Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-16

erabIy.
The can aboard" sounded, and the locomo-
Give pulled out on the second leg of the long
Journey. Epic swung aboard. At the entrance
TO his car he stopped-aSSailed by the certainty
OF impending disaster.
There was q tableau In front OF lower 2.
Cap'n Sandifer was standing in the aisle, feet
planted wide apart, and lips grtnly silent. Mr..
Warren, clad only in trousers and the upper
portion OF his pajamas, was facing him, talking
loudly and gesticulating with vehenence Epic
was sorry. He had desired 10 be the first to
ten Capn Sandifer the true condition. The
CaD'n was 3 man who would have applauded
him for the act Of the previous night.
Mr.. Peters listened And the words that
cascaded from Mr.. Warren's lips caused Epic to
shudder as though some one had caresSed him
with o large brick.
"a. and not only is my revolver gone" ragged
Mr. Warren, but in the holster was my wallet
containing almost $500 in CASH."
Epic waited to hear no more. He was con-
vinced that already he had heard entirely too
much.
Mr. Peters was positive that there had been
no wallet in the holster he had borrowed. He
knew nothing of the fiat leather case that had
dropped to the floor when he, thoroughly
frightened, had drawn the revolver from the
holster for a final inspection.
He did some lightning thinking. Only one
course was open to him. He must wait until
Mr.. Warren went into the washroom; then he
must get the revolver from the linen closet and
return gun and wallet to the indignant passen-
ger. After that he'd have to tell Cap'n Sandifer
the truth. Perhaps the Capn could invent
method of avoiding manslaughter in the car.
Epic sneaked into the car. Capn Sandifer
had gone, and so had Mr.. Warren. Epic opened
his linen closet and climbed up on his little
stool. He was certain everything was all right,
but he wanted to make sure.
A. E~41rA
eraned his neck and drew the gun from its
nesting place. He inserted long fingers in the
holster.
There was no Wallet
sDisaster." groaned Epic, "heah isl"
The potentialities of the situation smote MFR.
Peters with horrid force. Some way, somehow,
Mr. Warren's wallet had vanished. Epic knew
better than to dispute the loss of the wallet
In the first place, Mr.. Warren was a gentle
man, and in the second place. Epic felt keenly
his own anomalous position. He recalled
vaguely pronouncement he had heard from
the lips OF the erudite Lawyer Evans Chew on
somewhat similar OCCASION He who comes into
Equity had better sure wash his hands first!"
Epic's hands were, hguratively, unwashed.
They were also tied. He couldn't go to Cap'n
Sandifer now and announce that he had taken
the revolver to avoid a duel Not so, indeed.
The Capn would quite rightly suggest that the
money be returned Immediately, and Epic didn't
know anything about any money. He couldn't
20 to Mr.. Donegan and ten him that Mr.. War
rem was disarmed, because that would be a too
Gamning admission.
'T-caint do nothin'," mourned Mr.. Peters,
~and' even when does it, it's gwine be wrong"
IRON inside the car came the sound of q
= bell, and Epic lurched to answer the sum-
mons. He passed through the corridor near
the smoking room to the main aisle of the car
Then, as something smote his vision he ducked
back and stared in terrible anticipation.
Mr. Warren was standing in section 2. The
gan was advancing toward the gentleman whose
gun MIR. Peters had borrowed. MIR. Warren was
staring at the other.
"An' now" reflected MFR. Peters, affrightedly
they begins to get murderous mutual"
He wanted to run, but stark horror held him
rooted to the spot. He watched the deadly
enemies draw closer And then IS a fitting
climax to morning of unbearable misery q
sheer miracle occurred.
Mr.. Donegan stopped at section 2 and q
broad friendly smile spread over his lips.
"To Ellis" he greeted affably.
MIR. Warren looked up. "Howdye. VIII.
What are you doing on this tramp"
Running up to New York for little BUSH
ness trip Had breakfast yet? No? Come
along with me. How about it?"
Arm in arm they walked of toward the
diner, leaving Mr.. Epic Peters more harassed
than he had been in many a green moon.
Mr.. Warren had called Mr.. Donegan will. +"
Epic knew perfectly well that Mr.. Donegans
name was Leslie. Moreover, one could not mis-
take the friendship between the men, and a
dark awful suspicion came to the porter that
he had projected himself into mess of wholly
unnecessary trouble. He recalled one Summer
day at Blue Lake Park when he had come
leaping out of boathouse in suit of brilliant
green. He had failed to heed the warning
shouts of spectators and had plunged head
foremost into the pool. Even yet he could re-
~nII inc xiuid cn1if