The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-11-07

doggedly, the voices became angrier.
"Nol No, tell you" the woman
cried. 81 don't know who you are
viii you go?"
Suddenly man came along the
passage behind her, carrying a walk
ing-cane with heavy handle. He
raised IL 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 ii
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
nized Kellerman. AS Kellerman, in
turn, recognized him, an angry sneer
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.
Kellerman 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. %enson out % 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 yindictively.
ooh, I'll leave him to you,' respond
ed Kellerman airily. You'll excuse me-
Wallace, I'm sure, but Mrs. Kens9n's
auto will be here in a few mOmerus -
Mark, hot with indigna 1Sn, answer.
ed nothing, but raised the nan 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.
-Four years since I've seen her." he
mumbled. 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 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. "Are
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.
"What's your name and where do yol
liver" he asked. 81 haven't time tc
waste on you, but I'm ready to help
you if can"
'My name? Hartley. Good enough
name, isn't it? Live? l haven't lived
| for more years than / remember. I'm
a corpse-see? / wanted to live
That's why l came here when l heard
she was in Washington. Walked from
New York. Why should she be here
now, unless there's another poor young
fool like me for her? Where the car.
cass is, there are the eagles--or is it
vultures?"
Mark drew the mans arm through
his and led him away. Presently a
cab came crawling up. He hailed it
and gave his address.
He took him home and played the
Good Samaritan, washed his wounds,
| plastered them, and gave the man a
bed in his living room. Hartley had
subsidized into a state Of frightened 81.
lence. He looked obviously at Mark
all the while he was receiving his min.
istrations, and would say nothing.
"Now, please understand" said
Mark, I've brought you here because
you seem to me to be up against it
| The doors unlocked And I'm trusting
you with my things. Those cups are
silver, Hartley-I won them at West
Point. That little picture is by Griffin
and worth about seven hundred. That's
about all, l think-but / want you to
understand you're free, and I'll help
you If can"
Hartley flushed rather oddly, Mark
| thought but said not word II was
foolish act, he thought repeatedly
before he fell asleep; but he must win
the mans confidence if he was to learn
, the mystery. And he was satisfied
that his interest in Eleanor's move
ment BODIED no harm to her.
In the morning, Hartley was gone,
as he expected. But he had taken nei-
ther the cups nor the picture.