The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-07
TR4ILIN', By Maa Brand

In the smooth Shaven center of hollow he finally saw two tall men standing pacs and facing a crowd of foes. They separated at once, striding out wath . naeesurea soep, and it was not until they moved that ne caught the gfint Of metal at the sloe o1 one of them and knew that one was Sne niAi, who had answered to the name or 'onn Daa1 spoken to him at the garden the nlgnt De- fore. -
 As if they had reached the end of an agreed course, the two men whlried at ene same instant, the metal in their nanas glinted in an upward semlcircle, ana t"o guns parked hoarsely across the lawns. .,,
 "One of them stood with his gun stlii poised: the other leaned gradually 1orWaro an dtoppled at full length on the grass; The victor strode out toward the fallen, but near ing the wild yell of Anthony ne ste; stoppeha, ths grove of trees which topped the next rise of ground As Anthony sped forward Tn pursuit call reached him as sharp as the crack of the guns a moment oe1ofe' "Anthony!'
 to give up the chase When Anthony kne!t beside the fallen man a voice Tn rough dialect began, as if an enforced culture were brushed away and forgotten in the crisis; Anthony, there ain't nc use Tn t0l-
 .sWho is he? Give me his name and
 "He acted in the name of Ged. You have no right to hunt him down. This couldn't end no other way for John Bard.
 ''Is that your real name!"
 "Yes: Now listen, Anthony, for my time is short.'
 He closed his eyes as if fighting silently i0: Tsen: seae" awhen I was lad like you, Anthony-' That was all. The massive body relaxed; the head fell back into the A,%ha against the breast of John Bard, and 1t seemed to him that there was still faint pulse.
 He had no chance to bind the wound, for John Bard opened his eyes again and sald, as if in his dream he had still continued his tale to Anthony:
 ''So that s all the story, lad- Do you for give me-"
 For what, sir? In Gods name, for what?''
 1'Damnation! Tell me, do you forgive John Bard?"
 He did not hear the answer, for he mur- mured:
 Chapter V-Bluebeard's Room
 A Anthony Woodpury, he kneit eeslae "A the dying. As Anthony Bard he rose < with the dead man in his arms, a mighty burden even for his supple strength; vet he went staggering up the slope, across a level terrace and back to the house. There it was Peters who answered his call, feters with flabby face grown gray, but stilt the perfect servant who asked no questions: Together they bore the weight up stars ana placed it on John Bard's bed. While Anthony kept his steady vigil by the dead man. it was Peters who summoned the po- lice and the useless doctor.
 To the old, uniformed sergeant, Anthony tolu simple lie. His father had gone for walk through the grounds because the night was fine, and Anthony was te 3oln him later, but when he arrived he found dying man who could not even explain the manner of his death.
 Left alone, Anthony Bard went to the secret room The key fitted smoothly into the lock. What the door opened upon was a little gray apartment with an arched celi- ing, a place devoid of single article of furniture save straight-back chair in the center. Otherwise Anthony saw three things-two pictures on the wall and little box in the corner.
 First he took up the box, as being by far the most promising of the three to give him what he wished to know; the name of the slayer, the place where he could be found, and the cause of the staying. It held only two things: A piece of dirty silk and small oil can; but the oil can and the black smears on the silk made him look closer, closer until the meaning struck him in flare, as the glow of lighted match