Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-03-10

SlTuCk MIN Crashing DIOW, he stag
gered back, lost his footing, brought
up heavily against the table. Bottle
and glass, escaping his palsied grasp,
crashed to the floor. In a fluttering
face, and left it livid, leaden and blue.
His widened eyes were fixed in hor-
ror.
whats 'at?" Broken words
brushed his stiff lips. whats 'at?"
He lifted shaking arm and singled
out Priscilla. His voice became
scream: Name of Gawd! somebody
tell me-what's at there"
The Nut dropped a soothing hand
upon his shoulder.
why, Red-it's Nora!"
"Nora?" the gunman chartered. 81
know it's Nora! But what's it doin'
here?
But, Red pin alarm English Ad-
die ranged up on his other side and
laid hold of his arm-"why shouldn't
Nora be here?"
"Why?" He glared madly at the
woman. "Why, cause she's dead"
But, Red-w
Dead, tell you! l guess I oughta
know. Didn't 1 croak her meself, up
there in the woods, yest'day aft'noon?"
He seemed to realize what he had said
and tried to cover It with hysterical
protest. mo; that's a lie! Who said
croaked her! never, she done it her
self, it was all a accident! tell you
didn't have nothin' to do with it-her
foot slipped and she went over the
edge before I could catch her, and ]
seen her drown! 1 couldn't help her, ]
don't know how to swim, I'd we pulled
her out If 1 had 1t wasn't my fault
I swear to Gawd it was all a acci-
dent!"
But, Red-you're off your nut !''
Addie reasoned. "Nora couldn't be
dead and here at the same time
"She is dead! Didn't I see her
drown meself? Gawd! amt seen
nothin' since but her face when she
went under, 1 amt heard nothin' but
her begin me not to
He stapmered into incoherence, his
chin sank upon his breast, he glareG
at Priscilla with the look of a luna
tic. Abruptly he reused, wild of eye
! features working insanely, and threw
off the hands Of Addie and the Nut.
T4emme loose ~ he screamed. LEN
me loose! I croaked her once, but Il
once amt enough, I'll croak her agair
and make it sure, the"
Epithets unspeakably vile fell like
toads from his slavering mouth. HI
tugged at a pocket of his trousers
and suddenly an automatic pistol wa
wavering in his hand. With a chokin,
cry, Priscilla covered, throwing botl
hands out to shield her face. The NJ
and A6die fell upon Carnehan bodily
For a moment it seemed that the,
might be able to hold him. But h.
fought with the strength of a maniac
The hold of the English woman wa
broken first, she was thrown off shrek
ing for help. The Nut clung desperate
ly to Carnehan's pistol hand, strivin
to wrest the weapon from him. The
others closed in, Carnehan became tn
core of a swaying, writhing tangle O
bodies.
1t was, Priscilla thought, like 1oob
ing through a peep hole into hel
They fought like wild beasts in a pit
like beasts they growled, yelpet
snarled, snapped, howled, roared. !
haze of dust, beaten up from the III
swept floor by scuffling, shifting
stamping feet, hung in the gas light.
The pistol exploded with a detons
tion ear-splitting in that confne
space.
Priscilla, witless with fright, fel
herself seized and urged toward th
door.
"Beat it, child-get out of this a
quick's you can! 1 seen from the yer
first you wasn't Moral"
She recognized the accent of En-:
lish Addie.
In one 1.-THE bound, a crouchin
shape of malice with a pale face {
evil and blazing eyes planted itse
before them and blocked the wa,
keep away from that doorl" Inc
screeched "She shan't get away, 81
shan'tI I'll rip her eyes out first!"
She darted clawing hands at Prisci
woman came between them. In pan
Priscilla paved frantically at II
door, swung it wide, stumbled ou
blundered blindly into the wall whel
the hallway turned, cannoned off, ar
somehow found herself before a Sc
ond door.
, An aged Chinaman was guarding
Duly she remembered having see
him before and wondered would
seek to hinder her. But he SCENE
unaware of her. He was eyeing II
passively the door, which, she disco
cred, was quivering under a rain
blows On the other side.
Grasping instinctively at the trut
she thrust the guardian unceremor
ously aside and began to tumble wi
the bolts.
Without protest, the Chinams
turned and shuff1ed off.
; The storm of blows continued. TT
bolts were reluctant to her shakin
uninstructed fingers. At length, ho0
ever, the last slid back, she lifted Il
stout iron latch, the door slammC
open.
Three uniformed policemen, armC
with pistols and nightsticks, charge
in. Seeing the girl, one seized al
threw her roughly back against Il
wall. She gave a cry of pain. A vol
she knew protested sharply:
LET that lady go, officer. She
my WIFE"
] Priscilla turned. Mario was offe
} ing her the haven of his arms. 81
went into them sobbing his name alou
Other police officers passed them. ru