Putnam patriot., 1914-04-24
CHAPTER xV
Within the oils.

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 room deathly still Dick turn
 ed to Mary and took her hand
 in his His arm swept about her in protecting embrace-just in time or she would have fallen.
 A whisper came from her Quivering lips Her face was close to his. else he could not have caught the uncertain murmuring The muscles of her face twitched. She rested supiuely against him as If bereft of any strength of body or of soul Yet, in the intensity of her utterance. the feeble whisper struck like shriek Of horror
 "I-I-never saw any one killed be- forel''
 Before he could utter the soothing words that rose to his lips. Dick was interrupted by slight sound at the door. Instantly he was all alert to meet the exigeneies of tue situation He stood by the couch. bending for ward a little as if In a posture of intl mate fondness He heard the noise again presently, now so near that he made sure of being overheard. so at once he spoke with a forced cheerful ness in his infection
 T tell you Mary he declared. "ev prything's going to be all right for you and me It was bully of you to come here to me like this"
 The girl made no response. Dick. in nervous apprehension as to the issue. sought to bring her to realization of the new need that had come upon them.
 Talk to me" he commanded very softly. "Fhey'll be here in q minute When they come iu pretend you just came here in order to meet me. Try, Mary You must, dearestr Then again his voice rose to loudness as he continued: Why. I've been trying all day to see you. And now here We are together. just as 1 was beginning to get really discouraged. l know my ia ther will eventually'-
 He was interrupted by the swift swinging open of the hallway door, Burke stood just within the library. revolver pointed menacingiy
 Hands up. all of you" The inspec- tors voice fairly roared the command.
 The belligerent expression of his face vanished abruptly as his eyes fell on Dick standing by the couch and Mary reclining there In limp helplessness.
 What are you doing in this house Ut this time of night?' Dick demanded. "l recognize you, Inspector Burke. But you must understand that there are limits even to what you can do It seems to me. sir, that you exceed your authority by such an intrusion as this.
 Burke waved his revolver toward Mary.
 Whats she doing here?" he asked
 You forget yourself. inspector This is my wife She has the right to be with me-hee hasbandr
 "where's your father?" he questioned roughly.
 Tn bed. naturally was the answer T ask you ag'tiu What are you doing here at this time of night?'
 ''0h. call your father" Burke di. rected
 Its late, :" Dick objected. I'd rath- ar not disturb him. if you don't mind. Suddenly he smiled very winningly and spoke with good assumption of ingenuousness.
 "Inspector." he said briskly. "I see I'll have to tell you the truth It's this: I've persuaded my wife to go away with me She's going to give all that other sort of thing up. Yes. we're going away together. So, you see. we've got to talk 1t over. Now. then. inspector. if you'll come back in the morning.
 As he spoke the white beam of the flashing searchlight from the tower fell between the undrawn draperies of the octagonal window The light star tied the inspector again. as it had done once before that same night His gaze followed it instnetiyely So within the second be saw the still form lying there on the 6oOr.
 There was no mistaking that awful motionless. crumped posture. The in spector Ieaped to the switch by the door and turned on the lights of the chandelier In the next moment he bad reached the door of the passage across the room and his whistle sound ed shrill. His voice beloved re-en- forcement to the blast.
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