Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-08-27

he was stealing along the opposite side
Of the street in front of Drink House
Sans again. and, grateful now for the
dinginess of the surroundings and the
absence of lights, slipped into a mar
row areaway, OR more properly a
space some three feet wide between
two buildings facing Drink-House
Sans, and lay down upon the ground.
By and by Drink-House Sam would
go to bed, by and by that light in the
barrOOm would go out, by and by the
hangers-on would be dispersed, and by
and by somewhere in that house he
would get Drink-House Sam alone.
Wallen lay there, his eyes on the
barroom door across the street Occa-
sionally someone struggled in. occa-
sionally someone struggled out; but it
was many hours. while he grew stiff
and cramped, before the place began
to empty out-before Drink-HOuse
Sam himself at the doorway was eject
ing, with some force and more prOfan-
ity, what appeared to be the last Of
his guests.
And then the light in the barroom
was eXtinguished.
It was very late; but precisely what
time it was Wallen did not know, only
that he had lain there for an interim
nable space. Well, he had waited so
long he could afford to wait still an
other hour-until Drink-HOuse Sam
and whoever else was in the place had
got to bed and got to sleep. This time
he would leave nothing to chance.
A light appeared suddenly in the
end room on the veranda over the bar
room-and Wallen's lips parted in a
twisted smile. Luck again! That was
Drink-House Sans room The man,
silhouetted against the light, was open
ing the veranda door, for air probably.
The room obviously then had two
doors, for Marie had entered it from
the interior of the house. Wallen
smiled again. He would enter from
the veranda. Luck was coming now
in greater measure than he had dared
to hope.
The minutes passed, quarter of an
hour, a half, three-quarters-and then
Wallen sat up, unlaced his boots and
tying them together with their strings
slung them around his neck.
Like a shadow, little blacker than
the surrounding blackness, he was
across the street, and quickly, agilely,
silently, was swarming up one of the
veranda posts.
He paused as he reached the rail to
lsten-the rail was old and it had
creaked a little, not loudly, but-who
knew lit might have been heard.
There was not a sound.
He swung over onto The veranda and
moved cautiously forward. In mo-
ment he was at Marle's door. Again
he listened. Nothing-not q sound !
Only darkness within, pitch blackness
and he could see nothing.
His face was set now, his jaws
Handicapped. His plan was simple
to choke this human devil into submits
sion before the other could make a
sound, to get his fingers first of all
upon the ruffian's throat.
He was stealing into the room, feel
ing before him. He touched the foot
of the bed and guided himself along
the side Of 1t.
Stealthily, inch by inch, he crept to-
ward the head of the bed, reached 1t,
his hands shot forward lunging swift
ly with the body weight behind them,
closed on the mans thrOat-and the
next instant he was staggering back
ward, low cry of horror on his lips.
His hands were wet-Wet with warm
blood!
He could not see, but he knew it was
blood. Unnerved, shaken to the soul,
a panic upon him, he stood there for a
moment, his mind in riot Then, fight
ing desperately for self-control, he took
a match from his pocket and lighted
it. He closed his eyes on the sight.
Some one had done the horrible
work only too well-the mans throat
was only gaping wound.
The match in Wallen's fingers still
burned on, forgotten. He must get out
of here Drink-House Sans mouth
was closed forever.
He gould have laughed aloud, hys-
terically, at the CHASTITY irony of that.
He must get away unseen before
what was that?
There was some one else in the
room. Some one moved. The match,
in it's dying flame, spurted up. A tall,
| gaunt form loomed before him. That
| face!
Where had he seen that face?
The match dropped from his fingers.
| That face! 1t seemed 10 be associated
with dreams-of long ago. And then
voice spoke:
| "Sahib, come quickly"
And then he knew.
It was Gunga.
AZnIIIl||||NInunlM