But the words had no sooner left his mouth than up came a great
Swede who was one of the workmen in Lloyd's, and he had Nahum Beals
in a grasp as imperturbable as fate. The assassin, even with the
strength of his fury of fanaticism, was as a reed in the grasp of
this Northern giant. The Swede held him easily, walking him before
him in a forced march. He had a hand of Nahum's in each of his, and
he compelled Nahum's right hand to retain the hold of the discharged
pistol. There was something terrible about the Swede as he drew
near, a captor as unyielding and pitiless as justice itself. He was
even smiling with a smile which showed his gums from ear to ear, but
there was no joy in his smile, and no triumph. His blue eyes
surveyed them all with the placid content of achievement.
"I have him," he said. "I heard him shoot, and I heard him run, and
I stood still until he ran into my arms. I have him."
Nahum, in the grasp of this fate, was quivering from head to foot,
but not from fear.
"Is he dead?" he shouted, eagerly.
"Hush up, you murderer," cried Dixon. "We didn't want any such work
as this, damn you. Keep fast hold of him, Olfsen."
"I will keep him fast," replied the Swede, smiling.
Then there was a swift clatter of wheels, and two doctors drove up,
and men came running. The space in front of Lloyd's was black with
men. Robert Lloyd was among them. Granville Joy had met him on the
street.
"You'd better go down to the factory, quick," he had said, hoarsely.
"There's trouble there; your uncle--"
Robert pushed through the crowd, which made way respectfully for
him. He knelt down beside the wounded man. "Is he--" he whispered to
Sargent.
"Not yet," whispered Sargent, "but I'm afraid it's pretty bad."
"You here?" Robert said to Ellen.
"Yes," she answered, "I was passing when I heard the shot."
"See here," said Robert, "I don't know but I am asking a good deal,
but will you get into Dr. James's buggy, and let his man drive you
to my aunt's, and you break it to her? She likes you. I must stay
with him. I don't want her to know it first when he is brought
home."
"Yes, that will be the best way," said the other physician, who was
the one regularly employed by the Lloyds. "Some one must tell her
first, and if she knows this young lady--"
"I will go," said Ellen.
Dr. Story whispered something to Ellen as she was getting into the
buggy. Then Dr. James's man drove her away down the street.
There was a little black mare harnessed to the buggy, and she went
with nervous leaps of speed. When Ellen reached the Lloyd house she
saw that it was blazing with light. Norman Lloyd was fond of
brilliant light, and would have every room in his house illuminated
from garret to cellar.
As Ellen went up the stone steps she saw a woman's figure in the
room at the right, which moved to an attitude of attention when she
rang the bell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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