The Ordway new era., 1914-11-20
THE TREY O'HEARTS
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what seemed an uneonmonly stubborn
reluctance. and got his way.
He could not know that another
skulked behind . barrier Of lime bar.
rels and overheard all that passed and.
whom Alan had dncksd smartly into
the unilnished building. rose and stoaa
after him with footstsps - noissless
~ cats and face that had the say-
agsFy Of q tigers whsa Il vas tran
silently revealed In . SHAFT Of mooar
light.
At length Alan gained the sridiroa
Of girders on plane With the lighted
window across ths way. and crept
along one Of thess. sinseriy on his
hands and knees. until he came to IL
end and might. II hs cared to. look
down . hundred fsse 70 tie sidewalks.
That vjsw. however, did not tenp<:
he kept his eyes level: and was re-
vardsd with bare glimpse Of . pref
tily-papered wall, framed in the lace of
half-drawn curtains.
fortuity. or instinct, or the psychic
logical attraction Of his steadfast con
osntration-ths tenant Of the room
came to the window and stood there
for little. looking psnsively out. alto
gether uAeoascious OF the watcher in
his asrial coign. .ss
Again . horrible uncertainty har-
assed him. Was the woman Rose
or Judith? That she was one Of these
he could plainly see. But which? Dared
he assume his hopes fulfilled?
With difficulty he detached his
hungry vision from her. and drawing
from his pocket . small notebook, tore
out . blank page. placed this nat o.
the girdsr. found pencil. and with
the assistance Of . ray or two Of
moonlight scrawled . message Of Al
most stenographic brevity.
When he looked up from this task,
she had vanished.
Sitting mp. astride the sirder. he
took his watch-a cheap AFFAIR he had
picked mp when reclothing himself In
the garments Of civilised society. n
Providence, that morrins-opened tbs
lhs folded message.
Thea drawing back his arm. he
breathed . silent prayer to the god Of
all true Avers. and cast It from him
with all his might-with such force
that It almost unseated him at the end
OF the swing. But nothing less would
have served to bridge that yawning
chasm.
And the watch new straight and
true. squarely through the lighted win.
dow and to the further wall
At that very instant Of his exultation
over an obstacle overcome. he heard .
sound behind him Of heavy breathing.
The assassin had come that close
upoa his prey when Alan turned and
discovered his psril.
The same mooubeam which had
aidel Alan IN tie composition Of his
message struck across the others facs.
and showed II like . hideous Chinese
mask Of deadly hatred. with it, eye-
balls glsring and It's lips drawn hack
from the naked blade gripped between
it, teeth-a stilstto nothing short Of Q
foot In length.
With Q sharp, startled movement,
Alan swung himself bodily about, 70
that. seated again astrids the girder.
he fAcsd the assassin who sat up,
straddiing the girder. his feet hooked
Seneath II . stiletto poised In his
light hand to strike.
But even now Alan was In little o.
no better case than before. II he faoed
the thug. he faced him with NO arms
other than his bare hands. He had not
even pen-knifs In his pockets.
With low CRY Of desperation Alan
enatehed OF his hat. soft and shape.
less felt affair. and fiung It squarely In
the fellows facs.
Before he could recovsr-before,
that u. II dropped away and cleared
his vision. Alan had bent forward and
grasped the wrist OF the hand that
held the knife.
He snatched simultaneously at the
other hand. but It eluded him.
Alan had this advantage, a. long a.
the knife might not strike-that his
right arm was free. while the assassin
had only his left. With this he strove
persistently to reach his knife-hand
and possess himself Of the weapon,
A. persistently Alan foiled his purpose
by dragging the knife-hand toward him
and swinging II far out to one side. At
the same time he struck repeatedly
with his clenched right INST at the 9TH
er's face. His blows did little dam.
age beyond disconcerting the other;
but this proved Q vszy eonsiderah1e
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