The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-08-27

caught IRE balusters. while the other
i,.re Theoretically az wrists Of hands
that cIuiched bis throat So, Cor q
space. The two hung. panung and
siruggiing.o Q
Then. endeavoring 20 swing his shOul-
dcrs over against the wall KIrkWOod
released ~ grip on the hand rail and
stumbled on the stairs throwing bic
antagonist ont Of balance The latter
plunged downward. dragging Kirk
VOID with bin. Clawsng. kicking.
graphing, they went 20 the bottom.
lolted violently b. each step. but long
before the last was reached KlrkwoOd's
throat was free. g.
throwing himself Oh. he got to his
feet and grasped the railing Tor sup
port. then waited, painting. trying to
get bis bearings Himself painfully
shaken and bruised. be shrewdly sur.
missed that bis aSsailnnt had Jared as
IN. n not worse. And. In point OF fact,
the man lay With neither move nor
moan, stiIl as death, At the Americans
feet
And once more silence had folded lts
wings over No. 0 Frognall street
More conscious Of that terrifying,
mo;lonless presence beneath him than
able to distinguish Il by power OF Vi.
sion. he endured intermlnable minutes
of trembling horror IN a witless daze.
before be thought OF bis matchbox.
Immediately be found Il and struck q
iIcht As the wood caught and the
.rl'ht small fame leapcd In the pent
sir he leaned forward over the body.
hrr1thlessiy dreadlng what he must
discover.
The man lay quiet. head upon the
aoor. legs and hips on the stairs. One
arm had fallen over his face. hiding
he upper half. The hand cleaned
white and delicate as a wOmans Bis
ct'n was smooth and round. his lips
thIn and petUIant Beneath his top
coat evening dress clothed a short and
slender figure. Nothing whatever Of
bis appearance suggested the buFly
rufian. the midnight marauder He
seemed little more than boy old
enough to dress for dinner In bis at
itlde there was something pltifully
uggestlve OF q beaten child thrown
- corner.
nsclence smitten aud amazed Kirk
ID stared on UNTIL without warn
ng. the match aIckered and went out.
Then. STRENGTHENING up with an ex-
rlamation at once Of annoyance and
concern. be ratified the box. II made
no sound-was empty In disgust be
swore II was the DEVILS own luck that
be should run out OF vestas az q time
so critical He could not even say
whether the fellow was dead, uncon.
scious or simply shamming. He had
little Idea Of his looks. and to be able
TO Identify him might save q deal OF
trouble at some future time since he,
Klrkwood, seemed 80 little able 10 dis
engage himself from the clutches Of
this insane adventure! And the girl
what had become Of herr How could
ne continue TO search for her. without
lights or guide. through all those silent
ruums. whose walls might lnrlOse a
hundred hidden dangers In that house
u mystery?
I,ut he debated only briefly His
Dlood was young aud q was bot Il
was quite plain ~ him that he could
not withdraw and retain his self re-
,pect II the Elrl was there 10 be
found. most aSSurpdly ne must hnd
her The hand lamp that had dazzled
him ai the head of the stairs should
he his aid nav that be thought Of IT.
rd provided he WIS able 10 hnd Il.
IN the scramble on the stairs be had
l0s, bis bat. but he remembered that
he vesta's short lived light had dis
covered this on the door beyond the
mans body Carefully stepping across
the latter. he recovered his headgear
ud then. kneellng. listened With an
enr close 70 the fellows face A softly
20 -ular beat Of breathing reaEsurcd
'ilu Half rising. be- caught the body
lFnPath the armplts. lifting and drag
ging Il Oh the staircase. and knelt
again. to feel Of each pocket In the
mans clothing. partly AZ az obvious
precautlon. 20 relieve him Of bis ad-
rcriised rrvOlver against an untlmely
Weakening. partly 10 see n be- bad the
lamp about him
The search proved frulilcNS Kirk.
wood susperted that the weapon. like