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Show f"IfaiQHcOMEI? 111 I FOLLOW THROUGH I Vc By HAL MARQUETTE go. I ain't done nothing but eat I some of your grub. Honest, mister, J I'll get out of here quick il you'll put that gun down." This wai the voice of a frightened man, but not the voice or true dialect of a hobo. Jerry relaxed slightly, and the man in the chair moved, Thlj was the time to "follow through" if he was ever going to do it. "Get up and do exactly as I tell you," he commanded. The man cringed but rose slowly, his eyes still on the gun. He hated guns; he was afraid of guns, and he knew now that this man knew it, too. If he could only knock it to the floor . . . "Keep your' hands high, get to that telephone beside the door, and do as I tell you. Any monkey-business. monkey-business. . ." The man advanced toward the door and the telephone without looking from right to left. Jerry moved to his side as he passed him. He could feel the man's body tremble, as though he were having a chill, when he touched him with the gun. "Now put your left hand on the receiver, lift it off the hook and undoubtedly thought that he was alone. Perhaps he had seen Lucy and her mother leave hours before and had waited for darkness to come. After what had seemed an hour, he heard the man get up from the table and walk toward the hall which led into the living room. Jerry knew that his safety depended de-pended upon what he would be able to do within the next few minutes. It wasn't a very pleasant pleas-ant spot to be in, but . . . He thought of the broadcaster's remark, that the killer had not used a car, and that it was suspected sus-pected that he was making a getaway get-away by the county back-roads and woods. This could be the man. For as long as he could remember, no ordinary tramp had ever strayed stray-ed so far away from the main Jerry knew that bis safety depended upon what he would be able to do within the next few minutes. i ( A ND SHOULD you encounter " this man, exercise care. He's dangerous. Any further news that comes In will . . ." Jerry Anderson snapped oil the radio. He'd heard the particulars of the brutal strangulation of Mrs. Prescott and the description of the suspect several times this evening. eve-ning. After that wordy, unlovely portrait of the man, he felt that even he would recognize him if he ever contacted him, but he hoped that he wouldn't. Jerry was no coward, but . . . After Jerry's recent discharge from the hospital, he decided that-he that-he wanted to live out at the cottage cot-tage while making his plans for the future. His family objected, not without cause, and it wasn't until old Doc Crowder, the family friend and physician, convinced them that it would be a good thing for Jerry to do under the circumstances, that they finally yielded to his wishes. Jerry had spent every summer of his life there, until his enlistment, and he loved the old place. So, when his mother and Lucy reluctantly left him this afternoon, after-noon, he was glad. Not that he did not appreciate the things which they had been doing for him, but he wanted to be on his own. He had plans to make and this change and the quiet that he would have would be perfect. He had tried, during his month at home, to apply his own "self-reasoning" method, but to little avail. He felt confident that It could be tested properly by facing his problems Independently. Jerry sat near the" window for quite some time trying to make a start at some of that "self-reasoning, "self-reasoning, but his mind kept reverting re-verting to the broadcast he had heard earlier. If the woman only had had a gun, he thought. She probably would have been afraid to use It, though; most women were. He thought of the empty Luger In his bag and wished that he could have tried again to get some ammunition for it. He loved that gun, a gift from one of his buddies who had not come back. Jerry went into the bedroom and took the gun from his bag. He fondled it and then slipped it into his pocket. He smiled when he realized just how foolish that was. He came back to his chair and then lit his pipe. He had been sitting there for Just a few minutes when, suddenly, sud-denly, he heard the back door being opened, and then the click of the light switch. He sat still, wondering who it could be, a dozen thoughts chasing through his mind. He felt the useless gun in his pocket and took it out, gripping it firmly. Now, If ever, he could test himself on several of the things which he had learned during his rehabilitation. rehabili-tation. In less than a minute, it seemed, he heard