The diamond drill., 1919-05-31
word. Leroux turned away.

treating ngure and her eyes widened.
I thought / saw shadow OF fear In
them. Then the memory was effaced
and she was smiling again.
i instructed the store TO call mes
senger and have the suitcase taken at
once 10 the baggage room In the Grand
Central station.
"Now Jacqueline. I'm going TO take
you TO lunch" said. "And afterward
we will start for home"
Outside the store I looked carefully
around and espled Leroux almost i'm
mediately. lighting cigar I'm the door
way OF "a shop. l hit upon a rather
daring plan 10 escape him.
Carson's Offices were In a large mod
ern building. with many elevators and
entrances. / walked toward IL with
Jacquellne. being satisfied that Leroux
was following us; entered about
twenty-five yards before him, and
ascended TO the elevator, getting of,
however, on the floor above that on
which the Offices were.
/ was satisfied that Leroux would
follow me a minute later. under the
impression that we had gone TO Car
sons Office. and so. after waiting a
minute or two. took Jacqueline down
In another elevator, and we escaped
through the front entrance and jumped
into taxicab.
/ was satisfied that I had thrown
Leroux Off the scent but took the
precaution TO stop at a gunsmiths
shop and purchase pair OF automatic
pistols and hundred cartridges.
But / was very uneasy until we
found ourselves In the train. At last
.verything was accomplished-our bag
age upon the seats beside us and our
lerths secured. And then. at the very
moment when the wheels began TO re-
yoIve, Leroux stepped down from
neighboring train. AS he passed our
window he espied US.
He started and glared. and then he
came racing back toward us. shaking
his fists and yelling vile expletives.
He tried 10 swing himself aboard In
his fury. despite the fact that the doors
were all shut A porter pushed him
back, and the last saw OF him he
was still pursuing us. screaming with
rage.
knew that he would follow on the
next train, reaching Quebec about FIVE
the following afternoon. That gave us
five hours grace.
/ turned toward Jacquellne, fearful
that she had recognized the man and
realized the situation. But she was
smiling happily al my side, and | was
confident then that. by virtue of that
same mental inhibition, she had neil
ther seen nor heard the fellow.
New York was slipping away. All
my old life was slipping away like
this-and evil following us. slipped
one of the automatics out OF my suit
case into my pocket and swore that I
would guard JacquelIne from any
shadow OF harm.
/ opened one of the newspapers
that / had bought at the station book
stand, dreading 10 find In faring let
ters the headlines announcing the dis
.coyery q the body.
found the announcement-but In
small type. The murder was ascribed
to a gang battle-the man could not be
identified. and apparently both police
and public considered the affair mere
ly one of those daily slayings that
occur In that city.
Another newspaper devoted about
the same amount OF space to the ac-
count, but II published a photograph
OF the dead man. taken In the alley,
where, II appeared, the reporter had
viewed the body before II had been
removed. The photograph looked hor-
ribly lifellke. cut IL out and placed
II In my pocketbook.
turned toward JacquelIne. She
was asleep at my side and her head
dropped on my shoulder. We sat thus
all the afternoon. while the city dis
appeared behind us. and we passed
through Connecticut and approached
the Vermont hills.
Then we had gay little supper In
the dining car. Afterward l walked
10 the car entrance and flung the bro.
ken dog collar away-across the fields
That was the last link that bound us
10 the past