The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-02-02

/ not! Dlazed Harry striding to BaSkin-
ellis side and glazing down at him.
! Il was interrupted. | had not fin
ished my words. They are, at best,
awkward. ! beg"
you beg nothing said Harry
through clenched teeth. Then slowly,
| grimly:
Il want to tell you, you little leper,
that if anything happens here tonight
! it is going to happen to you.
He was SO near to the musician that
the others did not hear
Baskinelli backed away. Pauline,
with the swift, ineXplicable, yet unerr-
ing instinct of woman, moved as if to
! seek the shelter of Harrys towering
frame.
He did not see her. He had whirled
at the sound of the opening of a door
"a peculiar door set diagonally across
a corner of the room behind the Joss
Through the yellow silk curtains
that hid the entrance came two China
men as Enthusiastically hideous as the
embroidered dragons on the tapestry.
Put those men out; they cannot |
come in here: they are full of opium" |
commanded Baskinelli
Stop; let them come in: we are |
4 going said the mild voice of Owen. |
The understanding look of Baskin- |
ELI met his. Baskinelli frowned and
j Owen smiled. They were playing per-
fectly their roles.
The two Cinnamon shuttle dinto the
room. The old priest arose in iabber-
ing protest. They argued with him
acridly. A few feet away one could
see that their cheap linen robes COW
cred the ordinary street garb Of the
Chinaman; that the ugly lines on their
faces weer painted, as on the face of
the Joss.
Baskinelli was laughing. The 9th
ers watched the argument in silence.
Every one but the host of the adven-
turing party, and Owen, and Pauline,
seemed little nervous.
IA Suddenly the lamp on the floor went
went out. There was another at the
farther side of the room, but its dim
light made the scene more weird than
darkness could have made it.
'Well, 1 thought we were going"
snapped Harry's strident voice.
II 1--WE are" replied Baskinelli. Miss
er-I am afraid to speall-Miss Mar
| win, shall we go?"
III Pauline took his arm.
Y "Ah, but / have forgotten the most
precious sight of the evening" sud
denly exclaimed the musician. "Only
moment-look here"
Interested, Pauline did not notice
that Owen softly shut the door upon
the receding footsteps of the others.
Baskinelli guided her back to the lit
tie door behind the screen-the door
from which the Cinnamon had entered.
Baskineli drew aside the curtain.
"There-that is one form of adven-
ture."
Pauline looked through the curtain.
A suffocating narcotic oddr came to
her. What she saw was sitting not
only to the senses-but to the soul.
She turned away.
"Polly!"
M Harry's voice rang through the lit.
= tie choked room like a thunder blast
We are coming-We are quite safe,
called Baskinelli, with the sheer tinge
in his voice.
= Very well, then; hurry"
Harry's manner aroused Pauline's
he temper again. She purposely fingered
The two Cinnamon were arguing vi
olently now with the priest.
10 Harry had closed the door and fol
ae' lowed the others down the outer pass
IS age
iIs Miss Marvin-Pauline!" called Bias
~ kinelli with sudden passion. Have
- you a heart of stone? Can you not
III see me helpless in your presence!
:, Do you know what love is?''
a., He stepped towards her and tried
lol to take her in his arms. Woman
70 though she was, she was stronger and
~ far Drawer than he. She thrust him
- aside and fled through the door.
~ Baskinelli followed, protesting, and
III pleading.
- :. Strangely as she fled through the
~, ne narrow corridor, the low, flaring gas
10 10 jets were extinguished, one by one.
"a She CROPPED in darkness.
A. Baskinellfs pleading voice became
~. almost a consolation, protection.
Her elbow struck something in the
Ct passageway. The something shranE
Nd at the touch. She heard a quick
ok drawn breath that was not Baskin
he ellis. She tried to run. The tiny
"a. passenger choked her flight. She
So plunged helplessly between invisible
&C. but gripping walls She reeled ant
screamed, cried.
te- There was the sound of a struggle
CHI behind her. She heard Basl1inelli Cry
re ing for help-but, oh, so quietly! SHE
err reached the stairs. The stairs were
blocked by closed door. The dool
he was barred. But there was a ligh
,se left burning by the door.
ed Her weak hands beat upo nthe pan
od els, helplessly, hopelessly. How SHOULD
of she know that there were two doors
,rd locked and sealed beyond?
in Her wild screams rang through tn,
long passage, through the dark, above
he the shuttle and beat and cursing 0
,ss the staged fight. Ns
he In the dim of the light she coult
eek see the figures of the three italians
zen graphing with Baskinelli's voice call
ed to her reassuringly. 1t might well
ed Baskinelli was in no danger
he She placed her softly clothed shoul
ed der to the door and strove to break it
he She screamed again.
ad Harry Harry"
DUH crashes answered. There wal
mt the crack and cleav1ng of splinteret
he wood.
&c, / UH0ld o11i I'm, horoiO cho hoa