The Washington herald., 1916-10-27

and was starting up STAIRS.
thus II dawned on MIN that her
presence would be q most decided
detriment to Clayton, and that, on
seeing Bob, she would assuredly mis-
take him for La Rue. So, leaving the
car, Harold ran upstairs to catch up
with Florence, If possible, before she
should reach the studio and to per-
suade her not to go in there.
He was not able to overtake her
Until just as she had reached the top
floor. Then, out of breath from his
long upstairs run, he caught her by
the arm, pantingly calling her name
as he did so.
Whirling around at the touch, Flor
ence saw beside her a man who she
did not at all recognize in such dis
guise. Crying out in fear, she
wrenched herself free and ran down
the hall to the studio door.
Without stopping to knock for ad-
mittance, she flung open the door
and burst into the studio.
With another scream on beholding
La Rue, she shrank back into the
doorway again and all but collided
with Harold Stanley, who sprang
past leI 4AllO lll0 SluulOs
Stanley waited not the fraction Of
an instant. Taking in the whole sit
uation as his eye swept the room, he
launched himself at La Rue.
But his mad haste marred his
Judgment. La Rue, with q snarl,
sprang forward to the battle like a
Cornered rat.
Stanley's fist whizzed past Pierre's
head, and La Rue, before Harold
could recover his balance, had leaped
across the threshold and out into the
hallway
Climbing the ladder as nirnbly as a
scared cat, La Rue showed open the
scuttle, wriggled through-barely
eluding Stanley's grasp at his legs
and slammed the scuttle in his pur-
suer's face.
Harold paused only to draw his re-
yolvsr $50 that La Rue might not
attack him at an advantage from
abOVe), then threw open the seuttle
and bounded to the roof.
The moments delay had given
Pierre the time he so sorely needed.
His man on the roof across the mar
row court was alertly on the lookout.
At a signal from the escaping Pierre
he tossed him a rope-end.
+ + +
La Rue swiftly and securely tied
the end to a jutting iron bar in the
parapet's masonry. Tanner had al
ready fastened the ropes other end
to a chimney of the house across the
court.
As Stanley reached the parapet La
Rue was already crossing the taut
rope, hand over hand, to the opposite
roof
Harold leveled his pistol, took de-
nberate aim at La Rue-who was not
six feet away from him-and fired.
The shot took no effect. Again STAN
ley fired, and again and again; more
quickly now, but with deadly accu-
racy Of aim.
There was no chance, apparently,
of missing, at such ridlculously short
range. Yet Pierre continued his leis-
urely hand-oyer-hand process along
the rope toward the opposite roof
Not one of the six heavy-caliber
shots hit him. He turned and grinned
amusetlIy back over his shoulder at
the marksnan.
A thrill Of something like super
stitious terror tingled through STAN
ley as he saw his failure to hit the
easy target.
The man Is devil!" he muttered
bewildered to himself. Bullets can't
hurt him"
A wholesome indignation surged
into his brain, dispelling the mo-
mentary awe. He sprang to the iron
bar and tugged at the Knot La Rue
had tied.
But La Rue had fastened it too
Cunningly, for all his haste, to permit
Harold to unite it soon enough for
the purpose he had in mind. Stanley
whipped out his pocket-knife and
drove it's keen edge into the rope
strands.
IF hot lead can't kill him we'll try
cold STEEL" growled Stanley to him
self as he hacked feverishIy at the
rope.
La Rue was barely half way across
the chasmlike court. If Harold could
sever the rope before Pierre should
reach the safety of the farther roof,
the man must be hurled against the
side wall Of the opposite house.
And such an impact would certainly
cause him to loose his precarious hold
on the roof and tumble to the flag
stones hundred feet below.
La Rue saw his own danger. And
he redoubled his cautious speed tc
get across before the rope should
part. With one last effort, Harold
sawed through one OF the two re-
naming strands.
With a sharp crack the strand
broke. La Rue's body was whirIed
downward, clinging frantically to the
rope.
Like the end of heavy pendulum,
swung and with a whizzing speed
In another instant it seemed his body
must strike with terrific force against
the farther houses wall. Then
It was not the solid wall his body
Emote against, but against one O
the windows set in that wall AnC
straight through the window-carry
ing glass and sash with him, he wa
hurled.
Stanley saw him crash to the foo,
of a room, gather himself up pantinl
and shaking from the jar Of the fal
and stagger away out of sight.
Yes, he Is a devil!' unused Stanley
against, as he turned to descend t
the studio. IA devil! He bears {
charmed life. But-but, sooner o,
later, am going to break tn
charm!"