San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-01

loose, For the time being, IL was
out of the question. Street urchins,
spying the handouts, We're accom-
panying them in chattcring groups.
Pedestrians, catching the CLINT of the
nickeled chain. were turning to stare
at them curiously. Maynard FASTENED
toward the railway station.
In the waiting room he seated him
self on a long bench, and dragged his
prisoner TO seat at his side. His
train would not arrive for half an
hour. Originally he had planned not
to release the man until far from the
city. Now he desired nothing SO much
as 10 be relieved of his unwelcomc
companion at once.
He, Maynard, was a criminal. The
law which he had violated proclaimed
him one. The other man was crimi-
nal too, and Maynard became con-
scious of acute resentment at n CLASH
fication broad enough to include them
both. Alike fugitives from justice
they should have had much in COM
mon. The thought fitted through
Maynard's mind, and left behind it
nothing but sense of revolt. He
would have reached for the key of the
handouts at once had not the sta
ton been too crowded.
What had the man done? The
papers which he had removed from
Guthrie's pockets would tell the
story He leafed through them. A
clipping from newspaper contained
the details Of the crime. He began to
read.
1t had happened on a winters
night. There had been no question of
robbery; malice had been the sole mo-
tive. For an affront, fancied or real,
the man had broken his way through
the window of the lonely cottage. His
employers wife lay asleep, her chilA
in her arms. And the man, armed
with a Ratchet
The account was made vivid with
pictures of the victims.
Maynard suddenly felt sick. His
hand leaped for the key which would
rid himself of the foul thing at his
side. He had placed it in the lock.
when he heard the swish Of a skirt.
1t was woman with child. passen.
gers, hurrying to catch an earlier
train. The woman was Young. tho
child was laughing. 1t flashed through
Maynard's mind that were he TO turn
the key, these two might be the next
victims of the monster. Abruptly he
tore it out of the lock.
When they had taken their seats
in the train. Toselli shook the chain
pointed. to the handouts suggestiyely
and grinned. As clearly. as if he
were speaking the<actual words. the
man was saying: Take them off ="
Maynard turned his back in horror
"Take them off !" Half an hour AGO
he had been. looking forward to tho
moment when he might.
Take them off" Freedom for him
self, of course, but freedom too. for
the monster. Across the aisle unsus.
pecting passengers were settling them.
selves comfortably. Humanity, And
the thing shaciSled TO his wrist was
but biding its time to prey upon it!
For the law itself Maynard felt
contempt. He had broken it. But for
those simpler laws which went down
into the origin of, mans being, the
laws which proclaimed, Thou shalt
not kill !" he was conscious of intui.
tive respect. He had never thought
much about them. 1t had never oc.
CURED to him that he might one day
be brought into conflict with them.
Yet chance had placed it in his pow.
err to kill Just as surely as IL his own
hand welded the weapon. II he lib.
Grated the thing that tuggcd sugges-
lively at his wrist. and IL the newt.
able happened. would he not be equal.
ly guilty? Would he not be more
guilty? His was the intelligence 10
foresee. Would not the responsibility
be his?
The train was carrying him back To
the place from which he had flel. 1t
was reducing at the rate Of 40 10 an