The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1918-10-11
CHAPTER TX.

1 was pitch Tx. and he could see
Dothins. but e knew the voice for
IarJley's.
Where an l." he muttered. trying
10 rise and sinking back again.
In the .>enson house. Pc quick
There. LiSten."
Outside there was the confused mur-
I2}ur IF voices. above which came the
sound OF 2 crisp command. I..tn
some impler~ant fell heavily against
the door Of the house. S,2Iintering it.
Again the cries broke out.
Try again. muttered Hartley in
desI e1arion. There's a door into the
empty house le1J door. through the
cellar. The police don't know of it.
You must get away. You must get
away"
Mark tried again. and this time man
aged 20 rise.
Hartley caught Mark by the arm and
guided lis unsteady footsteps to the
| door. They gained the passage.
and Hartley guided Mark reward the
| head Of the basement steps which they
reached just as the front door fell in
under the hatchets of the raiders.
They scuJ1led down the stairs as the
oall became filed with the shouting Do
! .i..efnen.
| relal1 TIE first OF the raiders set his
| Scot upon the stone stairs Hartley had
It. and pushed Marx through following
| Immediately. He shut the door softly
behind him. They were in the base
ment Of the adjoining house.
Were safe now" said Hartley in a
whisper. You'd better rest, Captain
Wallace"
You're Hartley" muttered Mark,
sitting down and trying in vain to dis
Germ something of the others face
through the gloom. "What happened.
and how did YOU come on the scene?"
Good God forgive mel" moaned
Hartley. suddenly breaking into hys-
terical sobbing. as IN the former night.
I've ruined YOU, Captain Wallace.
What else could I dog
$50 you were in that plot. eh?" asked
Mark. wondering that he felt SO little
anger. We'll. it was clear enough. but
it doesn't matter now
/ y
Hartley. in vehement whisper. They
tricked me into it. I didn't know what
their scheme was when I agreed to get
you out of the room. But 1 found out
later And had suspected. God. Cap
tain Wallace, to think | found that
| door"
Never mind" said Mark soothin~ly.
listening to the stamping of the raiders
in the next house overhead. What
more do YOU know?"
Il knew that they wouldn't be salts.
fed with that, sir. They"
zone moment. Who is they Hart
ley:''
"'They,'" repeated Hartley vim.
tlictively "Those devils that make
pavns Of men. They meant to clincf
their dirty work one way or another
They meant to buy YOU. after running
YOU. and fashion you to their dirty
work. If they couldn't do that they
were going to"
Murder me?'
"No. sir. DiScredit you SO that moth
ing YOU could say would be listened to
"That's what they meant to do. l
was I Who WAS told to give the tip t.
the Eclict that there was gamblinS
here They thought the place wa.
.loSed-and it was. But they wanted
! the police TO find you here. and arres
Won. so that the story might get int
the newspapers and finish yOu-fnisi
4. YOU with the war department. and witt
Miss Howard.
"And what did you expect to get Oh
Of It. Hartley?" asked Mark.
He heard the man catch at hi
g breath.
"Sne wasn't your wife, Hartley?"
"No. CAPTAIN Wallace. nor
"But she has 4 hold on you stron
enough to compel you to do such WorI
. as she requires. And yet you hav
J. tried TO save ne diShonOr--if any NOR
could come to me-"
you saved ine. Captain Wallace! !"
Mark made q SOUND of incredulity.
''And I have been a gentleman. So
don't snov how man falls, Captai
, Wallace"
"Hartley, you haven't answered. II
question. Now here's another. VIII
were you watching Colonel Howard
house the other nisht?'
'Iou know that?"
/; ct followed you here. Tell me th
whole truth about this business, an
:, I'll stand by you to the end
'Ill trust yOu-to the limit-but
, won't tell you. Captain Wallace. Som
day. perhaps but not now. I'll stan
by you. and I'll fight at your side, 81
J. But I won't tell you. And that's tn
only condition on which [ can agree
Z what you propose"
# "And if we succeed-?"
"No: if,' but 'when'," cried Hartle
,e with a sudden out burst of cOnvictic
I'll tell you then-yes, Captain Wa
= lace. And till then We'll fight toGeth'
70 null down this nest of cOnSnraf