New Britain herald., 1922-10-14
The Wild Chance Madge Was
 Comnclled to Take


 gave myself no time to think as wheeled Tom Chesters bicycle out of the little glade into the open road, II had stopped to vision in detail the task which the young mans eol- lapse had thrust upon me l do not believe l would have had the cour- age 10 undertake 1t.
 Fortunately, l knew almost every inch both of the road l was on and of the winding woodland trail where we were sure the limousine was con- cealed But a few steps from me there was q narrow path connecting the road was on with the wood road.
 It was a path so overgrown with vines and underbrush that l was sure no one but picky and l. who had dis covered it and spent a happy forenoon clearing it out, knew it was there. Fantastically, we had left both en- frances mass of tangled growth, so that no one else should discover it, and it was with q feeling of thankful ness that l reached 1t, thrust aside the vines and dragged the bicycle into its shelter.
 Don't Waste Breath" One problem was solved, that of the disposal of the bicycle which l did not know how to ride, and yet must not leave upon the open road. l pushed it yet further into the bushes. and then, with infinite pains taking but a few steps at time, and ac- commodating the little noise l made to the sounds of the wild life with which the woods abounded. I made may way along the path to my goal, the place where it joined the winding woodland road and with shaking fingers pulled aside the screen of vines which masked it. Not five feet from me, imperfectly visible because of the intense darkness, loomed the shadowy outline of big limousine. Did you hear anything?"
 A guttural voice sounded close to me, and my eyes, straining through the darkness, glimpsed two men sit ting on the running board of the limousine.
 tYes. in the bushes there" the an- swer came promply. Probably 9 rabbit or a squirrel, but"
 One of the figures sprang up, came quickly toward the sport where l stood and suddenly began to thrust some long object which I guessed to be a cane into the bushes beside me. Again and again he thrust, sometime above my head, sometimes beside me, while I stood numb with terror, conscious of but one thing that I must make no sound
 Once he missed me only by the frac- ton of an inch, and when he finally turned back to his companion. say irg in satisfied tone T thought if was nothing dangerous" my knees buckled under me, and if I had not been holding tightly to the branch of a small tree l am afraid I would have tumbled ignominiously to the ground. But my clutch on the branch saved me, and I gradually fought myself back to calmness again, and was able to listen attentively to the few words which the men uttered
 If we could smoke" one said with a longing infection.
 Don't waste breath" the other ad- vised briefly, Against orders"
 How long must we wait, do you think?"
 No Time to Lose
 "Till just before daybread, came the impatient answer. If he does not come before then we must go back and come tomorrow night"
 Well, he must admit everything is in readiness The car is in the best condition is she not?"
 Everything overhauled to the last bolt. And it needs to be. We'll have to crawl on this road, but when once we strike the open the road to New York will burn beneath us. But talk ing is bad business. Quiet is better" The minutes which followed dragged interminably. Afraid to stir, schooling even my breath I waited with the silence and the darkness seeming to grow heavier and more op- pressve with each passing second And