The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-11-16

lips In the instant that she stood out
lined on the broad piazza, fierce
snarling yelp and clatter came from
within the house and there rang out
screamed Japanese warning. An outer
door flew open and the huge figure
of Doctor Bersonin ran out, pursued
by leaping white shadow, while the
air thrilled to the savage cry OF a
hound, shaken with rage.
Run, Barbara" The Ambassadors
voice came from the doorway. But
the white, moonlit figure, in its gauzy
evening gown, turned too late. Empty
handed, Daunt dashed for the piazza,
as, with a crash, heavy porch chair
hurled by Japanese house boy, pen
ned the animal for an instant in a
corner. He caught the white figure
up in his arms, sprang into the shade
of the wistaria arbor, and set her feet
on it's high railing. The voice from
the doorway called again, sharply.
"This way, Doctor! Quick"
The wolf-hound, trailing its broken
chain, had leaped the barrier and was
launched straight at the crouching ex-
pert. The latter had dragged some
thing small and square from his pock-
ct and he seemed now to hold this out
before him. Daunt, wrenching cleat
from the arbor railing, felt puff of
cold wind strike his face, and some
thing like an elfin note of music, high
and thin as an insects, drifted across
the confusion. He rushed forward
with his improvised weapon-then
stopped short The dog was no longer
there.
! The Ambassador made an exclama-
ton. He stepped down and peered
under the piazza; even in the dim
light the long space was palpably
empty. The head-boy spoke rapidly
lin Japanese and pointed toward the
gate.
HE says he must have jumped
down this side," explained Daunt,
"and run out to the street. He is
nowhere in the garden, at any rate.
We can see every inch. How surpris-
ing!" He spoke to the boy in the
vernacular. HE will have the gates
closed at once and telephone warn
ing to the police station"
| Bersonin had sat down on the edge
of the piazza. He was crouched far
over; his big frame was shaken with
violent shudderings. Suddenly his
head went back and he began to laugh
"a Earring, grating, weird man-hys-
terra that seemed to burst suddenly
beyond his control.
The Ambassador went to him hur-
riedly, but Bersonin shook off the
hand on his shoulder and rising, still
emitting his dreadful laughter, stag
gered across the lawn and out of the
gate.
The appalling mirth reechoed from
fsl down the quiet road.
CHAPTER TX.
The Web Of the Spider.
Bersonin walked on, fighting desper-
ately with his CHASTITY spasm of mer-
riment.
1t was a nervous affection which
had haunted him for years. 1t dated
from time when, in South America,
in an acute crisis of desperate person
al hazard, he had laughed the first
peal of that strange laughter of which
he was to be ever after afraid.
Before long the paroxysms ceased
and he grew calmer. The quiet road
had merged into buster thorough
fare. He walked on slowly till his
command was regained. West of the
outer moat of the Imperial Grounds,
he turned up pleasant lane-like
street and presently entered his own
gate. The house, into which he let
himself with a latch key, was ramb-
ling, modern, two-story structure of
yellow stucco. The lower floor was
practically unused, since its tenant
lived alone and did not entertain. The
upper floor, besides the hall, contained
small bedroom, a bath and dressing
room, and a large, barely-furnished
laboratory. The latter was lined on
two sides with glass-covered shelves
which gave glimpses of rows OF books,
of steel shells, metal and crystal re-
torts and crucibles, the delicae para
phernalia of organic chemistry and
complicated instruments whose use no
one knew save himself-a fit setting
for the great student, the peer OF or
fenbach in Munich and of Bayer In
Vienna. Against the wall leaned
drafting board on which, pinned down
by thumb tacks, was sketch-plan
of a revolving turret. From bracket
in corner-the single airy touch of
delicacy in a chamber almost sordid
| in it's ppointments-Swung bamboo