Evening star., 1923-08-09
By Herbert FoOtner


he asked, suggesting that therein lay
the cure for all woes.
Rye highball." said Greg. do
they send the bodies right out to the
crematory tonight?"
Sure. When they're notified there's
anybody coming the motor truck
meets the train. He'll be along any
minute now"
"Oh. we'll I'll drive on to the crema-
tory and wait for brother there" said
Greg.
However, he took time to sip his
drink. for he wished to have look
at the motor truck in order to be sure
of identifying it on the return trip.
In the course OF a few minutes it
drew up at the station opposite, and
Greg marked it, covered van OF the
style ordinarily used by undertakers,
abounding with black enameled trap
pings of woe. Greg observed that
for its duty on the night roads 1t
carried searchlight over the drivers
head. This would effectually serve to
distinguish it from other cars.
The bartender came to the door and
pointed out the road they should take
Three miles he said; follow the
You can't miss it. It's their own road
that they built Nobody wants to
live down that way
In order to avoid exciting remark
they started. As soon as they were
out OF sight of the saloon, he swung
himself around the running board to
the seat beside Hickey.
THE train is due in fifteen min
utes. supposing it's on time" he said.
Give him five minutes to load up
that's twenty minutes start we have.
| Time TO run all the way out TO the
crematory, choose the best spot along
the road and come back to it."
II like this job less and less" said
| Hickey, with feeling. I'm a nervous
| man
til play the heavy Villains part"
said Greg calmly. You only have to
be property man.
Suppose there's two of them"
There was only one on the drivers
seat just now
He might have a friend coming out
on the train
Sure, and he might have a hand
grenade in each pocket"
oh. Lor"' said Hickey, taking it
quite seriously. 1t was a clear night.
moderately cold, and the moon was
| shining. This was fortunate for
them, since the old fiivver, designed
exclusively for street travel. carried
no headlights BY the light of the
moon Greg searched the roadsides for
the spot best suited TO his purpose.
For that matter one place was about
as good as another along that lonely
road. They passed no houses Two
| hundred yards from the station they
plunged into the woods. and con-
tinued through woods the most part
Of the way. What fields they passed
were evidently the back fields of
farms that fronted on other roads
The road was smooth, level and with
but few turns in it.
In a few minutes a cleared hollow
or vale opened up before them. with
| the crematory buildings grouped
around pond cleaning wanly in the
moonlight. The surroundings We're
laid out like a park. The main build
ing, with its tall slender chimney. had
| the look of a. power house or a pump
ing station: but knowing what IL
was, this chimney had a gruesomc
fascination Of it's own.
All that is mortal of many a man
has gone up that stack" said Greg.
Hickey shuddered. Til take the
worms for mine" said he.
! Back again now" said Greg. IT
! have the spot in mind.
About half way back Greg ordered
Hickey to stop. That tall tree ahead
on the right. Draw up in the shadow
beneath IT.. There's a. bend in the
Rad a hundred yards ahead. Far
enough to give him time TO stop. but
not far enough to give him the tip
TO turn back"
II don't like this job" walled
Hickey. for perhaps the dozenth time.
His teeth We're chattering.
Greg. who was not exactly an ex-
perieuced highwaYman himself, felt a
little shaky and dry in the mouth, but
If he had let Hickey see that the
driver would surely have collapsed
Greg maintained the assumption of
perfect calm.
''You have nothing to worry about. -
said he. "If anything goes wrong
you were simply hired by me to
bring you out here. You had never
hnfn nd hnr pnf
here I forced YOU to do my bidding
at the point of a pistol. see?"
Suppose the driver has a gum
Mine will be out first"