Evening star., 1917-10-21


lean man paid no attention to Her
komer's rush. or to his shots: he leaped
into the room. And Herkomer. gaining
the doorway. felt his right hand grow
suddenly numb his revolver clattered
to the floor. and he stood there block
ing the way of his followers.
1t was weeks before he could gain
proper perspective to revisualize that
whole picture to its component parts.
Then he could get in detail what just
now he got only in the mass
Burton Conybear sat in an armchair.
his legs and hands manacled. He was
moving his body from side to side to
avoid the shots that the lean man fired
at him. This. or the end of this scene,
was what Herkomer entered upon.
open: through it came a red-haired
young man whom Herkomer knew to
be waring
Waring hurled himself upon the lean
man. From still another door came
the woman in the rurees dress She
fired at Waring: and from that same
door came another young woman who
seized the arm of the nurse: the spit
ting revolver swayed toward Herko-
MGR: tnstinctively he drcked But some
thing struck him heavily over the left
temple: he reeled into the arms of Kel-
cey: then a rush of men. his men, went
by him. and Herkomer lost conscious
ness.
The rasp of file and the sound Of
voice that sounded as harsh as the
working steel broke in upon Herkomer's
consciousness. He sat up. and a ring
ing in his brain made him dizzy He
fell back into strong arms. he looked
up: the wrinkled visage of Kelcey was
close to his face. He could see tears
In kelcey's eyes, though the lips of
kelcey framed grin
Fee]in' fine. commissioner Sure you
are Nothin wrong but a lick on the
mitt and dab on the bean. Sit up?"
The ringing and the dizziness died
away. Herkomer sat up. He looked
the rug before him. He looked away
He had seen violence before, but he
had never been part of violence until
tonight-or this morning. Which was
What time is it?" he asked Keicey.
You amt been lyin' here fifteen min
utes. commissioner" reassured kelcey.
''Conybear?'
That's him talkin"
Through an open door Herkomer saw
the Erizz1ed old fnancier. He was sit
ting at a desk. telephoning and as he
talked man whom Herkomer recos-
nized as a police chauffeur was fling
away at the irons that held Conybears
feet together
Right" Conybear was saying We'll
bust this panic higher than kite by
1915 o'clock in the morning I'll be at
my office at seven. You be there; round
up the others: Til have enough cash on
hand to show anybody that's nervous
that bull market is on the way.
He hung up the receiver with his man.
acled hands and wheeled around, almost
knocking over the kneeling man who
labored at his ankles. He spied Herko-
mer.
Here. this can wait" he roared. He
rose and shuffied into the next room.
How're you feelin'?' he cried GREAT
fight wasn't 1t? BY gosh, it made me
Young again. Pshaw. you didn't see 1t?
Tough luck, Been phonin' my broker
I'll be on the job in the mornin'. Here
you, get busy with my feet again"
And he sank into a chair and beamed
upon the commissioner as though they
were seated pleasantly in a club, chat
ting together.
Herkomer beamed in response, though
1t hurt his head to move a muscle Of
his face. He felt the bandage across
his forehead and sighed as he looked
at his Observation-Disclosures hand. 1t
would be weeks before he could play
tennis again. And he loved tennis.
What you sighin' for?" chuckled
Conybear. "Ain't you landed the big
gest gang that ever was and covered
yourself with glory, and won't the girls
make a fuss over a handsome young
feller with a wounded hand? You bet!
Smilew
But Conybear's words did more than
make Herkomer slightly ashamed Of
his regret over pastime only tenn
porarily lost: it made. him realize clear
ly all that had happened, or that must
have happened.
"Kelcey sketch In the bare places,
will your
Kelcey grinned. Well there's one
guy on the way to the cemetery-at
least he will be tomorrow"
'"Shot?"
NO" And the good-natured KeIcey's
tone was slightly regretful as he made
the admission. "Apoplexy: Leastwise,
so the doc says
He nodded at bearded man in the
background. who bowed acquiescence.
Yes. but them
why. then. commissioner. why. then.
you sec"
He-komer wondered why Kelcey
should speak in 50 slngsong a voice
He suddenly realized that he was being
picked up and carried. He knew what
they had done They'd given him an
injection of some sort to ease him. ard
now he was going to sleep. and he
wished they had let him alone But
wishes rarely alter facts. Herkomer
was asleep before his bearers reached
the foot Of the stairs. But 1t was
calm. restful sleep. undisturbed by
harassing dreams.
CHAPTER XVII.
IL was almost noon when Ferkomer
reached his office the next day. Eight
hours Of solid sleep. backed up by a
wonderful constitution. made him much
more fit than his fussy housekeeper
was willing to believe. However. de-
spite her dire prognostications and her
reiteration of what the doctor had said
when he was brought home. Herkomer,
after several telephone calls, left the
house.
He smiled his way through the re-
porters. to whom enough had been
given last night to delight a sensa-
tion-hungry world this morning. but
who clamored for more. He promised
to talk with them In a couple of hours,
and made his way to his Office.
1t was good-sized gathering that
had assembled there. The Sinsabaughs,
man and wife: Philip Waring, Cony-
bear-whose mere presence had stopped
the panic this morning: man Cony-
bear chatted with cheerfully and whom
he insisted on calling Henderson, and
two girls one extremely pretty. though
pale. and the other easily remembered
as the nurse" of last night There
was also the secret service man from
Washington.
Herkomer sat down at his desk. He
eyed the group.
Henderson" he said, suppose you
begin
"Chesley. if you don't mind. commits
Chesley, formerly of the secret serv-
ice"
And presently of the secret service
amended the man from WASHINGTON