Evening star., 1923-10-30
THE DOUBLE CHANCE
Fascinating Wrongly Accused Hero
BY J. S. FLETCHER
Autor Of "Reyns,Ssds Amalsa"afos."

for the fugitive to remain there. And
left.
The experience was not pleasant:
he had to- admit that before he had
been there three hours alone. 1t was
as IL he were fastened up in the mid
die of the world. with all the world s
| weight pressing upon him on every
with life; he thought of how awful it
| would be if strange shapes materialized
out Of 1t. II ii had not been that by
| cautiously creeping some little distance
along the gallery to point where he
! could hear the distant ring of picks and
shovels and occasionally a shouting
! voice. he would have gone mad. The
silence, the sense OF oppression, was
' awful: He longed to be out again. to
feel the air and see the sky.
| visit him in his hiding place the first
time. that worthy individual shook his
head as he set his lamp and one he
had brought Stead down on the rough
table which stood in the middle of the
disused office.
its no use trying to cut it yet.
guv.nor," he said. producing a parcel
of food and a number of much -crum-
pied newspapers. you wouldn't be
safe for moment once you poked your
your track, and no mistake"
Stead uttered an impatient exclama-
ton: .., II ca can't stay here much longer
day won't be as bad as the first. guv'-
nor, he said. And. after all. it amt
prison. nor yet a penal servitude es-
tablishment: My. but they are keep
ing bright lookout for you. II so be
nor, / don't believe you could get out
of Mannersley just now. No; you must
wait, guv'nor. till the coasts a bit
clear. I've brought enough food and
drink or a,,1, OF the the best for another day. good
the tin bottle which the miner had
brought. He drank feverfshly.
What is being done up there?" he
asked impatiently. Surely there must
be some way Of getting off.''
randy folded his arms and crossed
nss legs as he sat down on the edge
Of the table.
There's a. whole heap of newspa-
pers there, guvnor. as you can read
while the lamp lasts. and thatM be ten
hours" he said, "and-"
Ing Ing that dark SPELL" interrupted Stead
as5s sabs. the ne,S worst ,no time Of it."
the hoor and shaking his head That's
& when you want to go to sleep. guv'nor
STEAD Stead snatehed match 4, at the newspapers:
Il
said snapplishly. ST suppose YOU know
all there is in them.'' w. '''"
Pretty well nearly all. guvnor."
replied Tandy. Them. newspaper fell
iers has knack. you know, Of wormins
know everything. what I said was
that, leaving alone whatever I can tell
you. you,li see II you read them papers
mat you're a done man IL you slip out
Q, .nis for day or two. That's fact,
And Stead. when he had glanced over
the various accounts in the daily news
papers which Tandy had brought him
nag to admit that 1t would. be a very
1,rncult sn,l thing to escape from Manners
iey Just then; He had. perforce. to ac-
cept the conditions Of his plight and to
suner another twenty-four hours of life
In his underground dungeon.
And at the end of that time things
were were no better. Tandy came back next
hignI with a longer face than before.
They've got a lot of new bobbies.
both uniformed and plain-cIothed into
the place, guv'nor," he said. "And
tnere's lots OF our chaps taken to play-
ing nn private detective. and on the prowl
nave to put my thinking box to work to
get you out Of this. And what's more
E%vnor. eor nor there's a handsome reward out
Stead looked at him with a sudden
anxiety. His liberty was in this mans
hands. You know what rye promised
you II you get me away safely" he said.
anu I've given you hundred pounds
In gold already. Remember that"
THE rewards five hundred, guy'nor." Z"
answered Tandy. 'You promised me
three hundred. OF course. you'll make
the three up to five now?"
How do know such a. reward is
promised?" asked Stead with some frasS
cfbility: Il know nothing-dovn here -
In silence the collier threw down a
police handful before him and pointed
That's In every shop window. big or
little. In Mannersley, guv'nor," he said
aiter pause. during which Stead read
the notice through. "And they saw IFS
posted up at every police station in
England, Scotland. Ireland and Wales.
80 there! or course. you'n make it at
least hve hundred, guv'nor?"
Stead uttered an impatient exclama-
ton. Get me out Of this and safely
away, and come with me, and YOU shall
have five hundred" he said. ADO r.
and you'll not find me particular"
(CONTIhyTTEn sr0N6NpDoxr