The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-11-11

that house like man demented.
Rose, escaping from Trine's house,
overpowered and made the captive OF
Trine's lowest creatures-gunmen pos
sibly, OF the stamp OF that animal
whom Urine had charged with the as
sassination of Alan the night before.
There was neither a motor.car In
sight for him to charter nor any time
to waste in seeking one. Alan could
only hope to find one on his way back
toward the ferry. 1t must have been
upwards Of an hour before he came
into a street which he recognized, by
it's dinginess and squalor as that in
which he had thrown Marrophat from
the running-board of the taxicab.
And then. as he paused. breathlese
and footsore, to cast about him for the
way to the ferry, a touring car turned
corner at top speed and slowed to a
stop before that selfsame tenement OF
the unsavory aspect to whose sidewalk
he had seen Marrophat assisted by
the loafers OF the quarter.
And this touring car was occupied
by some half.a-dozen rufflans in whose
hands a young girl writhed and strug
gled when, Immediately on the stop
they jumped out and wrestled her out
with brutal reconsideration.
Like shot Alan had crossed the
street-but only to bring up nose to
the panels Of the tenement door. and
to find himself seized and thrown
roughly aside by burly denizen when
he grasped the knob and made as II
to follow in.
Keep back, young feller!" his is,
sailant warned him viciously. Keep
outa this, now, If you don't want t.
get into trouble"
To the speakers side another
ranged, cycling Alan with formidable
scowl. At discretion he stepped back
and turned as if persuaded to mind his
own business, then swung on his heel
caught the two in the very act of open
ing the door, and threw himself be
tween them.
An elbow planted heavily in the pit
Of the stomach Of one disposed OF him
for the time being. A blow from the
shoulder sent the other Keeling to the
gutter. And Alan was in the tene
ment's lowermost hall-a foul and
evll.odored place, dark as a pit the
instant the door was closed, Its murh
relieved only by the fame of a kero
sene lamp smoking in bracket near
the foot Of the stairs.
Sounds Of scuffing of feet were au
dible on the first landing. Alan ad.
dressed himself impetuously to the
staircase. gaining its top in half d
dozen leaps, and only in time to see
door slammed at the forward end oil
the hall and hear key turned in its
lock.
A cluster of men blocked the way
He didn't pause to wait for it to be
cleared, but threw himself headlone
into their midst. and by dint OF the
surprise had gained the closed door
before they recovered and sought to
stay him.
Indifferent to them all, he shook the
knob and shouted: Rose! Rose!"
Her cry came back to him, muf
fed scream: Alan! Help! Help"
Backing away with mad idea OF
throwing himself bodily against the
door and breaking it down. he was sud
denly confronted by hideous mask Of
humanity-face OF man all misshapen,
bruised and swollen and disfigured
with smears OF dried blood and dirty
bandage round his temples, but none
the less vaguely recognizable.
The words that streamed from its
distorted lips drove recognition home
Gee, fellers, look't who's here! II
1t amt tn guy what threw me off'n
that girder this mornin'. Stand back
and let me kill tn"
Without the hesitation of a heart
beat Alan swung heavily for the thugs
jaw. The blow went solidly home
The man fell like poled OK.
Pandemonium ensued. Rallying to
their Gomrade, the ruftians attacked
Alan with one mind and one intent
Murder would have been done then
| and there had it not been for rotten
banister-rail, which gave way, precipi
tating the lot to the ground floor OF
the hallway.
simultaneously the lamp on the wall
was struck from its bracket and
crashed to the floor, its glass well
r"eakiRg and loosing a food Of kero
enc to receive the burning wick. The
explosion followed instantly. In a
trice the hallway was lake OF burn
/, ing oil, and hungry flames were lick
ing up the rotting wallpaper and eat
ing into decayed baseboards and stair
treads.
Still fighting like a mailman, con
testing every foot OF the way, Alan
| was borne down the hall and out OF
the front door A scream of "Fire!"
greeted him as he reeled out into the
open. 1t was echoed by a dozen
| threats.
The doorway vomited men and
women Of the tenement. They choke6
1t for time, blocking both egress ana
I ~. ~ y