The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-09-14


supposed servant humbly, but was
lust glancing over the volumes. sir.
They are highly interesting, SIR.
will notify your aunt Immediately,
sir" and he backed toward the door.
We'll, don't waste any more time
about II, then" said Leyland, and
you can tell her that I'm going to stay,
here for while and have a smoke"
Dropping into a chair, he lighted a
cigarette. An instant later a crush.
ing blow descended on his head and.
with a groan, he slumped from the
chair onto the floor. where he lay
with outspread arms. breathing ster-
torously.
Needless Of the unconscious body at
his feet, Mahlin had resumed his
scrutiny OF the books when he heard
outside the door the voices OF Mrs.
Delmar, Hope and Cleo. They were
ascending the stairs. They we're com
ing TO the study. He glanced hastily
about him. The only means of es-
cape was through the single door. He
was trapped. His only chance OF
| avoiding discovery lay in concealing
himself until the unwelcolae visitors
had departed. Leaving the books on
the table. he blew out the lamp and
slipping into one of the windows re-
cesses drew before him the heavy cur
tains as the door opened. The hos.
tess and Hope entered the room.
why, the rooms dark" exclaimed
Mrs. Delmar. Il can't understand II.
certainly gave orders to have the
lamp lighted" and. stepping to the
wall, she switched on the electric
light.
Good God! What's this" cried
Hope. catching sight OF Leyland's
body.
Mrs. Delmar gave cry OF horror.
ITS Francis! It's my nephew! Is
he dead? Oh, is he dead? What's
happened to him."
No. he's not dead" said Hope, ex.
amining the unconscious man. but
he's had a terrific clip on the back
OF the head. Looks as though some
one had hit him with life-preserver.
He's coming around. though. He'll be
all right in a few minutes"
Here are the books on the table"
said Cleo. recognizing two OF her ia.
theirs beloved volumes. Poor Mr.
Leyland must have been looking at
them when"
She stopped abruptly, for from be-
hind the curtains had come a mufled
sneeZe.
Someone's hiding there-behlnd
the curtains!" she whispered, grip
ping Hopes arm.
Crossing the room on velvet feet.
Hope suddenly jerked aside the heavy
draperies As he did so, Mahlin. who
had slipped a black mask over the up
per portion of his face. leaped at him
like a panther. Locked in each 9th.
er's arms the two men swayed out
into the middle OF the room. They
hit a carved cabinet filled with porce-
lain and II went over with a crash
They caromed from the wall to the
table and from the table to the wall
| Cursing, grunting, snarling, straining,
more like animals than men, they
reeled through the doorway OF the
study into the upper hall. A rug
slipped from beneath them and sent
them to their knees, but still they bat.
tied on. Nearer and nearer their des-
perate struggle brought them to the
top Of the stairway. Hope. who was
on top now. had his fingers on Nah.
| Inns throat. The house was in an up
roar now. Guests, servants and mu.
sicians, attracted by the piercing
screams OF Cleo and Mrs. Delmar,
rushed from the ballroom and stood
crowded in the door below. watching
the struggle at the head of the stairs
as an audience watches mock strug,
gle on the stage. Now the two were
/ poised at the top OF the stairway.
| Then, amid a chorus OF screams from
| Cleo and Mrs. Delmar above and from
the assembled guests below. they
rolled. with a terrific humping, down
the marble stairs So intertwined
that one could not be distinguished
from the other, they burst into the
ballroom. the frightened guests CIV
| ing way before them. Painting from
exhaustion they rocked and swayed
across the polished floor. reeled for .
sickening moment against the low
warning from the onlookers, plunged
outward and downward into the dark.
ness A terrific crash OF broken glass
told the Mortified listeners that they
had fallen through the roof OF the con
servatory below,
Throughout the desperate encoun.
ter Cleo had remained at the top Of
the stairs, petrified with fear for
Hopes safety, clinging convulsively to
Mrs. Delmar. As the two figures
plunged through the open window she
gave a shrek OF horror.
He's killed He's killed! know
he's killed." she walled. and ran
blindly. madly down the stairs.
Seeing that the coast was now mo-
mentarily clear, Morton and Olga,
who had followed the others upstairs
without themselves being observed.
| ond had Witnessed tho UhoIa ~ ,ha