The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-08

blue green fire. Even in that room Of
shadows and growing darkness. 1t col
lected light and reflected 1t in wondrous
colors.
The visitor started back in astonish-
ment. almost in awe, and the three men
watched him. Again he glanced at the
window.
The blue emerald" he murmured
II have lived to set my eys upon It.
Now it goes back to the god
The old man nodded.
"When?"
"At the appointed hour and in the
appointed way" was the slow answer.
1T is easier now this merchant. Bran
don, has declared your stone to be the
one he lost
80 it has done great service. my
stone"
TT has been useful as your friend
said it might be-"
yet there is danger. great danger"
said the visitor eagerly DO you know
a man called West-Valentine West ?"
The three men started to their feet.
You do. There Is the peril. This
Valentine West had seen the merchant
days ago. The detective told me- hop
| ing to make me betray myself and give
him information. This West has had
| days to plot and prepare. Listen! Even
| now there may be spies about the
| house.
The stone lay on the table; no one
touched it. There was tension and ex-
element in the four faces.
Did hear a sound? Listeni Foot
| steps surely! You will be suspected
while II do not count. Shall 1 take
| the stone and go? Then when they
| come"
"A thief" cried the old man sudden
| ly. his hand shooting out to take the
| gem. He was a fraction of second
too late. and the next instant was
| struggling back from a glinting re-
volver- barrel.
| Don't move. any OF YOU" the visitor
Grid, and then with a sudden rush he
had thrown himself at the window.
He had already calculated the strength
of the frame. There was the crack of
wood and the shattering glass. A bull
let sang by his ear, and knife, dexter
| ously thrown. Quivered in the roll of
the veranda as he vaulted over It.
Running in zigzag fashion, in order to
be a. difftcult target, the Hindu sped
across the ill-kept garden, not toward
the gate where some watcher might be
stationed. but toward the wooden fence
which divided one part Of the garden
from the lane.
The pursuit was hot upon his heels
and more than three men followed him
There had been others in the house
ready and eager to do the bidding of
the three in that room, and they ran
fast, confident that their quarry was
trapped, that he was running blindly,
that the high fence would stop him and
cause him to double on his tracks
The fugitive ran straight on. and gath
ering himself together sprang at the
fence. lifted himself at the expense of
| torn hands. He rolled over into the
lane as another bullet struck the fence
just where his body had hung the mo-
ment before. For just an instant he
paused to satisfy himself that his
booty was safe, then he ran up the
lane.
The sound of that last shot reached
Amos Free as he sat at his wheel. and
he turned to look down the lane. He
was alert and ready. When it came to
shooting. seconds were precious. He
looked to see his master come in q
hurry, instead there came the Niger
with other niggers behind him in pur-
suit Probably his master was behind
somewhere. Would he wish him tc
stop the fugitive? He could easily dc
it. could run him down If necessary.
Before he could make up his mind
on this point the runner swerved
the road and sprang into the car.
'Herei Get out. you"
The car began to move as a bullet
struck it.
Not too fast. Amos. Keep you,
head down. Keep going, but pretend
difficulty. Give them hope of catch
ing us. I want to draw them out o.
the lane"
Another bullet hit the car.
Rotten shooting. but If a tire goes
, Amos, keep going. Yonder lamp i.
the end of our danger zone"
Amos drove as il the car nigh
break down at any moment. AS he ap.
, preached the lamp indicated he asked
DO I keep on?"
Yes" was the answer as a whist.
. sounded by the roadside, and severa
men sprang erect and ran back in tn,
direction of Well Lane. Keep on
Amos. Home. Let her rip. The polio,
can do the rest"
> A paragraph in the papers concernin,
some trouble with Indian students Oh
/ Hampstead Heath attracted little no
/. tice. There happened to be a sensa
: tional divorce case on at the time, ant
t those who did chance to read the para
t graph never guessed how great a sen
e sation lay behind it. a plot which. hat
1t succeeded, would have shaken, per
S haps destroyed, the foundations of tn
e empire
fl All the public was told was that hal