Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-01-06

the temptation to convert to his own
needs and uses a property against
which, it appeared, no other living be-
ing cared to enter claim. The mon
etary loss was an inconsiderable thing
to q man with an interest in mines in
the Owen Stanley country. He said
nothing. Drummond's name remained
untarnished, save in the knowledge of
few.
OF these, Martin Ember was one.
Whitaker made point of hunting him
up. The retired detective received con-
firmation of his SurmiSe without any
amazement.
"You still believe that he's alive?"
Implicitly" Ember asserted with
conviction.
"Could you find him, II necessary"
''Within day, 1 think. Do you wish
me TOT"
Ember permitted Whitaker to con-
slider the matter in silence for some
moments. Then. do you want adj
vice?" he inquired.
"Well?"
Hunt him down and put him behind
the bars" said Ember instantly.
whats the good of thatT"
"Your personal safety"
'How2"
"With you out of the way, he could
come back without fear"
Ember permitted another pause to
lengthen, unbroken by Whitaker.
"Shall try to find him for your" he
said quietly, in the end.
"No," Whitaker decided. "No. Let
him alone-pOOr devil !"
Ember disclaimed further RESPONSE
bility with a movement of his Shout
ders.
"But my wife7 Could you find her
as readily?"
Possibly" the detective admitted
cautiously. "But don't mean to-"
"Why not?"
principally because she doesn't want
me to. Otherwise she'd let you know
where to look for her"
True"
These fragments Of dialogue are
the month of June, nearly seven weeks
after the farewell performance at the
Theatre Max. Interim. Whitaker had
quietly resumed his place in the life
of the town, regaining old friendships,
renewing old associations. The mild
excitement occasioned by his reappear-
ance had already subsidized; he was
again an accepted and substantial fac
tor in the society of his kind.
Gradually he began to know more
hours of loneliness than suited his
tastes. His rooms-the cid rooms over
looking Bryant park regained and re-
furnished much as they hac been six
years before-knew his solitary pres
ence through many a long evening.
July came with blistering breath and
he took to the Adirondacks, meaning
to be gone a month. Within ten days
he was home again, drawn back ire
sistibly by q strange, Unsuitable crav-
ing of unformulated desire. Town
bored him, yet he could not seem to
rest away from it.
He wandered in and out, up and
down, an unquiet, irresolute soul, ire
mendously perplexed.
There came one dark and sultry
night, heavy beneath skies overcast, in
August. Whitaker left a rOof-garden
In the middle of a stupid performance,
and walked the streets till long after
midnight, counting the fatigue that
alone could bestow untrOubled sleep.
On his return a sleepy hall-bOy with
wilted collar ran the elevator up to
his tenth-floor landing and, leaving him
fumbling at the lock of his door,
| dropped clankingly out Of sight. Whit
aker entered and shut himself In with
the pitch-blackness Of his private hall.
He CROPPED along the wall for the
electric switch, and found only the
shank of it, the hard rubber button
having disappeared. And then, while
still he was trying to think how this
| could have happened, he sustained
murdeVOus assault.
A m1scalculatio on the part of the
marauder alone saved him. The black
jack Cor whatever the weapon was)
missing his head by TIE narrowest
shave, descended upon his left Shout
der with numbing force Notwith-
standing his pain and surprise, Whit
aker rallied and grappled, thus escap-
ing a second and probably more deadly
| blow.
But his shoulder was almost useless,
and the pe.a Of 1t began to sicken him.
\ -
q devi. unclaimed.
For 3ome minutes the night vas rem
de-ed aid and violent with tie crashes
Of oyerthrown furniture and the thud
ami thump of struggling bodies. Then
Whitaker broke free and plunged In
what he imagined to be the direction
! Of & dresser In which he kept reyolv-