The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-14

body, tearing triumphantly through
bone and flesh. But ! clearly wasn't
compounded of the stun of which he-
roines were made. I didn't have lhe
courage. I was too cowardly. All I
could do was to play for time. Time.
kept telling myself. was the one thing
wanted. time above every thing else.
For was still hoping against hope that
Doyle or Wilkins or Sloan himself
would follow up that tenuous paper
chasetrail of mine and in some way
come to my defiverance before 1t was
too late.
Say. what're you pipe-dreamin'
about anyway" demanded my studi-
ous-eyed enemy.
"You know what I meant" I cried
out, only too glad of the promise of an
argument. THAT purse Is there in the
side-pocket of your coat, and you can't
deny It'll"
Say, what's this dame drivin' at?'
inquired the man with the file in his
hand. Shag regarded him with q quick
and anxious eye.
You're not goin' to fall for any song
and-dance like that. are your" he de-
manded
Then let him show what he's got in
his pocket" sxulted. for I could still
see>the tell-tale protuberance there over
his hip-bone.
"what've you got in that pocket any
way ?"demanded the man in the dun
garees.
What difference does that make 10
your" challenged Shag. with one hand
broping behind his hip.
This dame looks straight to me-" re-
torted the shopkeeper by the way OF
explanation. And you don't!'
He was still remarkably impersonai
about 1t all. But at the same moment
that Shag started to pack away I reai-
lized that the shopkeeper was with me.
He threw his filed down on the work.
bench making that trivial movement
a strangely final one. Then he advanced
slowly toward the other man. with an
eager and calculating look in his' keen
blue eyes. And minute by minute, I
knew, time was slipping away.
What's in that pocket?" demanded
my brawny advocate.
Still more time might have been TAX
en- up had not Shag made a movement
as though to circle about for the door.
That resulted in a startlingly sudden
dive and ciinch and collision which
converted a metal-littered basement
shop into place of tumult. Those two
oddly interlocked bodies stamped and
swayed and stumbled about the uneven
floor. could hear short grunts. heavy
gasps, throaty sounds OF Animal-lize
anger-but still was afraid TO do
anything, 1 could see the two bodies
go over. with thud-and the man in
the dungarees was on top.
You would, would you?" he painted.
His gasping words of Indignation
were cut short by two double sounds,
50 close together that one seemed mere
ly an echo Of the other. / saw the
thick figure In the dungarees suddenly
draw up, tense. and then relax and
then draw up again. in a quavering
CONFUSION that died in mid-air and let
him subside Imply back on the still
PROSTATE Shag Fewster. whose right
hand, noticed, was bright red.
1 had my own automatic in my hand.
but still was afraid. I was SO afraid
that 1 stumbled forward on my knees.
with my face not three feet away from
Shag's frightened eyes as he twisted
and writhed and tried to unburden him
self of that limp and loathsome weight
which was dripping its scarlet warmth
on our hands.
1 brought the paper-covered auto
matte which / still held in my hand
blindily down on Shag's head, with its
plaintively blinking eyes and ludicrous-
ly gaping mouth.
Then / sat staring at him, with a
little sob of terror. wondering why he
didn't move. wondering why he lay as
still as the other huddled figure which
had half fallen away from him. Then
a sharper terror shot through me. for
saw that the plaintively blinking eyes
had once more openedg and the hand
from which the heavy police-revolver
with the sawed off-barrel had fallen
was cropping listlessly about the broken
flooring. And I knew that life was
sweet, that life was worth fighting for.
and that nothing but my own strength
and cunning. since l was too craven
for the other way, could save me. So
I flung myself on Shag Fewster still
stunned from that blow. with a second
sort of blind fury. / rolled him over.
and over still again, until he lay oppo-
site the long enamel bathtub that Lean
ed on its side against the wall. Then.
exerting all my strength. 1 let that
huge mass Of white-lined iron fall top
down on the uneven flooring. cupping
under its weight the sodden and hud-
died figure of my enemy.
sat for what seemed a long time
on its iron bottom. staring dizzily down
at a hand nat looked as though it had
been made of soiled wax. hand pro-
truding from the sleeve OF dungaree
slip-coat. Clutched in that hand could
see something that flashed back the
light from its countless facets of ten
derest azue. And I was staring at II,
with foolish little sobs OF exhaustion.
as Doyle and Sloan himself came puff
fng and tumbling down the basement
stairway, with their foreheads wet. and
policeman in brass buttons behind
them.
That tapioca-" gasped Sloan as he
saw me sitting there. Then he stopped.
He stood gaping down at the floor for
a moment.
I watched him as he knelt down and
bent back the fingers that looked az
though they had been made OF dirty
wax I watched him as he took the
Blue Pear stained with blood, from
their clutch. He knelt there foT another
moment, apparently deep In thought
Then he looked abnuf thu ronrn