The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1922-07-01
Not a word" started Manning.

This isn't. any of your business. any
! way, so keep out of it,
| ''rll-" Manning started FOR
ward, the light of battle in his eye.
| Buck interposed himself between the
| would-be combatants.
| Then make him keep a civil ton
que in his head" snapped Jimmy.
He's the mutt who made me pris-
oner-he and that lop-earned gink
there on the lounge"
| I'll have you understand. SIR.
| thundered the now irate Stratford,
| rising.
| 'tCut out this rough talk yelped
| Buck.
Il just wanted to keep the excite
ment up" said Jimmy agreeably.
| The bell to the front door rang
| furiously. There was silence OF
| perhaps a half second, then 1t buzz
| zed again and again.
eff it's messenger boy
| breathed Perkins threateningly. He
| opened the door prepared to face a
| dinainutive blue-uniformed messen-
| ger.
| Instead he saw a man of about for
| ty years of age. with straight black
| hair falling over the top OF a high
| but not thoroughly sanitary collar.
The coat was long and of a greenish
| sheen, the trousers ditto.
In the right hand the stranger had
a revolver. In his eyes was the light
| of a maniac.
| 'Macartney's apartment" below
| ed the newcomer.
| "Uhuh," returned Perkins.
| Let me byi Let me by! The man
| was down the hallway in a half a
| dozen kangaroo leaps, Perkins pant
| ing at his heels. He burst through
| the doorway and faced the gather
ing.
| again: "Ah-hai"
Certainly he created a panic.
| i've got you nowI" roared the
man, trans1xing Thelma with his
| baleful eye.
s'I've got you. I'll kill you! I'll
| Buck sprang. His powerful arms
! wrapped about the body of the man,
| pinioning his arms to his side. He
struggled in helpless fury.
Drop that gum gritted Macart-
| ney.
| The heavy revolver clattered to the
floor. Virginia, white-faced and ter
| rif1ed. was standing rigid in the
| corner. The others were reduced to
a pulp of fear.
| The man cast a wild glance about
the room and transfxed Thelma with
| his glare.
"she knows whom I am" he raved
wildly. she knows whom I am.
Ask her! Ask herr"
| "I never saw him before" fall
| tered Thelma weakly. II never-''
| who are you?" croaked Buck
| ''Never sam me before? She says
she never saw me beforei The man
worked himself into a hysterical
| frenzy That woman there-thar
| woman there's my wifei'
| CHAPTER TX.
Worse and Worse.
One by one the gazes shifted to
the face of the supposed Mrs Thel-
| ma O'Connor Mccartney.
1t was Thelma who spoke first. She
| stared uneasily at the man who
claimed to be her husband and then
she stiffened and turned accusing
| eyes on Buck Mccartney.
Are you responsible for this?"
| You mean-''
You hired this MANI"
| Good night! Hire an assassin to
pot-shoot me? You must be crazy.
Who is he? Don't you know him ~
| Il tell you I never saw him before
in my life
ct can't stand that" the man who
| had been securely bound out
fercely. That's too much. By all
the gods I cannot be thus held while
my own wife tells mo THAI she never
| saw me before"
| And Buck began to realize, and the
| more he realized the more firmly he
became entrenched as an ally of the
! supposed husband. n it were true
| that Thelma was already married
then his marriage to her could not
have been legal. and-'
Are you sure that this is your
wife," he asked somewhat hoarsely.
What in thunder DO you think I
ana fool? Don't you suppose a
man knows his own wife? You're
Mccartney, aren't you?"
Yes"
We'll, my name is Courtenay
O'Connor. and I tell you right now
Mr. Mccartney. that when I get loose
I'm going to kill you. That's how
serious am
| Buck groaned aloud.
"You divorced him?' he asked of
Thelma.
II tell you she mainteined STOUT
| ly. II never saw him before in my
life"
She lies! She lies! And 1 can
prove it. She has a scar on her left
! thigh-she has
Thelma turned beet-red.
Gentlemen, are you going to let
that man stand there and Insult me
Il wish to goodness he was telling
the truth"
t'Why?" The eyes of the stranger
flashed at Bucks"
| Because I'd like to give her back
| to you"
DO you think I am demented'
i "No. 1 think you're bughouse -
looney."
Maybe" interjected Jimmy Shan
| non softly, maybe we all are Man.
ming. suppose 1 summan an alienist -
'He wouldn't know where to be-
GIN
I'll do it anyway Buck turned
toward the telephone, but Manning
intercepted him. Don't do it, Buck
old man. What's the use of intro.
ducing another person into this
mess Lord knows it's bad enough as
| &c