the Ice-box door being opened, and a low chuckle come from the intruder. Then he heard things being put on the table. He knew that whoever was in the kitchen seemed sure of himself. He must know, he thought, that even with the whole house lighted, It was practically Impossible to see in from any side. The minutes dragged while he listened to the man eating and drinking. From the noise he was making, slamming the ice-box door and moving his chair, the man highway. He must have come upon the house by accident. When Jerry heard a hand moving; mov-ing; along the wall groping for a light-switch, he stood up and pointed the gun toward the door. Then it happened the living room light was snapped on. He heard a hoarse cry of surprise. The man's breathing was heavy as he stood motionless, facing the gun. He had a fear that Jerry could sense was genuine. "Get 'em up! Who are you and what do you want?" Jerry was an officer in the infantry' again as he made the demand. The man was shaking when he spoke, "You're a cool one, brother. Put that gun down, please, before you hurt somebody." He took a step forward, and Jerry raised the gun and moved it slightly from side to side. Looking toward the man, Jerry was not sure of what he should do next. Then all the admonitions of his teachers came back to him: SHOW NO FEAR-THINK FEAR-THINK FAST SPEAK WITH CONVICTION CON-VICTION REASON FOLLOW THROUGH ... "Sit down in that chair," Jerry roared, surprised at his loud voice. This gave him a bit of confidence. Then he thought of his next move. 'A nut," the man ventured, half under his breath, and he obeyed. He kept his eyes on the gun as though hypnotized by it. "Shut up and sit still." "You're a smart . . ." The man glanced away from the gun just long enough to see if there was anything near that he could grab. "Wot you going to do? Let me put it to your ear. When the operator op-erator answers, tell her to connect con-nect you with the Helm road district dis-trict police. When they answer, tell them to come immediately to the Anderson cottage off Helm road." The man lowered his arm slowly and took the receiver off the hook. He'd stall, he thought; maybe the nut would give him an in.' But hearing the sound of regular breathing and feeling the pressure of the gun against his back, any illusions that he might have had regarding an 'in,' were shattered. "Operator, gimme the Helm road police station." His voice quavered, quaver-ed, and his hand was shaking. He couldn't keep the receiver close j to his ear. The man was conscious of the gun at his back, and he spoke in a deep hoarse whisper, "Come to the Anderson cottage off Helm road right away." "What's up?" Jerry heard the officer ask. "Tell him," he snapped at the man. "I've got the man you've been looking for." Jerry heard the quick break of the connection at the police station. sta-tion. "VISUALIZE CHANCE IT DO FOLLOW THROUGH' . . . He had the answer . , . "Drop that receiver and get your left arm up." He hesitated, then ordered his prisoner to go back to the same chair and sit down. The killer had a dogged smirk on his face as he turned and moved toward the chair. He felt positive that his captor was a 'nut,' and with that gun ... Seconds passed as he continued to glare at Jerry. Then he thought of an old trick that he would try in order to get Jerry off guard. He wondered why he had not tried it when he first came into the room. Stiffening himself and settling back in the chair, he broke the silence with a tirade of oaths. "Keep it up and keep them up, too," Jerry ordered. This was not the reaction that the killer had hoped for. He then quieted and began to talk more coherently, and soon was telling of the crime for which he was being be-ing hunted. He spared none of the details. Then Jerry heard the purr of a motor and men's voices. A slight wave of relief swept over him. Almost Immediately, there was a sound of crackling shrubbery shrub-bery and running feet. The front door opened and two officers, with guns drawn, rushed In. They saw their man and covered him. "Good work, Mr. Anderson, good work." When the officers yanked the man to his feet and they had started start-ed for the door, one of them said to the prisoner. "You're lucky to have had this extra living time, him spotting you and with everybody every-body in the county ready and willing will-ing to shoot you on sight." The prisoner did not comment, but he scowled and was shaking and snorting with anger. "The gun was not loaded, officer, of-ficer, and I could recognize him only from his story . . . you see, I am blind," Jerry said softly. |