The Winslow mail., 1924-02-22

afford to go to Jail, even for a few
days, with so much at stake"
She looked at him in doubt and won-
der.
"a short man." she said, planted
the stone on you. A short man with
black eyes and heavy mustacheY
"Yes. You know him?"
Everybody knows him." answered
Sheila. 'He is Van Worst, the most no
torious diamond thief in South Africa
who has ever escaped the breakwater.
He has never been caught yet. If he
keeps his luck long enough, no doubt
he will become a millionaire and a
pillar of society. On account of his
ingenuity the big men, being unable to
punish him, buy him. They use him to
trap other thieves, and in crooked deals
of all kinds. That explains Van
Vorst's freedom in Malopo. Mr.. De
Witt used him to trap you Oh, Mr..
Garrett, I am sorry for having sus-
pected you. should have known; but
indeed in my heart did know that you
were a good man."
She broke down in complete distress.
With the realization that she had mis-
judged him there came upon her vividly
sense Of overwhelming shame at her
situation with Winton in the little
house. Her face was hidden by her
hands, but her throat was scarlet.
Il shall go this morning" said Win
ton 1.-The company meets at ten to
turn over the property to the syndicate,
and | have to be on hand"
She started and looked at him In
fear. "At ten, did you say?' she cried.
"It is ten o'clock nowr"
She drew little cheap watch from
the front of her dress and held it out.
Winton saw that the hands were almost
upon the hour
With this the pain left him, he felt
his old vigor in all his limbs; the ter
rible emergency nerved him. He
looked round for his hat, found it;
then Sheila was holding him by the
arms.
wait moment !" she cried half hys-
terically. "You can't go like that, Mr..
Garrett. Wait only one moment!"
She darted into her room, seized the
towel, wrung it out in water, and,
running back, snatched off his hat and
began washing his forehead. A stain
of blood came away. She looked at
him almost as tenderly as a mother.
Nov you can go, she said. II know
it is right; God be with you"
Winton was outside and running
across the court. The Chamber of
Commerce was situated at the south
east corner of the market square. He
had seen 1t on the preceding day, a
handsome block, one of the finest build
ings in MalopO. 1t might take him ten
minutes to reach it. 1t was question
able whether he would arrive in time
He ran on, painting, choosing the
shortest way, which fortunately did not
lead past the Continental, where he
would almost certainly have been rec
ognized. On he raced. through the
narrower streets, alive with fruit ped
dlers and old-clotheS men, who stopped
and stared in wonder at the sight of
the wild-looking man with blood ON
his face and dusty clothing, and
screamed in shrill abuse as he hurled
their carts right and left and cleared
passage down the middle of the road.
The market square lay before him,
tangle of transport wagons and oxen.
Winton lodged here and there thread
ing the mazes, painted across, and saw
the Chamber of Commerce building in
front of him.
He heard men shouting behind him.
A crowd was collecting, following him.
He looked like a mailman unless he
was the bearer of desperate news of
some rising in the OUTLYING districts.