Evening star., 1922-10-01
Involving Action, Mystery, Sentiment
Night Vigil at the Home of Criminal,

Jim smoked all over the house.
Is the drug clerk badly hurt?'
The creaking OF the self-rocker
stopped. The detective looked hard
at his stogie. Eyes. he's pretty bad"
he said. after a moment. "He's-welI,
Molly. you will learn 1t sooa enough
anyhow-he's dead"
She sat down on one Of the sti6
plush chairs. Her jaws quivered ner-
vousiy. She could scarcely articu-
late.
Then it's murder%
II am afraid So"
He made an eager attempt to COM
fort her, bending forward
After ALL" he said. something Of
this sort was bound to come sooner
or later. If he gets away you are
better without him. If he doesn't"
He threw out his hands. HE has
never supported you. You have
worked for him, haven't you, and
borne his children? What have you
had out of it? Try to be sensible.
Things are pretty bad just now, but
they have been pretty bad for you
for the last eight years. It's been
drink and gambling and other women,
and am going to tell you the whole
thing straight. There is no use cut
ting Off a dogs tail an inch a time.
He shot the girl. too. They are both
dead. The sheriff is out with a posse.
and there Is thousand dollars on
his head
THE real blow had fallen earlier.
in that early dusk when Jim had
come in. frantic. and told her part OF
the truth. She only WINGED now. went
a little pa,er. With the increasing
warmth of the room the odor of moth
balls seemed to fill the house.
She was dizzy. rather. Holding to
the back of her chair. she listened for
the sick child above. He still slept.
1.-TWO of them she said at last.
THE drug clerk was nice young
man. We used to talk about books
and articles In the magazines. And
now-oh. my God!' She pulled her
self together sharply. IT'S a pity of
the girl. too" she said, quietly. she
was young and the men made fool
of her. l guess she wasn't really
bad"
The detective said nothing. He
rose. hoisting himself slowly out of
the low rocker.
We'll. back to work. he said.
ITS been mighty good of you, Molly.
10
yawned again. "The sister hasn't
got out my fiannels yet and I was
nearly frozen. I wasn't expecting an
all might job
He threw the end Of his stogie into
the stove. drew a revolver from his
coat pocket and glanced at it. re-
suddenly that the action
was hardly delicate, and thrust it
back.
The woman's mind was working
again-a subconscious intelligence
that seemed to have been scheming
all the while.
IT was thinking" she suggested,
that if 1 leave the latch off you
could come in now and then and get
warm. I can leave = cup Of tea OH
the fender. Do you want milk in it?"
Sugar, thank you, and no milk
he said. you were always thought
full woman, Molly" There was some
thing almost wistful in his voice.
closed the door cautiously behind
him as he went out
Only the most casual search had
been made Of the house. Jim Carter
had been seen after the tragedy to
go home and shortly after to drive
fiercely out of town in his blackboard
wagon headed for the mountains. No
one in the village had tried to stop
him. He was grim, white-lipped and
armed.
The posse had found the blackboard
eight miles away at o'clock that
night, the wagon wedged in fence
corner with a wheel off and the horse
lame. There was every likelihood
that Carter was in the hills.
It was Heideger. the hotel keeper.
no had offered the reward. 1t was
Heideger who had suggested that the
house be watched. But it had been
~uSh llio oSSSSShSS
took up his position across the street.
and in the interval
X \
a HOLLY CARTER went back to the
lVl kitchen and lighted the lamp.
The room was sitting, but the fire in
the range was low now. She put in
4 fresh piece Of wood and set the ket-
tie over it, Then, and not until then.
did she 20 to the wall beside the