The Ordway new era., 1919-02-14

| OF quick anger, and made gesture Vi
dismissal. The man held his ground
doggedly, the voices became angrier.
mol No, tell your the woman
cried. ~ don't know who you are
| Will you go?"
Suddenly man. came along the
| passage behind her, carrying walk
ing-cane with heavy handle. He
raised it and brought 1t crashing down
on the others head.
The man fell to the ground. evident
| ly half stunned by the blow. The man
with the cane raised II and brought 1t
down again and again upon the others
head and face. in succession of sick
ening crashes.
Mark ran to the garden gate. The
man with the stick paused, raised his
head, and looked at him. Mark recog-
nized Kellerman. As Kellerman. in
turn. recognized him, an angry sneer
| spread over his face.
my dear Wallace. what the dickens
are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Are you trying to kill this mani"
asked Mark.
Kellerman seemed nonplussed for
the moment
~ hope I've given him his lesson
he answered. HE came here and de-
manded money, and nearly frightened
Mrs. Kenson out of her senses. Let
me present you"
Mark looked into the keen, apprais-
ing eyes of Mrs. Kenson with dislike
and disgust.
you'd better let him go, Major Kel.
lerman." he said. As he spoke he saw
Mrs. Kenson bite her lip vindictively.
"Oh. I'll leave him to you," respond
ed Kellerman airily. you'll excuse me,
Wallace. I'm sure. but Mrs. Kenson's
auto will be here In few moments"
Mark. hot with Indignation. answer
ed nothing. but raised the man from
the ground and got him outside the
gate. AS he did so he heard the door
of the house close softly.
The tramp was half unconscious,
and muttering vaguely.
-Four years since I've seen her." he
mumbled. 81 didn't want money. Only
the word. God knows 1 wouldn't have
taken money from her as he said, the
cur"
"was she your wife?" asked Mark,
thinking that he saw light.
God forbidi" calculated the man
with convincing spontanelty. "Who
are you, anyway?"s he demanded, look
ing at him directly for the first time.
What were you doing in that placer
He grasped Mark by the arm. "Are
you another friend of hers?" he asked,
"or didn't you know that it's the swell.
est gambling house in Washington I
Mark took him by the shoulders.
'What's your name and where do you
liver" he asked. II haven't time to
waste on. you. but I'm ready to help
you II can"
MY name7 Hartley. Good enough
name. Isn't itf Liver haven't lived
for more years than I remember. I'm
a corpse-see7 wanted to live.
That's why I came here when heard
she was in Washington. Walked from
New York. Why should she be here
now, unless there's another poor young
fool like me for her? Where the car.
cass is, there are the eagles-or is 1t
vultures?"
Mark drew the mans arm through
his and led him away. Presently a
cab came crawling up. He hailed II
and gave his address.
He took him home and played the
Good Samaritan, washed his wounds
plastered them, and gave the man q
bed in his living room. Hartley had
subsidized into state of frightened 81.
lence. He looked dubiously at Mark
all the while he was receiving his min.
istrations, and would say nothing.
"Now. please understand" said
Mark, I've brought you here because
you seem to me to be up against it
The doors unlocked. And I'm trusting
you with my things. Those cups are
silver, Hartley-Il won them at West
Point. That little picture is by Griffin
and worth about seven hundred. That's
about all. think-but want you to
understand you're free. and I'll help
you If 1 can"
Hartley flushed rather oddly, Mark
thought, but said not word. 1t was
foolish act. he thought repeatedly
before he fell asleep; but he must win
the mans confidence If he was to learn
the mystery. And he was satisfied
that his interest In Eleanor's move
ment boded no harm to her.
In the morning. Hartley was gone,
as he expected. But he had taken nei-
ther the cups nor the picture.