Arizona republican., 1909-06-23
THE LURE OF THE MASK
 By Copyright 1903 HAROLD M'GRATH The Bobbs- s-H1errW Go.
(continued fir om yesterday.)

gift is on yours. For I have been 6
 meddler. an unhappy one" i Will you and Mir. Merrihew go now? I do not wish you two to wit , ness this scene" Leave you alone with this wretch
 No!" said Hillard.
 'Well?" cried the prince inpatient
 ly. He was not inclined toward these
 condolences between the American and
 his wife. T have asked a question
 and nobody replies. I inquire again
 what position does he hold?"
 This villa is mine" she answered
 the sharpness of her tone giving hint
 tO the volcano burning in her heart
 However the estates may be par titioned. this will be mine l com mand you to leave it at once. for your presence here is as unwelcome to me as that of all creeping things. l find that l do not hate you: l loathe you | The prince laughed. That she loath- ed or hated him touched him not in the quick. Love or hate from this woman who knew him for what he was, a soulless scoundrel. was noth- ing. She was simply a sack Of gold. But this was his hour of triumph, and he proposed to make the most of it
 T could have let the carabinieri take you to prison" he said urbane- ly. "A night in a demp cell would have chastened your spirit But l preferred to settle this affair as quick ly as possible. But this friend of yours, he annoys me"
 "Is it possible?" returned Hillard. ssVnnr Ifuhn ho htnf fn hn word and I will undertake the pleas ure of relieving you of this mans presence"
 Be still" she said. will you go?" to the prince.
 Presently. First, I wish to add that your dear friend is both thick skulled and cowardly. I offered to slap his face a few nights ago, but he discreetly declined"
 Hillard laughed shortly. He de- sired to get closer to this gentleman ly prince.
 For my sake!" whispered La Sig norina.
 T am calm" replied Hillard, gently releasing his arm from her grasp. He approached the prince smiling, but there was murder and despair in his heart Had I known you that night. one of us would not be here now"
 Tt is not too late" suggested the prince. Come. are you in love with my wife,"
 Yes"
 The bluntness of this assertion rather staggered the prince. You ad- fr hi fhrnaf ct,ralliner tr.ffh rage.
 There is no reason why I should deny it."
 She is your"
 But the word died with a cough. Hillard. a wild joy in his heart, caught the prince by the throat and damned him back against the rose satin panel. under a dripping candela- brum The prince made a violent ef- fort to draw his sword, but Hillard seized his sword-arm and pinned it to the panel above his head. The prince was an athlete but the man holding him was at this moment made of iron. The struggling man threw out a leg after the manner of French boxers, but his opponent met it with knee. Again and again the prince made desperate attempts to free him. self He was soon falling in a bad way; he gasped, his lips grew blue and the whites of his eyes bloodshot. | This man was killing him! And so he was; for Hillard, realizing that he had lost everything in the world l worth living for, was mad for killing |
 For a time the others were in- |
 Inv- O'Mally and Smith were in the dark | as to what had passed verbally; they | could only surmise. But here was something they all understood. La | Signorina was first to recover. She sprang toward the combatants and zrasped Hillards hand, the one buried m the princes throat, and pulled. She vas not strong enough.
 'Merrihew, O'Mally, quick He is ,illing him." she cried wildly.
 The two, Merrihew and O'Mally. finally succeeded in separating the nen, and none too soon. The prince staggered to a chair and sank heavily nto it. A moment more and he had ,een a dead man. But he was not grateful to any one.
 La Signorina turned upon Hillard And you would have done this thing ,efore my very eyes,"
 q was mad" he panted. shamed I love you better than anything else n Gods world. and this man means hat shall lose you.'
 And you would have come to me cross his blood2" wrathfully.
 q was not thinking of that. The nly thought I had was to kill him. tod knows I'm sorry enough" And e was.
 "Ah. what a night" She swayed nd pressed her hand over her eyes No. do not touch me-" she said. 'I m not the kind of woman who aints."
 The prince lurched toward Hillard, mt fortunately Merrihew heard the lithering sound of. the saber as 1t eft it's scabbard Kitty screamed and )'Mally shouted. Merrihew, with a desperate lunge. stopped the blow He eceived a rough cut over the knuckles ,ut he was not aware of this till the excitement was past He flung the aber at O'Mally's feet.
 You speak English" said Merrihew n an ugly temper, half regretting that ,e had interfered with Hillard. You nav send your orderly to the Hotel