Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-02

special, with MaCVlghtie, naturally,
in command.
He Strengthened ZIP painfully.
Ahead. he had caught the CLINT of
switch and station lights. The sid
ing was on the left-hand side. He
moved to the left-hand side of the
cab. and lay on the cab floor by the
ganEway. That letter! 1t seemed
to obsess him now. II. when the let
ter was read, the bank seal, tho wax
and the wrapping paper were found
hidden in the boys home. the fact
that some one-he, the Hawk-had
stolen the package from the car in
no way changed anything. The boys
apparent prior guilt was rs 6larin6
as ever. On the other hand, with
the package gone, and If the seal
and those other things were not
found, the letter became simply the
expression of some practical joker's
perverted sense OF humor. or the If
responsible work OF some fool OF
crank. He frowned in n sort OF da2-
ed irritation. He had known that all
along, hadn't he? He had known
VII llC Slstl leu altSi tlittI
package In the first place that he
would have to go all the way-sC
why was his mind dwelling now on
useless repetitions!
The Hawk raised his head slightly
"a deafening racket was in his ears
The freight was here-on the siding
He was roaring past it now. He
could not hope for an open box can
on the fast freight, His eyes were
searching eagerly fer flat car-o
flat car loaded with anything tina,
would afford him shelter. Yes--there
was one--two Of them--loaded with
steel Orders.
The roar subsidized; he was past
the station and into 4he clear again
and now the Hawk was at the
throttle, easing the speed craftily
He did not dare to shut off" entire
~, for, behind there at the station
they would know, if the sound Of THE
exhaust ceased, that he had stopped
He checked a little With the air
now. And now. calculating the speed
reduced enough to risk a. jump, he
opened the throttle TO Its former
notch. took up his newspaper pack
age, lowered himself to the bottom
gangWay step. and swungCoff.
He rolled down the embankment
The switcher and private car went
by, and, gradually gaining speed
again. racketed on up the right OF
way. With a groan, the Hawk re-
adjusted his displaced and makeshift
bandage, and began to make his way
back toward the station. If he had
slowed enough to allow of a safe
landing for himself, he had, OF
course, given Lanson the same op-
pOrtunity--but he had no fear OF
that. Lanson might have jumped
but Meridian. whom he had left un-
conscious. couldn't, and LansoI
would stick to Meridian. AS for the
porter, the Hawk shrugged his shout.
ders, as he looked about him-the
porter had not jumped.
He stumbled on. If he were right
if they had started q posse on q spe.
cial In pursuit, he had plenty of time
The fast freight could not pull ou
until the special had gone by, i
seemed o long way, an interminablt
way, an UNNECESSARILY greater dis.
lance than he had covered coming
up on the switcher. And then, a,
last, the tail lights OF the STALLED
freight came into sight around q
bend, and grew brighter. And then
too, there came from the eastward
the rumble of an approaching train
He grew cautious now. and. creep.
ing far out from the side Of the
track, passed the caboose, crept ir
again toward the line OF cars, 10.
Gated the position of the flat cars
climbed aboard one of them, and
crawled in under the shored-uI
Orders.
The FIawlx lay very quiet. He was
weak again, and his head swan, and
he was dizzy. An engine and car
MacYightie and his posse presum-
ably-passed by on the main line:
and then, presently, the freight, with
a clatter and bang echoing from one
to another down the length of cars,
drew out of the station.
When the Hawk moved again. II
was as the train whistled and slow
ed for the Selkirk yard. Perhaps
twenty minutes had passed-the fast
freight, with no stops and already
late, had made time. He put his
mask in his pocket, wormed his way
out from under the girders, and peer
ed ahead and behind. They were just
crawling into the upper end OF the
yard. He slid to the ground, found
himself q little more steady on his
feet, slipped across the spur tracks,
lodged in between two buildings
that thanked the side of the yard. and
came out on the street.
Under street lamp the Hawk
looked at his watch. It was 1
o'clock. He swayed a little again,
but his lips set hard. There was not
very much time. Somewhere up, the
line the switcher and the private car
would come to stop. and they
would bring Meridian home and
once that happened, with its conse-
quent stir in Meridan's apartment, It
would be impossible to get in there,
and the game, as far as the boy was
concerned, would be up.
! yes" said the Hawk, as he forced
himself along the street, Il guess
maybe that's right-L>guess maybe
I'm fool-but it<wasn't an even
break"
A street car at the next corner
took him across town; and fifteen
minutes more found him standing in
the unlighted vestibule of the Linden
The tiny flashlisht
swept the ground floor apartment
doors-and an instant later the door
of Apartment B yielded noiselessly
to the deft manipulation of a skel-
eton key.
The Hawk closed the door, and
stole forward. 1t was a rather fash
ionable apartment, as the Ladybird