The San Francisco call. [volume], December 02, 1913, Image 10

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
Krazv Kat
•OqpTXJsHt, 1913, International New* Serrlc*)
A Bit of Balooning
Tomorrow:
Moonlight
VALUABLE
The Passerby—What a handsome
log. He must be valuable.
Street Dog Dealer —Yer bet 'c Is.
Xhe man wot I got 'im off Is offering
|25 reward if I brings 'im back.
To make cabbage digestible, when
balf boiled pour off the water and
place in fresh boiling water, i
The Dingbat Family
Polly and Her Pals
Us Boys
THE KING OF DIAMONDS
LOUIS TRACY
■■■■■
Continued From Yesterday
And the good natured enthusiast,
who was a terror to many of his
friends, ran off to secure another vic
tim.
Philip had sent his hansom home.
Shortly before XI he quitted the club,
intending to walk to Park lane by a
circuitous route, long enough to con
sume a big cigar.
He chanced to pass the hall in which
the concert was to take place. A few
people were hurrying from the stage
door. Evidently a rehearsal had just
taken place. A short man, with a huge
cluster of flowing locks, that offered
abundant proof of his musical genius,
ran out with a violin case in his hand.
He was about to enter a hansom
waiting near the curb, but the driver
said:
"Engaged, sir."
The man did not seem to under
stand, so the cabby barred his way
with the whip and shook his head.
Then the stranger rushed to a neigh
boring cab ra' k—evidently an ex
citable gentleman, with the high
strung temperament of art.
"A lady quitted the hall a few sec
onds later.
"Are you engaged?" Philip heard
her ask the cabman.
"No, miss."
"Take me to No. 44 Maida Crescent,
Regents park." she said. After ar
ranging her skirts daintily she en
tered the vehicle. •
"That is odd," thought Philip, who
had witnessed both incidents in the
course of a six yards' walk. He
glanced at the cabman and fancied
the man gave a peculiar look of In
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1913
telligence toward a couple of fash
ionably dressed loungers who stood
in the shadow of the closed public
entrance.
The two men, without exchanging a
word to Philip's hearing, went to a
brougham standing at some little dis
tance. They entered. The coach
man, who received no instructions,
drove off in the same direotion as
the hansom, and, as if to make sure
he was being followed, the cab driver
turned to look behind him.
Once, in Naples, Philip saw a man
stealthily following a woman down
ah unlighted alley. Without a mo
ment's hesitation he went after the
pair, and was just in time to prevent
the would be assassin from plunging
an uplifted stiletto into the woman's
back. The recollection of that little
drama flashed into bis mind now;
there wa s a suggestion of the Nea
politan bravo's air In the manner in
which these men stalked a girl who
was quite unaware of their move
ments.
He asked himself why a cabman
should refuse one fare and pick up
another in the same spot. The affair
was certainly odd. He would see fur
ther into It before he dismissed it
from his thoughts. The distance to
Malda Crescent was not great.
While thinking he was acting. He
sprang into the nearest hansom.
"A brougham is following a han
som up Langham place," he said to
the driver. "Keep behind them. If
they separate, follow the brougham.
When it stops, pull up at the best
place to avoid notice."
The man nodded. Nothing surprises
a London cabman. Soon the three
vehicles were spinning along the
Outer Circle.
It was not a very dark night, the
sky being cloudless and starlit. Away
in front, at a point where the two
lines of lamps curved sharply to the
right and vanished admld the trees,
a row of little, red lights showed
that the road was up.
The leading hansom drove steadily
on. There was nothing remarkable
in this. When the driver reached the
obstruction he would turn out of the
park by the nearer gate—that
was all.
But he did nothing of the kind.
There was a sudden crash of wood, a
wonman'i scream, and the horse was
struggling wildly amid a pile of
loose, wooden blocks, while one wheel
of the cab dropped heavily into a
shallow trench.
Simultaneously the brougham pulled
up and its two occupants rushed to
the scene of the accident.
Philip's driver, of course, obeyed in
structions, but he shouted to his fare
as he Jumped into the road:
"That feller's either drunk or 'c did
it a-puppuss."
Philip was of the same opinion. He
reached the overthrown barricade al
most as soon as the two hurrying
men in front, both of whom were in
evening dress.
One of them held the horse's head
and steadied him; the other was Just
in time to help the young lady to
leave her dangerous conveyance.
"I hope you have received no injury,
madam," he said, politely.
"Oh, not at all. I was frightened
for an instant. How could it have
happened? I saw the lamps quite
plainly. The man seemed to pull his
horse deliberately into the barrier."
The voice was singularly sweet and
well modulated. A neighboring arc
lamp illuminated the girl's face with
its white, unpitying radiance. It re
vealed features beautifully modeled,
and large, startled eyes that looked
wonderlngly from the man who came
so promptly to her rescue to the
driver who had caused the mishap.
Philip, behind the t hansom, was -un
seen. He remained a critical observer.
