The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-11-18

snake lDat Is hypnOllzed Dy
the voice of an Indian charmer
Come, and | will show you something
morei"
Her white and jewelled hand
clutched the purple velvet of his coat
and she drew him to the opposite wall
Then, still holding him with her left
hand. with her right she tore the cur
tain away from what was hidden
Look therei" she cried. Fix your
eyes upon that"
The young man looked and shud
dered. Two other young men, watch
ing this mad and terrible scene like
statues frozen by the horror of 1t all
looked also.
And this Is what they saw. In the
full electric beam a curtain showed g
picture of the Duchess Of London in
all her radiant beauty, glancing out at
them as If she was ready to step out
Of the picture and come down to end
this scene of horror.
Look! Look" the Princess cried,
her voice now rising into an insane
scream of dreadful hatred. Look,
Won Rayenstein! That is the dread,
full woman who took him. That is the
mother of this thing in the cage, May
the curses of God fall upon her, May
she eve see again."
AS she screamed out this, something
more noble than any feudal tradition
asserted itself in the young man. He
rushed up 10 the wild, stately figure
IN it's crimson gown, swaying and
%shrieking with the hate Of a madwom-
an, and caught her by the arms.
Princess" he said, you must come
away! You must come away There
Is an end TO everything. Think
think"
She flung the courtier from her with
the strength OF madness. One white
hand, flashing with diamonds, went up
to her hair. She withdrew a long sill
yer pin and with an awful panther-like
movement began to circle round the
steel cage toward its gate.
"FritZ!" she said, in a quiet, rising
voice, which was exactly like the slow
escape of steam from an overcharged
boiler, Fritz, | think you are right.
Perhaps IL would be better to end II
now. | will take this pin. First of all
| will push 1t into his eyes-and then
all over"
There was a roar of terror and an
ger, a sound which echoed and re-
echoed I'm the still and brilliant salons
OF the palace. as Grant and Marriott
threw from themselves a ~hypnotism
which had bound their limbs and froz.
en- their hearts with horror, and burst
into the chamber with cleaning revol.
vers in their hands.
Grant rushed at the Princess. He
caught her wrist in his strong left
hand, twisted the shining pin away
from IL, and forced the dreadful WON.
an upon the floor. Then, mad as he
was, he lifted his right hand and
brought II down with terrible force
upon the writhing face.
Even as he did so he fell upon his
knees and gasped at what he had
done.
The Princess lay motionless. Grants
hands went UP to his face and GOV.
cred his eyes.
Il have hit a woman!" he said, in
woman Heaven forgive me. | have
hit a woman"
Then he also sank Imply upon the
floor and seemed to sleep.
Won Ravenstein had been kneeling
against the wall His whole face had
become a mask of blank and idiotic
terror, but when Michael sank moan
ing by the side of the woman in red
velvet. something-some automatic
impulse within him-reasserted itself
and gave strength to his impulse and
| purpose to his movements.
lie leapt straight at Basil Marriott,
bending all his limbs together. as a
stone goes from a catapult.
In a second the two men were
locked in a terrible embrace. They
swayed and staggered over the stone
floor, grooming and straining without
a word.
Basil's open right hand was pressed
against the Germans chin. and mo
ment by m his right arm grew in
strength, anu ne lSit the hedu vi Ma
adversary gradually pressing back
pressing back towards that dreadful
instant when there would come a
slight click, and a ~lifeless form anc
broken spine would fan beneath the
terrible onslaught.
Round and round the prone figures
Of Michael Grant ana the Princess the
'rightful ontest spun and circled, anC
then suddenly the little creature If
the cage woke up, and y tiny voice BIZ
and etched itself into the silence o
the fight.
Mother, mother. | want mother.
The piteous wailing voice strucl
Basil like a blow. He relaxed hi
| muscles for a single moment. and "a
ne did so the strong young German
officer gave a gasp Of relief. twisted
| away from him like an eel. staggered
| sor a moment, and then ran shouting
| through the two great lighted rooms
beyond.
Quick as he was, Basil was quicker
Upon the floor lay the silver.plated
Webley revolver. He snatched II up