Graham guardian., 1922-07-11
VICTOR ROUSSEAU,
Illustrations by. RHLiVings stone y,

tion AS Colt. Before he could stir.
Myers had seized him from behind and
made violent effort to slip the hand
cuff upon his wrist
Wilton heard Molly scream. The
girl came running out of the room
with her hair tumhiIng about her
shoulders. and caught at Myers arm.
The caretaker started toward them,
still holding the frying pan, In which
he was cooking the potatoes, his face
working with rage.
You d-n fools !" he shouted, laps
ing into his vernacular In his excite
ment, "you got It all wrong! Mr. Car
ruthers was Joe's best friend. So that
was your game when you come here last
night, eh? You'll get broke for this
yob already, both of you fellers, tell
you"
Molly was grasping at Myers hand
as the constable still fumbled nerv-
ously with the handcnff won't you
men listen to common sense7' she
cried. mfr. Carruthers is the chief
engineer OF the line. All his interests
are bound up with IT. Why should he
want to murder Joe7 He was .Joe's
hest friend. Everyone In Clayton can
tell you that. Why, he risked his own
life to save him! Somebody's put
you on the wrong track. They're try
ing to make use of you to keep him
out of the way while they ruin the
line. And you'll pay for your mistake.
that's surel"
And, with frenzied desperation. she
succeeded in pushing Myers away
from Wilton, and interposed between
him and the sergeant. whose revolver
pointed steadily at HIS forehead
Peters scowled viciously at her
"You can tell all that HI the inquest,
he snapped. 1--WE got orders to bring
you in, too, Get out of the wayr'
At that the superhuman tension that
held Wilton's rage In bounds seemed
to snap. His ears were ringing, and O
spotted mist flOated before his eyes
Through this he saw Peters an infinite
distance away, the revolver, now hard.
ly larger than q pencil, pointing at his
head. Behind the sergeant he saw An,
dersen, doll-like figure with toy
pan In his hand. He leaped at Peters
heard the weapon discharged, and was
conscious of the sting Of powder on
his forehead and commotion In his
hair.
Peters had shot to kill, but the
weapon, the least bit diverted by Mol.
ly's Intervention, had been re-aimed
at Wilton's forehead little hurriedly
and he had forgotten that the strong
ammunition, of which complaint had
frequently been made by the police SUI
perintendents, was apt to throw the
bullet high at short distances.
Wilton shot his uninjured arm for
ward with vicious swing that caught
the sergeant on the cheek and sent
him staggering backward. But the
force Of the blow, communicated to
Wilton's left shoulder wrenched the
"ouiu a ktNuh VI Phsa
from his lips. Peters reeled, regalned
his balance, and rushed forward again
swinging the revolver aloft, butt for.
ward in his hand.
With his powerful build he could
have delivered blow that would have
crushed Wilton's skull. But before the
blow fell Andersen had raised his pan
and brought 1t down edgewise upon
the sergeant's head, cutting the scalp
to the bone and drenching the man
with the boiling grease.
With a scream of pain Peters STUN
bied forward, letting the revolver fall
from his hand, slipped In the grease
that had begun to ooze along the floor
and fell full length on the planks
where he lay writhlng In anguish, and
trying to- clear his eyes Of the melted
fat and the blood that streamed down
his forehead.
Instantly Molly stopped, snatched up
the weapon, which had fallen at her
feet, and covered the constable, who
had flung himself upon Wilton again
Myers stopped dead and threw his
hands up automatically.
sect over thereH' said Molly briskly
poin,ing toward the wall behind the
sergeant.
Myers obeyed Immediately, and took
his post against the wall, the picture
of confusion. Peters struggled slowly
to his feet. Has face and pea-Jacket
were covered with film of grease,
over which the blood from his wound
was trickling The tables were turned
with dramatic completeness
"You know what this means J" splut'
tered the sergeant, trying to clear the
fat from his eyes.
Continued next week.