"I fear he is intoxicated," was the
reply. "Here you! How came you to
make such a blunder?"
'Blind as an owl," came the gur
gling answer. "I saw some red spots
dancln' abaht, but I thort it must be
that larst gill o' beer,"
Nevertheless, the cabman, extri
cated his horse and vehicle from their
predicament with singular ease for a
half drunken man.
"Goin* on, miss?" he grinned
"There's not'n' extry for the ste'eple
chtse."
"No, no," cried the lady. "I will
walk. I will pay you now."
"Take my advice and pay him not a
cent," protested the man by her side.
"Leave him to me. My friend here
will take bis number. If you will
accept a seat in my brougham"—
The cabman began to swear and
threaten them all with personal vio
lence. The lady, clearly unwilling to
avail herself of the accommodating
offer made to her, tried to edge away.
The driver of the hansom whipped his
horse on to the pavement. By this
time he had turned his back to the
road menders' barrier.
The gtrl, angered and alarmed,
shrank toward the gentleman, who
seemed to give her some measure of
protection from the infuriated cause
of all the trouble.
"Do step into my brougham," he
said, civily. "Victor, Just grab the
gee-gee's head again and keep that
idiot quiet until we get away. Now,
madam, take my advice. You will be
quiet safe instantly."
Even yet she hesitated. There was,
perchance, a timbre in the quiet, cul
tured tone of the speaker that did not
ring truly. The note of a bell can
not be perfect If there is a flaw In the
metal, and the human voice often be
trays a warped nature when to all
outward seeming there Is a fair ex
terior.
The man who addressed her was
youthful, not much older than herself.
He was evidently a gentleman, wiU»
the polish and easy repose of society.
His words, his attitude, were in- the
best of taste. Yet
A loud altercation broke out be
tween the cabman and "Victor." The
latter did not appear to be so ready
to lay hands on the reins again, and
the whip fell viciously on the horse's
flank, causing him to plunge forward
in dangerous proximity to the couple
on the sidewalk. He came close, but
not too close. Philip was now quite
certain that he was witnessing the
dexterous display of a skilled driver.
"Really I am at a lobs for words to
persuade you that your only course is
to use my carriage; otherwise there
will be a confounded row."
The stranger's voice was a trifle
petulant. She was such an unreason
able young lady. She turned to him
irresolutely—to find Philip at her side
—thrusting himself in front of her
would be rescuer.
"You have been the victim of a
plot, madam," he said. "Your driver
Is not drunk. He caused the accident
purposely. These two scoundrels are
In league with him. If"—
"What the devil"— cried the other
fiercely, but Philip swung him bodily
against the Iron railings.
"If you care to take my cab alone,
It la at your service. I will look after
these cads."
His quick eye caught a "signal from
Victor to the cabman. He was sorry
for the horse, but this comedy must
be stopped. He instantly caught the
bridle and backed the cab violently
toward the excavation. The cabman
lashed at him in vain, and swore, too,
with remarkable fluency for one so
drunk. Both wheels crunched on top
of the stout barrier and became locked
there.
Then Anson ran back toward the
girl, whose arm was held by the
owner of the brougham.
"Take your hands off that lady, or
I will hurt you," said Philip, and there
was that in his emphatic order which
brooked no delay.
The stranger dropped his restrain
ing hand, but shouted furiously;
Lucky for the Lucky
(CopjrifiiU. 1913. International New* Serrtee)
She Puts Over a Good One
(Copyright, W1.3, int«rnatlon»l News Serrlce)
Bit of a Shock for Mrs. D.
(Reentered (Jolted States Patent Office)
"By what right So yon Interfere?
I am only offering the lady some as
sistance?"
Philip ignored him. .
"What do you say, madam?" he In
quired, somewhat sternly, for she
seemed loatti to trust any of them.
"Will you occupy my cab? It is there.
Rest assured that neither of these
men shall follow you."
srie stood her ground, came nearer
to him.
"I believe you," she murmured. "II
thank, you from my heart. It is in-,
explicable that "such wretches can
exist as these two setfming gentle
men who stooped to sucht artifice'
against a helpless woman."
"Most fortunately I saw you leav
ing the Regent's hall," he replied.
"This cab was waiting for you, and
you only. The man refused at least
one fare to my presence. The others
followed in a brougham. Do you
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know them?"
"No. I have never to my knowl
edge, seen either of them before In
my life. How came you"—
" "I happened to hear your address.
,1 will write to you and explain. Go
now," he quickly Interrupted, for Vic
tor and his friend were approaching
them after a hasty conference.
"Leave you to deal with these as
sasin.s alone! Not I! I can defend
myself. I can help you. I will scream
for assistance. There are too many
of them for you to resist them single
handed."
Philip vowed afterward that fire
flashed in her eyes. There was a
splendid passion in the gesture with
which she.pointed t i the enraged han
som driver, who ha 1 climbed from his
perch and was running to Join hit
employers.
Continued Tomorrow