South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-09-28
WHAT MADGE DID TO SAVE !
DANGEROUS SITUATION

40 SOon dr. the stranger, Wn0m 20
my terror ! thought I had recog-
, nized, went through the door OF
the writing room, Allen Drake jerked
open the door Of the telephone booth
in which he had concealed me.
Keep close behind me" he said in
low voice we must get out of
here and throw that fellow off the
track if We can. lie has followed
me from the city"
Look ont for him. He's des-
perate." / returned my voice as low
as his, but with Il tremOr / couldn't
conceal
You know him." Mr.. brakes
tone indicated surprise. but he didn't
turn his face q fraction of an inch
toward me. We remained i'm the
waiting room sheltered behind his
broad shoulders-until the man we
were watching had gone up the
staircase leading from the train level
OF the Jamaica platform 10 the upper
corridor, and had disappeared from
view. Then. still keeping me partly
behind him. we followed the path
the man had taken.
Yes" / returned, and put down
the impulse 10 tell Mr. Drake of the
reasons I had for personally fearing
the man. There was no time for
many words. for we were already
mounting the staircase. and tried
to initiate the stealthy. almost In
dian-like tread of Mr.. brakes.
The reason for this was apparent
as we reached the head Of the stairs.
The man ahead of us had fattened
himself into a niche i'm the corridor,
evidently waiting 10 determine which
way we were going in order 10 fol-
low US. Not hearing our footsteps,
he had Grained 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 cor
ridor.
\ Quick Move
Mr.. Drake wasted no time. He
reached out his arm, sinewty be-
meath its rather foppish sleeve, and
caught the other man by the scruff
of the neck shaking him slightly.
See here, my friend" he said. L
don't like your style Of work at all.
Now you beat il quick before some
thing happens to YOU"
lie had mistaken both the strength
and the calibre OF his antagonist.
saw the man twist almost away from
Mr.. brakes grasp and in the same
instant saw-what my companion
from his position could nOt-the
quick, yet stealthy movement of his
hand toward his hip pocket
For the infinitesimal fraction Of a
minute 1 was paralyzed at the sight.
Then the impulse TO scream seized
me. How / managed 10 keep from
shrieking and to do the thing / did
will always be a mystery 10 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 |
knew held under the glove the car
bolic acid scare l had been forced
10 put upon it came slowly up with
q terrible little silencer pistol i'm it.
/ discharged the full contents of the
The Third Man
The pistol dropped, harmIessly, as
l thought, to the floor. and the man.
gasping. clawing. blinded, spun
around frantically.
Good girl" Mr. Drake said APP
provingly-he had seen his danger
too late 10 avert it. But now what's
TO be done2"
I saw that his query was address
cd 10 himself. not TO me. 1t was
answered in an unexpected manner.
From the stairway at the other end
of the corridor a man suddenly
emerged a man who took a quick
look around. and then, seeing US,
started down the corridor at a swift
trot. running. however. upon the
balls OF his feet, noiseleSsly.
Pm glad I'm not too late" he
said. as he came up and took in the
situation with incredible swiftness.
I'll take care OF this chap, sir he
turned 10 Mr.. Drake. He almost
got away from me"
He didn't offer TO touch the with
ing man near us. ] saw Mr.. Drake
look AT MIN siltW ulN- lnen SdlO
abruptly:
You were the third taxi"
The man grinned. And you led
the race, he returned.
Exactly" Mr.. Drake replied. and
then in an authoritative tone. We'll,
how about it,"
There must have been some hidden
signal in the words. for the man
Strengthened as "A soldier might have
done, and throwing open his coat
displayed a cleverly concealed badge.
Mr. Drake inspected il, and in his
turn presented a similarly concealed
badge for the others inspection. Into
the mans face flashed the look OF
subordinate suddenly confronted
with superior.
I'd go down that third stairway.
he advised in low voice There =
less danger of meeting the guards.
Thanks" returned Mr.. Drake.
and. picking up the pistol which his
assailant had dropped. and pocket
inc it, he turned and escorted me
down the corridor 70 the third stair
way.
Personals