Evening star., 1927-11-08
THE BLACK JOKER
BY ISABEL OSTRANDER.

look back at the ma angled horror lett
behind. dared not glance even to see
how Durant and Afford were faring.
The acrid scent of powder and smoke
| was strong in her nostrils. sullying the
air. and when at length they reached
the shelter Of tho trees she slipped from
Mats grasp ana fell painting upon
bank of moss, instinctively shielding
the arm numb in its sling.
Farther, Miss Janet"' urged Nat.
| "Crawl on little behime them
bushes! Where can that feller be-"
The sentence died on his lips. for
n tall figure with a tanned, sun drawn
countenance and mild blue eyes had
risen suddenly from the underground
and placing two great hands beneath
her arms, swung her clear of the
ground.
"Four-Four of Clubs"' Janet sob.
bed.
Rrambles caught at her skirts and
shoes. now sweeping branches brushed
her head against the farmers shoulder
as he piowed his way through the
shrubbery and plunged with her down
into the ditch. Then he recovered
himself and placed her gently on the
ground.
"My-my friends,'' Her breast
heaved with the labored effort. ''My
friends back there! Get help to them
Where is my father?'
'"rhcy was expectin' you by the
other way. ma am" Four of Clubs as
Sured her. by the gates, | mean.
I reckon maybe he's in Il little trouble
of his own. Your friends there in the
meadow will take care of themselves
and my orders was to wait here with
YOU for them. You been hurt?"
His tone was filed with kindly sym
pathy, but Janet waved it aside.
Just motor sma sh-up. I'm
quite safe here. but can't we crawl
through the ditch? That path home
! know it from the other side of the
wall
Not yet" The farmer shook his
head "Hear that? The whole coun-
ty'll be out, but there's Secret Service
men on the job and more a-comin'
You'll just have to be patient and
watt
Sporadic firing had recommended in
the meadow beyond the woods and
Janet closed her ears. She felt a
strange sense of unreality AS she had
before i'm moments of tense crisis
Surely this could not be America, with
assassins walking abroad in daylight
in a peaceful countryside. undeterred
in their murderous attacks. As
though reading her thoughts, the
farmer remarked:
There's big strike on over yonder
in the mining district and the militia's
out. This here riot'll go out to the
general run of folks as just an out
Croppin' of the trouble. Reckon your
father and them that are with him
will tell you why the real facts are
being kept quiet. There Hear the
whistle? The end Of it'll come soon
now. but where in tarnation is Nat
and the rest of Them"
Janets gaze travelled along the
trench-like ditch to the waving tops
Of the young naples over the wall at
the farther end. beyond which soma
where her father waited Why didn't
he come to her? He was in "a little
trouble of his own" Four of Clubs
had said. but surely he would have
seen the descending planes. he would
have known that she was a passenger
on one OF them. Why had he not
won his way to her?
But even as she looked yearningiv
toward Daneholm she heard from that
direction a sullen detonation that re.
sounded over the rOllin" hills and died
away in a mItter like dispensing thun.
der and her soul went sick within her
What terrible meaning had this almost
Enthusiastically harmless-appearing OBJ
ject she bore in secret held to bring
disaster upon all who came in contact
with it? Could Daneholm be in state
of siege? The shrill but distant
whistle to which the farmer had re
ferred minute before had been like
that of a train; was it bringing the
men of the Secret Service or the
friends of whom Durant had spoken
Desperate questions thrOnged her
mind hnt they were foreotten the next