Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-10-21
CHAPTER III.

For its size there Is no nerce
animal than a rat.
Rat-like rage possessed Leveret
In his headlong flight through tn
dusk fear, instead of quenchinl
added to his rage; and he ran o
and on. crashing through the under
growth, made wilder by the pal
OF vicious blows from branche
which few back and struck him 4
the dark.
Thorns bled him; unseen log
tripped him; he heard Clinch's bul
lets whining around him; and h
ran on. beginning 20 sob and ours
in a frenzy Of fury, fear. an
shame.
Shots from Clinch's rife ceased
the fugitive dropped into a heavy
shutting walk. siavering. gaspins
gesticulating with HIS weaponles
fists in the darkness,
col ram We, I'll fix vel" he KEEP
stammering in his snarling, janglini
voice. broken by sobs. IN learr
We, yeh poor DANCED thing. gol ran
We
To his own shack on Sinking
Lake he dared not go. He tried tc
believe that II was fear Of Clinch
that made him shy OF the home
shanty; but. in his covering soul.
he knew II was fear Of another kind
the deep. superstitious horror OF
Jake Kloon's empty bunlx-the re-
pugnant sight OF Kloon's spare
clothing hanging from its peg-the
dead mans shoes.
All a. once he thought OF Clinch's
step-daughter. The thought instant
ly scared him. Yet-what re-
vengei-to strike Clinch through
the only creature he cared for in
all the world e. What a revengel
49,. Clinch was headed for Drown
ed Valley. Eve Strayer was alone
al the Dump $50. Another thought
flashed like lightning across his
turbid mind-the packet
Bribed by Quintana. Jake Kloon.
lurking at Clinch's door, had heard
him direct Eve to take a packet Ia
Owl Mash. and had notified Quln-
tana.
Willingly or unwittingly. the girl
had taken a packet OF sugar-milk
chocolate instead of the princeless
parcel expected.
Again, carried in. exhausted. by a
State trooper. Jake Kloon had been
fooled; and II was the packet OF
sugar-milk chocolate that Jake had
purloined from the veranda where
clinch kicked It. For two oakes OF
chocolate Kloon had died. For two
cakes OF chocolate he. Earl Leverett.
had become a man-slayer. a home
less fugitive in peril OF his life.
Somewhere IN Cllnch's Dump was
the packet that would make him
rich. Here was his opportunity.
He had only to dare; and pain and
poverty and fear-above all else
fear-would end foreveri go.
When. at last, he came out 10 the
edge OF Clinoh's clearing. the dark
october heavens were but vast
wilderness OF stars.
The light burned steadily from
Ewes window.
CHAPTER w
From his hiding place among
frost-olackened rag-weeds. the trap
robber could see only the piastered
ceiling OF the bed chamber.
But the kerosene lamp cast two
shadows on that-tall shadows OF
human shapes that stirred at times
The shadows on the ceiling were
cast by Eve strayer and her state
Trooper.
Eve sat on her beds edge, swath
ed in a lilac ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS relic
OF school days. Her bandaged feet.
crossed, dangled above the rag-rug
on the floor; her slim, tanned An
gers were interlsced over the book
on her lap.
Near the door stood State Troop-
er Stormont. spurred. booted, trlg
and trim, an undecided and flushed
young man, fumbllng irresoluteiy
with the purple cord on his cam
paign-hat
She looked up at him again visit
fully. Perhaps he was restless
bored. sitting there beside her half
the day. and. already half the night.
Men OF that kind-active, nervous
young men accustomed to the open,
can't stand caging.
want you to go out and get
some fresh air." she said. IT'S a
wonderful night. co and walk a
while. And-if you feel like-coming
back 10 me-"
VIII you sIeep?'
No. III wait for you"
Her words were natural and d.
rect. but in their simplicity there
seemed delicate sweetness that
stirred him.
"I'll come back TO you" he said.
Then. in his response. the girl in
her turn became aware of something
beside the simple words--a vague
charm about them that family
haunted her after he had gone away
down the stairs.
That was the man she had once
tried to kill At the sudden and
terrible recollection she shivered
from curly head 10 bandaged feet.
Then she trembled little with the
memory Of his lips against her
bruised hands-bruised by handouts !
which he had fastened upon her.