The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-22
The
Involuntary
Va1np

oontinaed from Yesterday.


chair, a cigarette between none too
stead fingers
Il don't remember all of 1t.
There are long gaps which no
amount of memory searching win
I'LL in / think our Spanish friend
mv.t havekept me drugged q good
part of the time. I know I was
drunk often" he said with . sheep
ish smile. "Dominguez had won
derful cellars in that place of his.
And III say he was a generous
hostr
But why did he want to keep
7 you a prisoner" interrupted Diana.
I have never been able to un-
derstand"
You were the unwilling cause
OF that" Johnston went on, He
fell for that stun about my being
your fiance. Apparently the Span
fish take a betrothal pretty seri-
ously. It's almost as serious as
being actually married Doming-
uez was crazy about you from the
start and he evidently figured that
IL he could keep me out of the
wzy long enough. you'd listen to
him. or maybe I'd pass out of the
picture through the fever Oh,
bad enough of IL to put almost
any guy under the ground. 1 guess
Duminguek knew how to expose
me to fevers since 1 was fool
tenderfoot"
How awful" Diana shuddered.
And II was all my wretched
fault."
The Escape.
Don't you distress YOURSELF"
Johnston treasured her. 81 guess
! don't figure as much of a hero
in this story. 1 let you in for
lot that real he man could have
spared you"
How did you get away nnally?"
asked Diana.
He grinned
That was funny but darned un-
pleasant The old Spanish boy got
pretty well ginned up one night
and I helped myself to the wallet
In that fancy belt of his. A ju-
dicious use of part of its contents
persuaded the servants to let me
out or the place. but 1 couldn't
pride them to give me a horse.
TOO risky I guess. So / started
out on foot Lord. what a Jour
nsy! wasn't strong and |
thought I'd staggered almost to
New York when along comes a
funny old whiskered geezer with
a horse and wagon"
Diana leaned forward breath
lessly.
He offered me a lift" Johnston
went on, and tried to rob me
after I'd got in so I used a knife
on him that I'd picked up at
Dominguez's..-..."
A Curious story.
Diana and Dale leaned forward
and spoke simultaneously.
Then it was you who killed him
not Dominguez"
My God. did l kill himr'
Johnston's voice broke. His shak-
ing hand reached out for his glass
and he drank deeply.
Il didn't mean to-" He looked at
them as though they were accus-
ing him. God knows 1 didn't. I
thought I was only wfnging him.
! struck for his arm"
The knife went into his heart.
said Dale quietly. 'Dominguez was
arrested for the crime. as 1t was
known that the knife was one
which he had won in a card game
from some Mexican chap a few days
before"
A CLEAN of something like pleas
ure lighted Johnston's thin. white
face.
Revenge is sweet. they say. but
see here" he leaned forward. IT
can't let an innocent man swing for
that. no matter how much of a
BLACKBOARD he may be. I'll have
to go and give myself up"
No need" said Dale soothingly.
'Dominguez has skipped. He told
Diana he was off to Java At any
rate. they'll never get him. He's too
clever to be caught twice"
Then you think / should" be-
gan Johnston slowly.
Forget all about it," Dale fn-
ished the sentence. TT was an ac-
Sidertal killing done in self de-
Tense The only man at whom
suspicion points has got clean
away. BY the way. Diana" he
turned to her. "Johnston's story re-
lieves you of all blame. You
weren't responsible for the poor
DEVILS death. as you feared"
No Hero.
Diana nodded. For the second