pulse, held an electric lamp to
eyes that opened, and quickly
something else to the dilated nos
trils.
20, JIM" shuddered a voice
close at hand. 1t was shrill yet
broken, a cry of horror, but like
no voice he knew.
He jumped up to face the gen.
erals wife.
ITS not Jim, Mrs. Dysone. It's
I-Dollar. He'll soon be all
right"
"Captain-Dollar?"
mo - doctor, nowadays -
he called me down as one HIM
/ self. And now I've come back on
my own responsibility, and-put
him under chQloroform; but I
hoNCh 8INCh min nuChs II va
Heavens sake, let us speak plain
ly while We cant"
She was on her knees, proving
his words without uttering one.
Still kneeling speechless, she
leaned back while he continued:
You know what he is as well as
l do, Mrs. Dysone; you may thank
Heaven a doctor has found him
out before the police! Monor MIA
is not their business-but neither
are you the one to cope with it.
You have shielded your husband
as only a woman will shield a
man; now you must let him come
to me-"
His confidence was taking some
effect; but she ignored the hands
that would have helped her to her
feet; and her own were locked in
front of her, but not in supplica-
ton. zut-
and what can any of you do
for him." she cried fiercely,--"ex-
cept take him away from me?"
'I will only answer for myself.
/ would control him as you can
n - A