Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
Hunted, Pitt
fuI Wretch Beg
ging for His
Who Gould Be
Deaf His Ap-
peal for Help?
By E. Philips OPpenheim


WAS in the act of closing the front
door of the building In which my teIn-
porary abode was situated, and stepping
out between the spiked iron ratings
onto the pavement of the Adelphi Ter
race, when I recognized the familiar, but al
way exciting. sound Of a police chase near at
hand.
From where I stood, I could hear the hurry
ing footsteps, the 6isjointed shouts and a shrill
police whistle in the distance. ! stepped hastily
forward. and, almost at that moment, the fugi-
tive appeared, swung himself round by the
ratings, and prepared to continue his flight.
He was small, shabbily dressed, ginger haired
and sandy Of complexion. The blood was
streaming from one side Of his face and his
breath was coming in little sobbing gulpS. Even
in those few moments, the blueness OF his eyes
moved EN- to wonder, and the twitching OF his
agonized lips was like the whimpering of O
frightened child. ...
Close behind came the chase. It was a mat
ter of seconds now before his pursuers would
bounce exultantly upon their quarry. The little
man seemed wholly at their mercy. He had
swung himself round the corner, taken two
steps along the pavement, but, at the sight CT
me standing there, he hesitated-a hesitation
that must be fatal-unless-
"A GREAT dramatist has written a play to
prove that the instinct Of helping any hui
man creature to escape from constituted au-
thority is practically q primeval one. I sub
scribed to that instinct, without pause or delay.
A look flashed between us and he understood.
I stepped a little to one side. He sprang at the
door, which I had left ajar, disappeared in
side, and slammed 1t after him. The footsteps
and calls were almost at hand, the terrace was
deserted, and I myself could scarcely hope to
escape questioning, if discovered lettering there.
I crossed the street hastily, leaned over the
railing, and peered below into that strange
piece of wasted ground that borders the En-
bankment gardens.
The chase, consisting Of the usual crowd
two or three rough-looking men, half q dozen
~loiterers VIII had evidently joined in the man
hunt for the thrill Of 1t and q sprinkling of
others, mostly nOndeScriptS-accepted the hint
without qualm or hesitation, crossed the road,
and plunged down the steps into the little entry.
scarcely troubling to glance along the empty
terrace. They did not even stop to ask me o
question. My attitude and apparent interest ia
the blank space below were enough for them.
A policeman pushed his way from the rear
and disappeared around the corner of the steps
in = couple of bounds. I made the inquiry from
Ouc VI IIlS pukSuCIS WHO SGcmSO W nave udO
enough of the chase.
whats the little man done?"
The youth shook his head.
-Dunno," he answered. II just seen 'em all
running and came along"
I recrossed the street, turned my key in the
lock. and entered. I closed the door carefully,
made my way to the second floor and switched
on the electric light. There was no one in sight.
I looked upward and. three flights above, I
caught sight Of a white, terrified face, peering
through the banisters. I called to him softly:
Come down and TN let you in. There's no
one else in the building. These are all my
Offices"
THE face disappeared and soon I heard the
sound Of Light, quick footsteps. When the
hunted man came to the last flight of stairs and
slackened his pace q little as he approached me.
I felt almost inclined to smile. His appearance
was entirely that Of q frightened, even a terri
fled, child. He looked ridiculously young, vet
the wound on his cheek and the partly dried
blood gave . touch Of the sinister to his appear
ance. He came hesftatingly toward me.
They've all gone on" I told him. Come
this way"
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