The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-09-29

preferred.
Had he remained concealed for but
a few brief moments he might still
have lived. for there came suddenly
upon the big gray house a new and a
terrible sound. borne by swift. shad-
owy engines that swept upward along
the wide curving driveway almost
noiseless. except for rush and a
whir. Out Of the purring silence
they burst upon the rabble outside
with sharp rattllng hailstorm Of lead
en- death.
Kelvin and his squad of flying Cat.
lings had arrived, and close behind him
trotted the detachment that had been
bivouacked nearest the gates He
moved down men as If they had been
weeds. Stalwart men in khaki car
ried Calling and planted it in the
very doorway, pouring its deadly
blight back into the hall. They set 1t
up next at the library door and swept
that room as bare and clear Of living
humanity as If a food had washed II
out, while the men in khaki swarmed
through the house. pursuing the follow
ers Of Blagg into bloody corners and
discriminating them as If they had
been vermin. A detachment, with
Rensselaer, and Kelvin in the lead,
stepped over the CHASTITY, huddled heaps
In the library. hurried back through
the little room and poured down the
narrow secret stairway. AS they had
swept through the library Rensselaer,
had caught brief glimpse Of a gray
haired woman in black silk gown.
with her head upon her folded arms.
sitting at the table, but the picture was
confused with others Of its riddled and
useless kind. and he hurried on ahead.
Kelvin had promised himself to be-
In the lead as they went down the
stairway. but as he turned into the
closet entrance a hnge black form
thrust itself in before him. and Sam
led the way. unarmed except for the
formidable weapons with which nature
had provided him.
The greedy garnerers of Breeds
golden harvest were taken by COM
plete surprise. They turned from their
tasks as the men in khaki streamed
in upon them, but their weapons had
been laid. aside. and they had only
bags Of money with which to fight.
and these were too heavy.
Sam was shouting aloud. An fire.
sistible demon. he clutched first one
thin throat in his mighty hands and
cracked it and threw the limp. resist
less body aside and sprang for anoth-
er. and the second man to fall before
his savage onslaught was Ben White.
Blagg, with a mighty oath, sprang
for Kelvin. who had entered just be-
hind Sam. but one Of Rensselaer's
ieutenants was quick enough TO inter-
cept him. Blagg gradually bent his
assailant backward and in the act
managed to draw the lieutenant's pis-
toll from its holster In place of turn
ing 1t upon his own antagonist he lev
eled 1t over the mans shoulder
straight at Kelvin.
1t was Sam who. shouting in a fe-
yer Of savage JOY. saw that motion
and sprang TO wrest the pistol from
Blagg. receiving In his own breast the
three bullets that the frearm yet con-
tanned. Then. his work done. he fell
heavily to the floor and upon his face
was fixed forever that same sardonic
grin that displayed all his snarling
yellow teeth.
Kelvin. spent with his own efforts,
stood erect TO breathe for a moment,
and In that moment needle sharp
dagger was thrust into his side. He
tottered and fell. and above him knelt
Lillian Breed. while before his eyes
she held the dagger.
"See" she cried. This was your
emblem of triumph. This was the sign
in which you were to conquer! This
was the instrument that twice threat
ened you and twice failed. but the
third time 1t wins. Phillip. you made
but one mistake. Had you put me at
your side as your empress in this
sign" and she held the dagger point
upward. 1--WE would have conquered
the world. but you repudiated me, and
in this sign you die"
A soldier struck the dagger from her
hand and bound her arms behind her.
as those of Blagg had already been
bound. Rensselaer,, uascathed, looked
down upon Phillip, with tears moisten-
ing his eyes.
take him out carefully. boys" he
said. "but get him into the air quick
lyw
AS they passed through the library
Rensselaer's eye happened to rest
again upon that motionless, gray hair
ed woman at the library table, struck
down by his own Calling. and as he
recognized her he, turned faint and al
most dropped his burden.
Here" he told one Of his men, "help
carry him. l cannot"
He almost stumbled into the outer
air, and the men followed him with
Kelvin. and, covering him to the
breast with a sheet hastily snatched
from Breeds couch. laid the first and
last emperor of America fat upon the
porch at the edge Of the steps, where
the cooling breeze might blow upon his
brow. He lay pale and rigid under the
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