The Yale expositor., 1916-10-26
"Are Won surer.

Il ntn lut HIbl lulll6 W uO 10 W Il
make sure that she is still safe"
Yet hurried as Manleys flight was
through that quiet house, he took time |
to circle about to his own room and |
there thrust an automatic pistol into |
his pocket Then he called Celestine. |
who was promptly sent to investigate |
Margerys boudoir. She returned with |
the disquieting report that the girl |
was not there.
Manley, with a sinking OF the heart, |
continued his search through the low
er regions of the house. And he did |
not breathe freely until, quietly open
ing the side door into the library, he
caught sight of Margery herself, in a
narrowbacked Jacobean chair, bent
low over a book which lay open on
her lap.
She sat clearly outlined In the
bright fulcrum falling over her care
lessly-posed body. leaving her in a
luminous shower from the single wall
light, which she had left turned on
Immediately above her. This silvery
shaft OF light brought out the beauty
of her heavily-massed hair; 1t brought
out the tender lines OF the white
throat and neck. the wistful girlish-
ness of the slender figure. Then Man
ley for the first time noticed that she
was sitting directly in front of the
suit OF Japanese armor. He could see
the polished metal of that armor flash
venomously in the strong sidelight.
AS he stood there, clinging to the
portiere and continuing to stare at
those two acknowledgement figures,
he found something almost hypnotic
in the virulent brightness of the pol
| ished metal. Then a gasp OF incred-
ulity burst from his lips. For as he
| stared at the metaled hand holding
the long-bladed dagger. he saw, or
| thought he saw, that hand slowly
raise, as though some miracle had en-
dowed it's insensate links and plates
and vambraces with life. Then the
very blood in his body seemed 10 cur
die with sudden horror, for now there
was no doubt about it. The mailed
hand holding the glimmering knife
|
was slowly but surely being lifted,
higher and still higher. And in an
| other moment, Manley felt. it would
| surely strike.
Quick as fash he caught the au-
| tomato from his pocket, swung 1t up,
and trained the barrel on the glinting
high lights along the mailed fist. Then
he fired.
There was a muffled shout Of pain,
a short scream OF terror from the
startled girl, and answering calls from
above-stairs as the uproar echoed
through the midnight house. But to
all of these Manley paid scant atten-
ton. With ten steps he had crossed
the room. Then he flung himself on
the suit Of mail, twisting II about and
sending it topping from its stand.
But one glance showed 1t TO be empty.
The framed canvas that stood behind
It he jerked from the wall. Then an
exclamation OF wonder burst from his
lips. For, in the wainscoting at each
side OF where the canvas had hung he
discovered two holes cut, not yard
apart, and sufficiently large to admit
Of a mans arms being thrust through
them. And as he saw them, and be-
gan to batter on the hardwood vain
scoting with his heavy pistol-butt, be
realized what had taken place.
! Some enemy, secreted behind that
wainscoting, had thrust an arm into
I the metal shell of an arm holding the
I dagger, and had lifted it to strike
, down the girl 80 close beside 1t. AND
that enemy, Manley resolved as ht
| battered down the panel and crowded
his way through into a narrow pas
: sageway, he would discover and cap
t ture or know the reason why.
( Yet that passage, which led to thu
: abandoned conservatory and from
, there back to long unused butler
pantry, proved to be entirely empty
i All that rewarded Manley's frantic
search was a sleeve button and
{ shred Of cloth torn from a service
y coat. caught on a nail where the pas
l. sage itself ended against the vain
scoting. And by the time he ha'
=
v Golden and Da Espares and Wilson
8 were already there.
where's Wrench, that new foo
man?' he demanded.
II saw Wrench in the upper hal
sir, two minutes ago. was Wilson
It prompt reply.
a "But monsieur, what has happen I
d my beautiful armor?" demanded tn
d softly-speaking Da Espares.
& "I'll tell you that when we fin
Wrench" was Manley's curt repl!
It Wilson, you guard the, front doc
8 and you, sir" added Manley, turnin
to Golden, I'D advise to watch the vii
lie dows there"
1t "And ], monsieur, what may l do
n be of assistance?" inquired the impe
Ie turbable Da Espares.
ID 'You go up those front stairs an
10 stop anybody who attempts to CON
down. And mind you stop them! Il
| Not ota n