The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1918-10-08
n. c..

| LII Ills mlnQ now he was to accOmnliSh
tnls' Mark made his way after the soil.
tary figure, keeping we'll behind it.
! IL soon became clear that the man.
altnough he looked like a tramp, had
uennlte objective. Mark pursued him
TOWARD pennsylvania avenue, until he
discovered that he was nearing the
least desirable part of WASHINGTON.
whose location, so near the residence
OF the chief executive, has always been
the wonder and scandal of visitors.
he was in one Of those streets that
start Dravely in the city and debouch
into the low-lying land in that interme-
dlate and hardly reclaimed region Dor
derlng the Potomac. The houses here
were DID, many appearing vacant and
tumDle-doyvn, and for the most part
stanIirS each in little garden.
Mark was beginning to think of
"a akllng the fugitive, who, unconscious
OF pursuit, was about fifty PAGES IL
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. an
then the mans voice in angry altercs.-
| 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
c0SmopOlitanS who frequent the capj-
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.
Inc man seemed to be pleading with
her, his gestures were growing fran
| tic. He looked about five and forty
years of age; his face struck Mark
with 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 a gesture of
dismissal. The man held his ground
dOggedly, the voices became angrier.
"No! No, I tell your! the woman
cried. 81 don't know who you are!
Will you go?"
Suddenly a man came along the
| passage behind her, carrying a walk
ing-cane with a 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 man
with the cane raised it and brought it
down again and again upon the others
head and face, in a 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 Kellerman, in
turn, recognized him. an angry sheer
spread over his face.
my dear Wallace, what the dickens
are you doing here?" he demanded.
care you trying to kill this MANI"
asked Mark.
| Kellerman seemed nonplussed for
the moment
II 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 of 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 Kellerman airily. you'll excuse me,
Wallace, I'm sure, but Mrs. Kenson's
auto will be here iQ few moments"
| 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 muttering vaguely.
j.; -Four years since I've seen her." he
mumbied. II didn't want money. Only
the word. God knows 1 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 spontaneity. "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
| E-:@ - -
"Or didn't you know that it's the swell
est gambling house in Washington?
Mark took him by the shoulders.
"What's your name and where do you
hve?" he asked. II haven't time to
waste on you, but I'm ready to help
| you if CAM