Bisbee daily review., 1914-12-03


 ward until a dust-coated library table , stayed her At this she clutched. clinging to its edges, and. wide-eyed. | stared from one to the other of the ! men. Her tormentor's brain. obvious y stirred only sluggishly: but all at once the sullen features were congest- sd with blood. the veins on his fore 1 head swelled, and all his fury-now re- l ioubled-was directed at Van Vech- .en.
 Where in hell did you come from?" ae snarled venomously.
 Anyhow, not the same neighbor- hood that bred you" Van Vechten eyed him moment longer with mex pressible disfavor Good Lordl" he idded What a nasty brute you are!"
 Nothing less than paralyzing amaze nent, apparently, restrained Calns rom leaping upon Van vechten ana finishing him out of hand. And per. haps. too, there was a quality in the young mans bearing that had some thing to do with it-his unhinching nerve, the mastery of his look, the in- evttable dominance of caste and breed ing With a little bow, Van Vechten turned again to the girl.
 You are at perfect liberty to de | part" he said, with calm. dignifed deference. And, really, l think you had better do so at once l can hold i this rutian-at least until you make good your escape Once you are in the street you know, and you are safe"
 By this time she had regained some thing of her own composure; but the cool assurance of this punctiliously garbed young man. the obvious deter imitation and air of authority that lay behind his courtesy, evoked from her look of startled wonder. The heavy lashes half-veiled her dark eyes as they wavered to Callis, then back again to him; 1t was a covert, all-ap- praieing glance. Then her lips curled scornfully
 What was passing in her mind was only too plain to Van Veehten. He flushed hotly Already he had made the same comparison; and he fostered no illusions respecting the possible outcome of a combat.
 Never before had he been confront ed by any man so irresponsible with rage, or one with whom 1t was so hopeless to attempt to reason; never in all his life had he struck a man in anger; but he knew there was just one
 way in which he could succor this dis
 dainful beauty, and that would be to
 pit his endurance against the bullys strength, to guard himself as much as possible against his repeated on.
 slaughts, and delay pursuit of the girl until he (Van Vechten) was pounded into insensibility-or mayhap slain. He , did not blink that contingency. Yet, without the slightest hesitation, he had resolved to offer himself to the , sacrifice
 I Through his mind all these aspects
 of the crisis flashed If only he had
 the bludgeon which his fatuous wit 3 had so disparaged to Toml l He was guilty of no error of judg
 ment now, however; Callis gave him } but scant time to reflect, then rushed ! not at him. but at the girl Simultane ( ously Van Vechten plunged headlona . forward, interposing his lighter body { between.
 , Amid the stress and confusion O r violent situations. the human mind ii
 capable of the most ridiculous pranks .- And at this critical moment Van Vech ! tens prompted him to commit such ar [ absurdity.
 f Get out of here, you little idlotl' |: he yelled at the girl, who scene,
 frozen to the table
 She hesitated one second longer }. then. with a stihed scream. slipped in
 to the hall and closed the door afte D her.
 u It would not be pleasant to recor,
 what happened in that room. There | d nothing heroic in a baited rat dartinl n desperately from trap into the jaw e of a waiting terrier nor in the spec IT tacle of lamb being prodded to tn h shambles. For perhaps five minute e Van Yechten succeeded in preventin d Callis from grasping the door-knob- y a period in which he was reduced iron u a correctly dressed, rather handsom f. young gentleman to an object that wa !
 blance of humanity-and then he san .e into oblivion.
 st Callis stared at his motionless aC
 versary. Why didn't the fool move ID The answer came promptly, unbidden D. Because he couldn't. He would neve e. move again, unless, perchance, x- should be to rise up and follow him F. out of the room. along the echoin
 halls, down the dusty stairs, into tn is street; whithersoever he went, tur m and double. twist and dodge, ther sd would be that Thing at his side, unt ly at last
 is And there was yet another shado' ,s- fin this silent house. one other fea on some shade; suppose 1t should detac
 itself from the rest; suppose the tw IT. shadows should get together and ente en into an unholy pact to work his und, to ing?
 CT John Callis clenched his teeth t aa stop their chattering. His startln at glance skirted the room and sought {
 penetrate the shadows, which ever on minute were looming larger and large ng And mora obscure. then was irraaisf