Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1919-10-02
4 4 4 4 4 4
6be
IMPOSTOR
CspyrighEl

tCepyrtgAkl
Continued From Sixth Pagei.
was gone. and In Its place was sud-
den relief. genuine enough for all the
shrewd. cunning CLEAN Of the eyes
that accompanied IL.
"YOu say you are Wailen, Ell. the
first mater" asked Marie craftily.
"Yes," said Wallen composedly.
then yos're liari" Marie shouted
instantly and sprang up hram his seat.
There was an echoing creak Of
chairs as they were showed back all
over the room. the scufiie Of heavy
boots as men rose 10 their fest. Wal.
len. suddenly hard-faced. taken by sur
prise. hastily pushed his own chair
back and stood mp.
Marie was laughing brutally now,
but In q strangely hysterical way. In
which relief again was dominant. II
puzzled Wallen-but there was little
time to think of that. The men from
the nearest table were pushing for
ward.
"what do you chaps say to thatr"
Marie bawled out. pointing toward
Wallen. This ere cove says he's Wal
len. the first mate Of the Upolo. the
bark you've all read about al bein'
picked mp by the Phyllis r.
A chorus Of derisive jeers, oaths and
outlaws greeted the announcement.
Wallen's hand slipped into his coat
pocket and closed over his automatic.
They were crowding down the room.
closing In around him now.
He glanced quickly over his shoulder
10 locate precisely the position Of the
rear door. should IL come to a row
and instinctively stepped back q pace
as q hulking. rawboned fellow. half
drunk and carrying his liquor bellig-
erently. lurched forward.
"Hif g says that, wot we says 10
that 'e's q bloody himpostori" an
nounced the man truculently. "An'
wot's more, we doesn't like the looks
Of I'm when he comes in-does we.
matesf An wot's more-tyke that !"
He made a sudden, wicked pass ut
wallen's face.
A yell Of applause greeted the act.
But the blow never reached Its mark
Wallen had dealt too long and too In
timately with the forecastle not to rec.
ognixe the breed around him that was
the fOrecastle's curse and the curse Of
the better men who honored II. With
q quick sidestep he evaded the blow,
whipped his left In a lightning drive
to the others chin. and. as the man
staggered backward into the crowd
Wallen leaped for the rear door b.
hind him.
He reached II, but not before they
were upon him like a pack Of wolves.
snarling at him, tearing at him. their
breaths In his face, pounding ut him,
trying to trip him up. to throw him 10
the door.
The placs was now In pandemonium.
Again and again wallen's dubbed 70
volvsr rose and fell. again and again
his fist shot In and out and stiii he
kept hia feet: but he could not free
himself long enough to get the door
open-and then something seemed 10
lend him added passion. added
strength.
The face Of Drink-House SAINT Il
was just out Of reach-just out Of
reach.
He flung two men from him and
lunged forward. II he could only
mark that facet A below OF fright
from Marie greeted the savage on
siaught-and Wallen's fist had smashed
straight between the red little blink
ing eyes. The suddenness OF the at
tack brought an instant's pause-and
In that instant he had reached the door
and this time wrenched 1t open.
And then Wallen laughed. not pleas
antly. and his revolver, not dubbed