Tombstone epitaph., 1915-09-26

"A rat, A capital ideal" laughed the concert performer. T will try it." His tone had become disagreeable and harsh.
 If you make good with your train ing, cone to me Enough Monsieur Fleury and the two hundred francs a week arc yours" Poe rose quickly, as ! thn,.en the interview were ended. and started toward the door
 Torche hesitated. seemed to waver between two desires, and finally ad vanced close to Poe. and asked in a tone that appeared anxious:
 The sleight-of-hand alone will not do?"
 "No, I'm afraid not" Poe had half. way opened the door. Torche had drawn strangely close, edging a little to one side. toward the knife which he had thrown back beside the bread. What is that?" cried Poe, pointing over Torches shoulder to the closet door, and assuming look of horror.
 Torche, thrown off his guard by the simple trick, turned on his heel with a hiss and stared at the closet door. his hand instinctively seeking the knife beside him.
 The door had not moved, but the ruse allowed Poe to give a strange little whistle. almost unnoticed; a whistle curiously like that which had issued from the lips of the single man sitting at the far end of the box next to the Blondells at the Chatelet.
 At that instant, while Torches gaze was still fixed on the closet door, a pink nose and two glassy eyes peeped out from beneath the left leg of the performers Tapping trousers. and Poe dropped one of the bright red cherries from the bag he had purchased. within foot or two of the animal.
 With a swift swoop the sleek rat bounced upon the cherry, clutched it between its teeth, and. like a flash. daIted up the trousers leg again.
 Christopher Poe stood with a cynical smile deeply grooved in his hard cheeks.
 With a guttural snarl Torche sprang to action. clutched the knife in leap, and dashed on Poe, only to find steady revolver aimed between his eyes. and the cool voice of Poe de. Danding:
 Give me the Royal Ruby"
 "Sa uajeste diaholique! Le Diable,' hissed Torche. backing from the gun the whites of his eyes rolling. and his hands quiyering up like the rays ot heat from a stove, with steady mo tion. You have the secret. You saw me in the box tonight"
 His agony-strailed fingers, still clutching the knife. had quivered up above his head. and with a sudden twist he ierked the whole force of his body behind the blade, and crashed il down upon his adversary. Before Poe could pull the trigger a large woman ieaped on him from behind with a snarl. and bowled him to the floor, the knife hurtling into the closet from which the woman had burst forth un noticed.
 Iu the struggle that followed, the French pair fought like sayagas. Poe: revolver was kicked from his hand and Torche suddenly leaped after it giving Poe the chance to twist from beneath the woman with a wrestling trick ard dash through the door to tht head of the stairs, where Torche haC stoope1 to pick up the revolver.
 Before Poe could grasp Torche tn. woman hurled herself upon him again and in the turmoil that followed th, stopping Torche lost his balance, arC hurtled down the rickety flight c steps. near the bottom the bod! crashed through the rotten rail, ant Poe trembled at the sound of an agon izing scream, as the man slippe, through the opening between the bal ustrades. and dropped with a kickin, clatter 10 the main floor. four storie below. The woman stiffened up. an, released her hold on Poe, as she lis tened in awful silence, the muscles i, her face stretched tense with horror } In that instant Poe recognized he as an Apache. dyed in criminality 2 whom he had encountered before. She returned to the fight like lioness, but Poe managed to overcom [ her and bind her ankles and wrist Y skilfuily with the cord torn from ne q dressing-gown.
 a He left her struggling on the door e sill. moaning, "Le diable Poe," an ,, snatching at the cord with her teeth. She wriggied through the doorwa | into the room, and struggled towar one corner. hissing vile oaths at Pc l. meantime. who stood with his arm }, folded watching her direction intently Finding that she was surely edgin
 toward a rickety desk in the corner | Poe anticipated her effort, stepped t }. the crazy piece of furniture, and picke e up several articles, ore after anothe, the woman watching him with greedy catlike eyes.
 Suddenly his hand encountered e long-stemme1. deep-bowled clay pipe d filled with fresh tobacco. A hiss o k pent-up breath greeted his movement and he turned with a keen look at tn d woman. Her face had become as stone n and net a single feature betrayed hel
 Christopher Poe smiled. dropped tn F. pipe into a loose outside pocket wit r. satisfaction in his manner. dusted hi u clothes, raised his hat to the woman
 who had suddenly slumped into a sol ping bundle, and remarked: