Evening star., 1923-12-02
Continued from Yesterdays starr


with the engines"
Crank back! John Bruce's face was
Set as chiSeicd marble.
do YOU know what YOU are saying,
Hawkins?" he demanded fiercely. as
though to trample down and sweep
aside by the brute force of his own
incredulity the others assertion DO
You know what YOU are saying-do
you?"
Yes. ] know" said Hawkins help
lcsSly. He said you nearly killed
him today, and
John Bruce's laugh with a saw
agery that had him now at its mercy
and in its grip. rang suddenly through
the room.
Then for once he told the truth"
he cried He tricked me cold with
the old hus last night and trapped
me in the rats hole where his gang
holds out. but
Hawkins stumbled to his feet. His
face seemed to have grown grayer
still more haggard and full of abject
misery.
That's it. then" he whispered. Il
i understand now. l was drunk
last night. Oh, my God. I'm TO blame
for this. too"
John Bruce pushed Hawkins almost
roughly back into his chair. Last
night was gone. 1t was of no sig
Eificancc any more.
Never mind about that" he said
between his teeth. "It doesn't matter
now. Nothing matters now except
Claire. Go on--tell me! What does
il mean? Tomorrow morning, you
said. Why this sudden decision about
tomorrow morning.?
Hawkins lips seemed dry. He cir
cled them again and again with his
tongue.
He said YOU nearly killed him to-
day. as IL told you. said Hawkins,
rumblns for his words. '.And he said
that YOU had been lovers before that
night when you were stabbed. and
that he wasn't going to stand for it
any longer, and = and = Hawkins
vice bgoke-"and that she belonged
TO him. And he said she was the
only one who could stop this trouble
between YOU and him before it was
too late. and that was by marrying
him at once. And-and Claire said
she would"
Hawkins stopped. His old felt hat
was on his knees and he twisted at
1t aihlessly with shaking fingers.
John Bruce stood motionless.
'Go on" he bit off his words
That's all" said Hawkins. except
he made her promise not to let YOU
know anything about it, They're GO
ing 10 leave the house tomorrow
morning. and are going down to
Staten Island to get married, because
there's some minister down there he
knows. Crang said And I'm to take
Crang. and-and-''-the old man
turned away his faCc-'.I-I'm to be
best man. That-thats what he said
best man
John Bruce walked abruptly 10 the
window and stared blindly out into
the night. His brain seemed afire.
For a time neither man spoke.
Iou said YOU loved her said Haw-
kins al last. Il came to you. There
wasn't any other place to so. Paul
Neniza can't do auythine.'
John Bruce turned from the window
and walking TO Hawkins laid his two
hands on the others shoulders. He
was calmer now.
Yes. / love her" he said huskily.
And l Think am not sure-but l
think now there is chance that she
can be made to change her mind even
here at the last minute. But that
means l must see her; or. rather. that
she must me-.
Hawkins paused in the twisting Of
his felt hat to raise bewildered eyes.
I've got the car here" he said.
I'll take YOU down"
The car" exclaimed John Bruce
quickly: Yes. l never thought OF
that Listen. Hawkins, Claire re-
fused to see me this afternoon or even
TO, talk TO me over the telephone. |
am not quite sure why. But no mat
ter what her reason was. | must see
her now-at once. / have something
her not to go on with this tomorrow
morning-or ever" His voice was
growing grave and hard. Il hope You
understand. Hawkins. | believe II
may succeed. Ii 1t fails. then neither
you nor ], nor any soul on earth can
alter her decision. That's all that |
can tell you now
Hawkins nodded his head. 4 littl.
color. eagefness, hope. had come into
his face
That's enough" he said tremu-
lously, 'as long as you-you think
there is a chance even yet And-and
you do. don't you?"
Yes said John Bruce. II think
there is more than a chance if 1 can
see her alone and make her listen TO
me. The car will be just the thing
But she would refuse to come out IL
she knew l were i'll it. l depend on
you for that. Well drive down there,
and you will have to make some ex-
cuse to get her to come with you.
After that you can keep on driving
us around the block until l either win
or lose"
Hawkins rose hurriedly to his feet.
Let US go, John Bruce. For Gods |
sake. sake. let US go" he cried eagerly.
my landlady-has got to see her at
once. She'll come quick enough"
John Bruce put on his hat and coat, [
ana without word led the way to
the door, but at the door he. paused
for an instant. There was Larlnon-
and Crang was back. And then he
shook his head in quick decision.
There was time enough later. 1t
would serve no purpose to tell Lar
mon now, other than the thankless
one of giving Larmon a restless
night
John Bruce went on. He did not
speak again until. outside the hotel,
shop as Hawkins opened the car door
for him.
You will have to make sure that
Crang has gone" he said quietly.
Don't stop in front of the house,
Hawkins"
"I'll make sure" whispered Haw-
kins as he climbed to his seat. "Oh.
my little girl.''
The old car jolted forward. John
Bruce's face was set again in hard,
chiseled lines He tried to think, but
now his brain seemed curiously impo-
tent. as though 1t groped through
turmoil, only to stager back bewil-
dered, defeated, a wounded thing. And
for a time it was like that as he sat
there swaying with the 1urch of the
speeding car. one thought impinging
fast upon another, only to be swat
lowed up so quickly in turn by still
another that he could correlate no
one of them.
And then. after a little time again,
out of this strange mental strife i'm
ages began to take form, as sharply
defined and distinct one from the
other as before they had been min
gled in hopeless confusion-and he
cried out aloud in sudden agony of
soul. 1t was to save his life that this
had happened. He had wrung that
knowledge from Crang. That was the
now, and it must succeed. He must
make it succeed! 1t seemed to drive
him mad now. that thought-that to-
morrow morning she should die for