New Britain herald., 1918-03-26
RELATIONS OF A WIFE
Bx ADEIH GARRISON

 The man ahead of us had fattened himself into a niche in the corridor, evidently waiting to determine which way we were going in order to fol- low us. Not hearing our footsteps, he had craned his head out of his apology for a. hiding place, and thus betrayed his purpose to us as we came up the last step into the corridor.
 A Quick Move.
 MT. Drake wasted no time. He reached out his arm, sinewy beneath it's rather foppish sleeve, and caught the other man by the scruff of the neck, shaking him slightly.
 See here, my fried,' he said. 'I don't like your style of work at al. Now you beat it quick before some thing happens to you
 He had mistaken both the strength and the calibre of his antagonist I saw the man twist almost away from MT. Drake's grasp, and in the same in stant saw-what my companion from his position could not---the quick, yer stealthy movement of his hand to- ward his hip pocket.
 For the infinitesima1 fraction of\a minute I was paralyzed at the sight. Then the impulse to scream seized
 
 shrieking, and to do the thing I did will always be a mystery to me.
 But as the mans hand went into his hip pocket mine flashed into Katherine's knitting bag and out again, the ammonia gun she had given me held tightly in my hand. And as the gloved hand which I knew held under the glove the carbolic acid scars I had been forced to put upon it came slowly up with a terrible little silencer pistol in it. I discharged the full contents of the ammonia gun into the mans face.
 The Third Man.
 The pistol dropped harmlessly, as I thought, to the floor and the man, gasping, clawing, blinded, spun around frantically.
 Good girl MT. Drake said approv- ingly-he had seen his danger too late to aver 1t. "But now whats to be done?"
 I saw that his querry was addressed to himself, not to me. It was an- swered in an unexpected manner. From the stairway at the other end of the corridor g. man suddenly emerged, a man who took 8 quick look around, and then, seeing us,
  trot, running, however. upon the balls of his feet, noiselessly, I'm glad I'm not too late" he said as he came up and took in the situa- ton with incredible swiftness. "Ill take care of this chap, sir he turned to MT. Drake. He almost got away from me"
 He didn't offer to touch the writh 1 ing man near Us. I saw Mr. Drake look at him shrewdly, then said ] abruptly:
 i You were the third taxi 1 The man grinned. And you led the 1 race,' he returned.
 1 Exactly" MT. Drake replied. and ] then in an authoritative tone. Well, 1 how about it ?''
 | There must have been some hidden l signal in the words. for the man l Straightened as 8, soldier might have | done, and throwing open his coat, dis | played 8. cleVerly concealed badge l MT. Drake inspected it. and in his 1 turn presented a similarly concealed | badge for the others inspection. Into 1 the mans face flashed the look or 2 l subordinate suddenly confronted with 8 superior.
 'Td go down that third stairway. ' 1 he advised in low voice There's l less danger of meeting the guards
 Thanks" returned MT. Drake, and picking up the pistol which his assail. ant had dropped, and pocketing it, he 1 turned and escorted me down the cor. 1 ridor to the third stairway