The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-10-21

nearest garage for an automobile;
quick !" he said. Then, addressing us,
he went on: "There is no necessity
for your going, Doctor McAlister, or
Mr.. Phelps, either. But Mallory and !
can't afford to waste minute"
"You've wasted one already" said
the doctor, telling Mallory to go into
that telephone BOOTH"
Ashton, heartily cursing his own
stupidity, darted Off after his messen-
ger.
II think I'll go along with them"
said | to the doctor, 'just on the
chance of my being Of some service"
He laughed. "Are you thinking
you'll leave me behind? Come, Phelps,
you know me better than that. No.
Wen all CO."
His gesture included the strange,
silent, expectant figure that had been
standing at his elbow all the time.
"Do you mean to take herr" l ques-
toned.
''She's brought us so far. She's
given us, up to this point, every mate
rial fact that has made 1t possible for
us to establish Haines' identity and get
on his TRAIL"
1t just happened then that my eyes
were on the girl. saw her SILVER,
saw look of human intelligence and
perplexity appear for the first time in
that strange face Of hers. tried, with
a nod, to direct my chiefs attention
to her, but before he could get my
meaning, Ashton came hurrying back.
''There's garage only two or three
blocks away" he said, land Mallory
ought to be back with car in very
few minutes"
Then he held out his hand to the
doctor, II can't begin to tell you,"
said he, show grateful am for the
help you've given us. nor for your pa
thence with my unenlightenment."
emo valedictories now" said the doc
tor interrupting. you're not going to
be rid of us so easily. We're all 60
ing with you"
Good" said Ashton. ~ hoped you
would. though felt hadn't any right
to ask it of you. Come! There's the
motor. Let's lose no time"
My memory of the next two hours is
one of unrelieved discomfort and con-
stantly increasing apprehension. We
skidded across street car tracks and
had dozen Of what in normal times
we should have called narrow escapes,
In the flrst dozen minutes. After that.
we stopped counting. The excitement
Of the chase was mounting in our
veins.
"He must be there by this time,"
said Ashton at last with a shudder.
II wish l knew that Green and Ben
son were still alive"
II tell you he won't KILL" said the
doctor, mot If he can help it. He'll
do 1t If they succeed in forcing his
hand; that l admit. But his own clev.
erness is the greatest safeguard those
two men could have-his cleverness
and their. stupidity"
II wish I shared your confidence"
said Ashton.
"Think minute what the situation
is" said the doctor. Suppose we had
him now, safely, in our hands. We
know what he is. We know that he is
morally responsible for the murder of
Henry Morgan. But suppose you were
not the district attorney. Suppose that
Haines came to you and retained you
in his defense. Wouldn't you tell him
that, with the criminal law in its pres
ent state and the methods ofaprosecut-
Ing criminals what they are today, you
would have an excellent chance of rid
ding any case that we could make?
Wouldn't you tell him that, never In
the world, could he be convicted of
murder In the first degree, by any court
or any jury?"
eyes," said Ashton ruefully. 81 sup
pose that's true"
"You may be sure" the doctor con-
tinued, "that wilkins realizes that.
And realizing it, you may be certain,
also, that he will not commit an in
dubitable first-degree murder, if he
can help it."
"Murder-"
The word made us all start. 1t was
uttered, hardly above a whisper, by.
the Wild half-human creature. through
whose fundamentally we had been
able to get on the true murderer's trail.
And yet. In some subtle way, she had
spoken in new voice; not the soft.
throated cultural speech of the Maori
girl, nor yet in Jane Perkins New zea.
land modification of cockney.
ITO BE coNTINUED.)