Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-10-25

date and hardly reclaimed region bOr-
dering the Potomac. The houses here
were old, many appearing vacant and
tumble-down, and for the most part
standing each in a little garden.
Mark was beginning to think OF
tackling the fugitive. who, unconscious
of pursuit, was ABOUT fifty PAGES IN
front of him, when suddenly the man
turned in at the tiny garden OF an ap-
parently deserted house and knocked
at the door, which was opened almost
Immediately.
Mark heard a subdued scream, and
then the mans voice in angry alterca-
ton.
He was talking to the woman who
had opened the door. She looked
about five and thirty years Of age. and
her face, distinctly visible against the
light in the hall, was well-bred, If not
attractive. She seemed one of those
cosmopolitans who frequent the CAPT
tai Mark was still uncertain whether
her house was one of those residences
that are still occupied in this district
by the original owners, or whether she
was the mistress of one of those gam
bling establishments that flourish of
necessity along the avenues of the
earlier alphabet.
The man seemed to be pleading with
her, his gestures were growing fran
tic. He looked about five AMI forty
years Of age; his face struck Mark
with a certain odd familiarity, though
he had never seen him closely before,
and bore traces of breeding, blurred
either by dissolute habits or by mis-
fortune.
The woman answered him in tones
of quick anger, and made gesture OF
dismissal. The man held his ground
doggedly, the voices became angrier.
"No! No, I tell your the woman
cried. II don't know who you are!
VIII you go?"
Suddenly a man came along the
ing-cane with heavy handle. He
raised it and brought it crashing down
on the others head.
The man fell to the ground, evident
ly half stunned by the blow. The lam
with the cane raised it and brought 1t
down again and again upon the others
head and face, in succession OF sick
ening crashes.
Mark ran to the garden gate. The
man with the stick paused, raised his
head, and looked at him. Mark recog-
niZed Kellerman. AS Kellernan, in
turn, recognized him, an angry sheer
spread over his face.
"My dear Wallace, what the dickens
are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Are you trying to kill this man?"
asked Mark.
Kellerlnan seemed nonplussed for
the moment.
81 hope I've given him his lesson"
he answered. "He came here and de-
manded money, and nearly frightened
Mrs. HENSON out of her senses. Let
me present you"
Mark looked into the keen, apprais-
ing eyes cf Mrs. Henson with dislike
and disgust.
you'd better let him go, Major Kel-
lerman," he said. AS he spoke he saw
Mrs. Henson bite her lip vindictively.
ooh, I'll leave him to you," respond
ed Kellern.an airily. you'll excuse me.
Wallace, Tn sure, but Mrs. Kenson's
auto will be here in q few mo,aents."
Mark, hot with Indignation, answer
ed nothing, but raised the man FROM
the ground and got him outside the
gate. AS he did SO he heard the door
OF the house close softly.
The tramp was half unconscious.
and l1utterirg vaguely.
-Four years since I've seen her. he
munlbied. 81 didn't want money. Only
the word. God knows ] wouldn't have
taken money from her as he said, the
cur"
'Was she your wife?" asked Mark,
thinking that he saw light.
"God forbid" CALCULATED the man
with convincing sportaneity. "Who
are you, anyway" he demanded, look
Ing at him directly for the first time.
"What were you doing in that placer"
He grasped Mark by the arm. care
you another friend of hers?" he asked.
"Or didn't you know that it's the swell
est gambling house in Washington?
Mark took him by the shoulders.
"Whats your name and where 60 you