The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-21


% iose. who has been brought home by
Judith. B"rcus n ynchtsma,n' wing has ps al
ford Alan determines TO rescue Rose. end
limbs an unfinished building opposite ner
house. where he IS attacked by man with
stllcttO.
CHAPTER XLfV.-THE STRUGGLE.
with q low cry OF desperation Alan
suatched OF his hat. soft and shape
less felt affair, and flung ii aquarcly
IN the fellows face.
Before lie could recover--betorc. that
is. it dropped away and cleared his
vision. Alan had bent forward and
rrasped the wrist OF the hand that held
the knife.
He sna,chcd simultaneously at the
other hand. but II eluded him
Immediately the two became en-
ta;;cd in Il furious contest for posses
sion Of the stilctto. For All the world
like cmbattlcd cats upon the spine OF
tack fence. they fought there on
that s;irdcr. hundred feet of empti-
ncss beneath them. Il strange confusion
of shadows and Inconlirht about them.
blood-lust in the heart Of one. the
courage OF the cornercd rat i'm the heart
of the other: ana all in the strongest
silence. silence disturbed only by
their painting and the soft thud or an
iufrcqucnt blow.
Alan had this advantage as long
the knife might not strikc-that his
had only his left. with this he gtrovc
porsistcntly 10 reach his knife hand
and possess himself OF the weapon. As
pers!stenty Alan foiled his purpose by
dragging the knife hand toward him
and swinging IL far out to one side.
~ The same time he struck repeatedly
with his clcnchcd right fist at the
others face As often az not his blows
Jailed 10 land when they did land. II
wac lightly FOR the most part. the
- -. lt.ags
bit beyond his reach. the assassin could
dodge blow by drawing back his
head, and Alan dared not unlock his
icct beneath tho Eirdcr in order to
incii forward within better range. His
blows did little damage beyond dis
conccrting the other, but this proved
very considerable factor TN the duel
IN the end they served together with
that steady. resistlessly downward and
outward drag, to break the grip OF The
mans locked legs
Abruptly he pitched forward on mis-
face along the girder, kicking Wildly,
Gaspiug at the air. Tho Stilctto fell
from al instiuctivcly relaxed grasp.
ana disappeared. And before Alan could
ycl"as, his hold, or case the strain
anon tho right arm OF the assassin.
his last had slipped bodily from the
gtrdoy and hung helpless In space
dangling At the end Of Aians arm
Wi,h no more than the grip OF i've I'm
The shock Of ,hat uuprcsagcd turn
brought Aiau forward ana Nat on his
toiuach. .Nud the strain on his left
arm was tcrrhc. iio doubted II ne
could maintain IT for another minute
Nor Was thcr" any reason why be
should retain IT, The cud he had de-
sIgncd Tor his victim was merely his
Uli deserts
Ana yc, Alan could not let him go.
Thus the battle began ancw--hut
now 1T WAS battle with a man half
ciazei with fright and struggling so
Wsdly that he wcli-uiGh frustrated the
Efforts ~ his rcscucr.
Md IL seemed to 20 or for hours
It's progress remained forever Z,
oianis In Alaus memory. lie l5ncw that
'ho thing was happening that he wax
doing his best to savc an enemy from
tuuihiiatiou. that Was all liow he
,untrivcd to lit the follow with his loft
arm high enough TO get grin on his
Collar and hold lim so until hts arms
caught tho girdcr and he was able to
help himself up--with much assistance
was something inexplicable
Yct it happened 20; in the upshot
thc ASSASSIN lay like limp rag across
lho pirdcr. head ana arms dangling on
orc side. legs and feet on the other
spent with his t"rriGc cxcrtious aud
rhysicanv sick with terror
md TN this state Alan loft him. he
Uad done enough lc; the man shift
for himself from this tuc on.
Cautiously crawling over the others
body hc edged aionE 10 tho end OF
tl,r ladder
when ho looked back from safety
The cut-throat iay ss Alan had left him,
Ricking convulsively.
And tho window across tho way was
hlank
Rejecting that little noise or mono
htd marked the progress OF that duel
IN the dark. that Rose in consequence
n this could hardly have known or
Seen anything OF IL. lie lot himself down
story wv story TO the street. and made
Of without pausiug TO sec for himself
whether the might watchnan's blatant
slumbcrS wcrc real or fcirncd
In tho vague. chill graz OF that dull
and dcsolatc dawn, judith stirred ah-
ruptly OH tho couch OF a slccpless night
and With the rapiditv Of ono who has
arrived ct settled purpose after a
lon@ period Of doubt and pcrpicxity.
rose and bathed and dressed herself
i'm ncCllCec.
Hut whom this much was accom-
plished without warning her purpose
Weakened. She faltcrcd. hung irrcso-
lutc for . moment, then lcapcd into a
chair beside her window
In the adjoining room she could hear
small. stcalthy notes.-the sounds
made hy her sistc" moving about and
preparing against the unguessablc
moment when her rescue would bc at
tempted, according to tho Information
conveyed In that midnight message.
IContinncd Tomorrow