The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-11-23

iiiSii NOdAa oCC W. amy NoaANA
know but what il was real.
But at the moment Blythe felt
certain she was fighting for heI
very life. Those gamblers hac
already threatened Pop and they
would know that exposure anc
capture here would cost them
prison sentences. They WOULDN'T
hesitate to kill her if they could
stop =. fighting #.
sister," one man said, straining
Give us a chance TO :"
Blythe struck at the sound
with her fist. She felt it hit his
cheek.
ED, for the luvva Mike, what
have we got cornered here?"
She heard that over the fail
ing.
where is she? Oper
that door,"
Voices were getting louder.
Lay off, sister, before you gel
hurt! Okay. Ed, let's rush it
Col"
They made a concerted push
carrying Blythe, clothes, shoes
some of baby Scooter's toys, and
themselves all out onto the liv'
ing room floor in q grand pile.
up. 1t could have been compared
to a scrimmage in football.
Blythe was entangled ano
scared witless now.
"E-e-e-e-e!" she yelped invol'
UNFAIRLY. And just as involun-
tarily she called out, Help!
Duane Oh, Duane
Duaooooooomm!"
The outcry was muffled in
dress. She scrambled wildly
clutching at their legs, hoping
to trip, them, striving to regain
her own feet.
Look out, Ed! She's got a
gun"
She did still grip the pistol
On impulse she fired it now.
The fellow named Ed dived
onto her right hand, forced the
harmless gun away from her
She expected him to strike her
but he didn't. She had flash OF
feeling that these two gamblers
weren't really fighting as ag-
gressively as they might. We're
they afraid? Cowed? Or
She kicked at them with re-
newed fury. Regaining her feet
she knocked over a chair, then
kicked it at one OF the men
to trip him.
He was a large fellow, and
made quite a thump and a grunt-
ing when he fell. Next moment
Blythe knew she would be con-
quered. They | ape d up and
drove at her with full force. But
she would try once more. AS
both dashed toward her she
threw her body headlong across
their knees - in exactly the ma
neuver Pop taught his football
tacklers.
The fierceness of that clash
seemed to stun her a little, and
when she found her senses again
she was sitting on the floor quite
,pmolected Rut she was having
a crazy dream.
She thought she saw Duane
Hogan lift one man bodily and
throw him onto the other, thus
driving both gamblers against
the kitchen wall. Then she
thought she saw Duane standing
over them, alert, waiting, fists
tight. AS they shook their heads
holding bruises and trying to
talk coherently, Duane spoke to
her.
"Bly! Bly!" he sal d
Are you hurt?"
It wasn't a hallucination, il
was still real!
"No! They-those men
gamblers they're
am blers they were
-. -,
"You got it all wrong sister,
one man managed to gasp. boy,
what a punch you two kids car
ry! Lay off, Hogan - take il
easy I know you +.
but you don't know US 4.
Duane! Look out! They're
desperate! I'm surprised they
haven't used guns!"
do I have to bash in your
brains?" Duane asked. He had
lifted one of the chairs from
Nancy's ready-set dinner table.
Both men on the floor man.
aged to grin. Save it for the
game, son. Listen - your lady
friend got us wrong!"
Duane, don't you believe
them! They're crooks! Danger
ous!"
Duane looked confused, but
he was waiting for more ex-
plantations. One of the men half
groaned and made a move to
stand up.