Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-25
BY ARTHUR STRINGER
Author of "Ths Silver Poppy" ~The Loom o

! 1t would be all over with her in q minute.
Then she caught sight Of the nurses uni
| form of striped blue and white linen flung
across the bed. and in sudden inspira-
| tional flash she remembered the hypoder-
| mic. That, at least, would be painless
| painless and sure.
She slipped away from the door, and at
| the next lunge Of his great body MacNutt
fell sprawling into the room. BY the time
| he was on his feet she had the, littde hol-
low-needled instrument in her hand.
But he fell on her. like a terrier on a rat,
and caught her and shook her and crushed
| her in his great ape-lke arms.
"Oh. I'll show youi' he painted and
| wheezed. "I'll show you!"
He dragged her writhing and twisting
| body through the door into the back room.
| She fought and struggled and resisted as
| best she could, catching at the door-posts
and the furniture with her one free hand as
she passed. She would have used her hy-
podermic and ended it all then and there,
| only his great grip pinned her right arm
down to her side. and the needle lay use
less between her fingers.
The room was almost in darkness by
this time. and a chair was knocked over
In their struggles. But still MacNutt bore
her. fghting and painting, toward the little
| table between the two windows, where the
telephone tranSmitter stood.
He pinned and held her down on the edge
of the table with his knees and his bleeding
right hand. while with his left hand he
caught up the receiver of the telephone.
the Bartholdi. the Bartholdiv'
1t was then and then only that the ex-
hausted woman clearly understood what he
meant to do. She started up. with a great
cry of horror in her throat; but he muffied
it with his shaking hand, and biting out
| an oath. squeezed the very breath out Of
her body.
II want to speak to Durkin," painted
MacNutt into the transmitter moment
later. "Durkn. James Durkin-a man with
his arm in a sling. He just took rooms with
you today. Yes, Durkin."
There was another long wait, through
which Frances lay there, neither struggling
nor moving, saving her strength for one
last effort.
Yes. yes; Duggan; I guess that's itr'
MacNutt was saying over the wire to the
switchboard operator at the hotel. "Yes,
Duggan with lame arm!
Then he let the receiver swing at the
end of its cord and with his freed hand
drew his revolver from his pocket
The gasping woman felt the crushing
pressure released for moment, and fought
to free her right hand. 1t came away from
his hold with a jerk, and her finger
slipped into the little metal piston-ring she
flung the freed arm up about his shoulder
and chung to him. For a sudden last
thought had come to her, rotten thread
of hope, on which swayed and hung her
last chance of life.
1t was through the coat and clothing of
the struggling MacNutt that the little
! needle was forced, through the skin, and
Cttp llilO Tie htSl Vi lnt great, peely
shoulder. She held it there until the barrel
was empty Then it fell on the floor.
You'd try to stab me- would YOU" he
cried. madly, uncomprehendngly, as he
struggled in vain to throttle the writhing
body, and then raised his revolver to beat
her on the head.
The signal bell rang sharply, and he
caught up the receiver instead.
Now" he gloated insanely, deep in his
Wheeling throat. Now
rs that Durkin speaking? Is that Dur
kin? oh, it is, is it! Wen. this is Mac
Mutt say your old friend MacNuttv and
he laughed horribly, dementedly.
you've done a good deal of business
over the wires, .Durkin, in your Jay
haven't you? Well. YOU listen now, and
you'll hear something dom! l say to listen
now and you'll hear somethin' doin'!'
Jim" screamed the woman. pinned
down on the edge Of the table. "Jim.' she