The diamond drill., 1920-07-24


she screamed.
Before he could realize what she
was about she had darted at him and
plucked frantically ut his mustache.
''Joyei" he calculated, and he
clapped his hand TO his lip.
"oh oh oh I" she painted. shrinking
away from him. her dilating eyes fixed
In horrihed stare upon the few stiff
hairs In her clutched fingers. "It's
real Obi"
MY wordl / should say IL isl" he
mumbled, pressing hard on his lip.
"But-but how then--oh, dearl oh
dearl Take me In to doctor must
be crazy You had Il; then you didn't
have it; now you do have IT."
"Have it,"
"Your mus-mustache l thought
you had shaved. II was gone-rm sure
IL was gone-yet now
"Gonel WhenT
"In therein the library-not five
minutes agol oh, dear / must be
raving crazyl II wasn't there then
you've grown II again In five min
| utes 7"
He stared at her wildly, infected
with the terror I'm her look and voice.
Insane-lnsane That face In the mir
ror She. too, had seen itl
They glared az one another, over
come with dread and horror.
IL say" remarked voice behind
him.
lie wheeled about and found him
self looking into the muzzle OF an au-
tomato pistol In the hand OF BENIN.
Caught you mapping, eh?" jeered
the detective. IL learned that Kirk
mnd was tracing In this direction. |
did not rush up TO the front door.
Quietly slipped in from the rear.
| yknow; and-here we are Quite
clever, I call IT, No wonder you look
fabbergasted."
In a flash Amy flung herself between
the two. Don't you shoot him Don't
you darel" she cried.
Hastily he lowered the pistol and
sought to explain II had no intention.
none whateyer-only In self-defense.
Can't you understand? II he Is vio-
lent-attempts to resist But If you
persuade him TO submit / am sorry
! TO have 10 use handouts"
"Handcuffs2 oh, shame shame on
you pretending 20 be his friend all
this time Shame on your
BENIN bit his lip. His bright, shall
low eyes deepened and darkened with
profound emotion. But he stood firm.
II made no pretense," he reJoined.
II offered 10 prove myself his friend.
/ stood ready TO save him, even at the
cost of my professional honor"
"Your professional honorl" she re-
preached.
"He Is your brother. thought you
would understand. am willing 10
give great deal to clear him, II you
will--er--accept my"
But IL cannotT
"Then / shall do my duty. Do you
take me for a fool, TO connive at the
escape of an embezzler, unless you are
considerate enough to-"
-0h, you won't-you can't Surely
you'll not be 80 meanl'
Il can send him to the penitentiary.
What's more, / will, unless"
"No-n-nol do not I" cried the ago
niSed girl Let him go, please let him
go i will do what-what you wish r.
You viii? You will marry mel" be
demanded and he stepped forward In
eager elation.
She shrank back with her hands
over her ayerted face. TIE prisoner
slipped protective arm about her
shoulders and quietly remarked 10
BENIN: Better step aside II you are
nervous. You might accidentally dis
charge your pistol There are people
coming along the path behind you"
Suspicious OF a ruse, BENIN edged
around 10 the side of the opening and
glanced swiftly over his shoulder. A
few feet away two hats were visible
over the shrubs, moving down the
| twisting path.
Here they are. Hurry up" doomed
the voice of Doctor Kirkland.
He came nimbly around the turn In
the narrow path, with another man
aud Ellen aud Mrs. Kirkland i'm line
close behind him. BENIN uttered
stlfled exclamation and staggered back
still farther TO the side of the opening.
Doctor Kirkland strobe out OF the path
10 confront him, saw the prisoner, aud
stopped as II transfixed.
The prisoner did not see him. lie
was staring at the man who had
stepped from behind the dumfounded
physician. The man recoiled against
Ellen and Mrs. Kirkland. He gared
at the prisoner. Ellen and Mrs. Kirk
land looked at the prisoner and
shrieked Amy raised her head and
stared wildly from the man before her
TO the man whose arm was about her
shoulders.
They were the samel yet not
the same. II was not alone that one
had mustache and the other was
clean shaven; that one was thinner
and paler. Now that they stood face
10 face II could be seen that there was