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


The prophecy came true. AT the
very next corner the girl turned to the
left, and then held on, straight across
two avenues, until she reached a
street where the cars ran. She made
as IL to cross this street, too, for she
went straight out to the middle OF 1t;
then stopped. obviously at fault, and
retraced her steps to the car rail near
est the curb.
swell, that's plain enough" said
Ashton in a tone of disappointment.
"She's brought us so far, but can't
take us any farther, for here is where
he took the car"
swat Bit" said tn doctor. Watch
the girl"
She was crouched very low again,
and quartering around in circle, just
as she had done at the foot Of the
standpipe. Presently, to the surprise
of all of us, unless it may have been
that the doctor guessed, she caught
scent that satisfied her and led her
diagonally back to the sidewalk; and
once here, without pause, she set
out in the direction Of downtown,
straight down the middle Of the side
walk, her gait, that seemed unhur-
ried, unfaltering, sure-f0oted COM
promise between walk and run.
"It seems to be all right" said Ash
ton rather breathlessly, as we hurried
on after her, ''only don't quite see
what he went out into the street for"
ITO see If a car was coming, sup
pose," said the doctor. "There wasn't
one in sight, so. rather than risk wait
ing, he set out afoot. And think he
did wisely. / haven't seen a car in
either direction. Have you?"
We had not, and, what was still
more to the point, followed the girl
at the rapid pace she set. for half an
hour without seeing one.
When we had first set out with her,
our curiosity as to what she would do
prevented us from paying much atten.
tion to the condition Of the streets |;
but when the chase had Strengthened
itself out into this long pursuit down
the avenue, we had time to think of
our surroundings, and to speculate
whether they bettered the chances Of
the man we were pursuing or inn
proved our own for catching him. The
trolley wires were evidently down In
every direction, and the streets were
so CLASSY, with the frozen ssleet and so
perilous with the swapping, splitting
ends Of live wires that trailed here
and there, that what little wheel traffic
there was moved only with the very
greatest difficulty. Without the means
fOf tracing him, which the doctors hyp-
motto power over the girl had provided
us with, he would, after several hours,
have been absolutely secure from pur.
suit. There would have been no other
way in the world Of hunting for him
than by this simple, primitive method
of tracking him by his scent.
~ 1t was fortunate for us that there
were few pedestrians abroad that
night, for the girls strange, uncanny
gait and our hurried, breathless pur-
suit Of her would. in anything like
normal conditions, have created a sem
sation which would have rendered the
pursuit itself impossible. AS it was,
the few people who had ventured out
found all they could attend to In the
ice-glazed sidewalks, the wind-whipped
corners, the fog and electrical peril
of the streets. A few curious glances
were cast after us as we went hurry
ing by, but that was about all.
Suddenly the doctor dropped hand
on my arm. II know where she's 60
Ing" he said. II ought to have
guessed it before ever we started.
Look there" AS he spoke, he pointed
ahead and upward. through the fog,
and, following the direction of his
pointing finger. I made out, family, a
luminous clock face.
"What Is it," said /. II haven't kept
track of where we were going. The
fog confuses me-"
ITS the Western station" said the
doctor, land wilkins, my boy" he
punctuated the remark with a buffet
on my shoulder, wilkins has gone to
Oak Ridge! I ought to have known
him well enough by this time to have
foreseen that that was what he would
do"
81 don't believe he'd be such a fool, :"
said Ashton, .but hope you're right.
If he's gone to Oak Ridge, we've got
him. I've got two men out in the
Morgan house watching 1t, on the look
out for anyone who might turn up
there, and nobody who does turn up
will be able to get away until they
have accounted to me for their visit"
We had all Jagged a little. "Come
along" said the doctor. "We mustn't
get too far behind"
We were pretty well winded, all of
rs, but we gathered up our energies
for final sprint, and turned into the
great waiting room just behind her.
She went straight to the ticket win
dow, but without pause there or u
glance through, she turned In sharp
angle. exactly as dog would do, and
padded across the waiting room