Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-08-28

What do you mean to do with me.
| John?"
II don't know. I haven't made up
my mind. Maybe I'll kill you-if you
drive me to it"
the door. desperately striving to win
past him. and Just as certainly he
must have caught her and stayed her
steps, What followed was pretty much
confused in Van Vechtens mind. There
was a sound Of scufiing; the incensed
listener in the hall heard the girl cry
out in an agitated voice: "Oh! You
are hurting met" which was immedi-
ately followed by a stifed shrek that
chilled the blood in his veins.
Next instant he had grasped the
knob and thrown all his weight against
| the door.
1t was unbolted and crashed open
with explosive violence. His irrup-
ton promptly quieted the disturbance.
| The man-it was the sandy-complex-
ioned man-stood with dropped Jaw,
staring blankly at the intruder.
And the girl? His heart leaped. His
| whole being was suffused with a warm
glow. The girl that he had despaired
of ever seeing again. what unhappy
mischance had brought her to this
peril? And what unrecognized mes
sage had prompted him to arrive upon
the scene SO opportunely
After the first shock of pleased sur
prise. Van Vechten famed. then
turned to ice. His regard travelled to
the man in a narrowed look of anger
that left him white to the lips. 1t was
a hard look. an ugly. wicked look that
spelled danger.
But his lifelong habit Of repression
| checked any violent display of feeling
on his part. The spell was broken
| when he composedly advanced a step
farther into the room. not for an in
stant moving his steely regard from
the man. All of sudden his thin lips
twisted in an odd little smile that
| was not at all pleasing to see.
"Well?" he said quietly. Save for
the unmistakable undercurrent of
menace, the tone might have been af-
fable.
So profound was the other mans
stupefaction that he mechanically re-
leased the girls wrists and fell back
a pace. Only quick anticipation of
his act saved her from falling to the
floor; as 1t was she staggered back
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
ly, stirred only slugg!shly; but all at
once the sullen features were congest-
ed with blood. the veins on his fore
head swelled, and all his fury-now re-
doubled-was directed at Van Vech-
ten.
Where in hell did you come from?"
he snarled venomously.
Anyhow, not the same neighbor-
hood that bred you" Van vechten
eyed him a moment longer with mex
pressible disfavor. Good Lord!" he
added. What a nasty brute you are!"
| Nothing less than paralyzing amaze
ment, apparently. restrained Calls
from leaping upon Van Vechten and
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 this unfinching
nerve. the mastery of his look, the in
evitable 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. dignifled
Difference. And, really. think you
had better do SO at once. ! can hold
this ruffian-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 regain ID some
thing of her own composure, but the
cool assurance of this punctiliously
garbed young man, the obvious deter.
mination and air of authority that lay
behind his courtesy, evoked from her
l@2 2G-160 e Sn~-2a