Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-11-02


brooG necessary delay. hut it WAS his
characteristic never 10 sit placiuly ~
will folded hands. lie had estimated
Stuppa-r OF some continuance. hau
leuucd from the vehicle and asked tor
my company with brief glance.
II WAS - quaint part of the great
city. remembered by old settlers Only.
Once The narrow winding street. eX-
tending only TWO blocks, had been res
idcutiul. business had reached ANA
SWUNG over and fallen into the DIES
uCtudc of rag Warehouses and storage
cellars. Some If the ricEcJy oid-tuSh-
toned structures had gone 10 decay
Rnd disuSe. We StrOllcd along the
stour walk, cracked and irregular,
while my friend descauted on the gid
ed past of those old tOttering MALL
siunS.
Ii was sudden, startling, traSic-the
CRY, the call, the appeal that abruptly
rluS out upon that dull afternoon air.
The near hum of business activity did
moi soften or dash il out. Marvel came
to Il sharp halt and followed his eX-
ample. Those keen eyes OF his gave
one comprehensive sweep Of What lay
opposite w.. Nine followed the Indi-
cation q. his own, rOved across the
gra. house fronts and rested on the
unrG story, where every sash was
boarded up or out of place.
Tor the love of hravcn-oh, some
on come into the house! :"
Those were the words, uttered in
weird, thrilling accents. Time. place
nIIu The speaker, il l;ir !ouns girl, har-
non'Zcd with Il suggestion OF the m
tcu>c and dramatic. She was framed
NNIdly against the dark back ground
U the vacant room. one hand SUPPORT
ing her against the rottinS window
frame. She WaVcred as though she
wound fall over the low reaching case
nenj into the street. Her face waS
white US marble, her eyes stricken with
some fcurIu emotion of horror or eX-
element She saw Us, and her cry
vas meant Tor us.
noted liesilius Marvel incline that
shrewd face of his as though striving
to peer into mystery. his keen pro-
feSSiUIial instincts at once aroused. He
was as Il man before whom the end
Of Il puzzle mad been cast, with chal-
lenge for expert calculation. Ills feu-
lures insanity assumed certain
grilnness as IL he dlscerned menace
tn the si(uatiOn, urgency, Perchance
peril.
''C.<ie," he said simply. quickly, and
q .-ted to cross the street. but u
Shrek. ringing, far-echOing, curdling
hall halted HIM. Together we noted
q sharp turn to :hI episode, blotting
out what had matcrinlIzed SO sudden
~. From behind the wavering girlish
form pair of arms extended. They
were sinuOus, though stulwurt, and
full silken vestments enclosed them.
They encircled the shriekiug girl and
drew her back, one of them muiling
her face In the folds of u lleecy, bil-
lOwy scarf that, with the garb OF the
new actor In the monentury drama,
give an oriental tinge to the situation.
There was blunkness then where
there had been animation. Travesty,
drama or tragedy, the curtain was
down und the uct ended. l wondered
What Marvel would do next. His sure
definite leap over the cObblestOnes en-
Hghtened me. He reached the oppo-
site pavement, made u rush, and as his
powerful body came like u battering
ram against the closed door guarding
the old wreck of rOOkery. it flew
from its hinges like barrier of straw.
The dull afternoon light of day pen
etrated long passageway feebly, and
beyond was gloom. There was u flash
as we reached u shaking, uncertain
stairway. My friend had brought out
his portable electric tube. | followed
II and himself, guided by the shifting
focus point that showed splintered
reads fast rotting away. We reached
landing. A frail door guarded the
second flight. il was unlocked. how
ever. and yielded to u touch. At the
top of the stairway we came into u
large room. 1t held the open window
space at which the girl. now SO mys-
teriously vanished. had appeared to
our vision for the space of few mo-
ments. AS Marvel passed l saw him
stOop. 1t was 10 pick up a crumpled
piece of paper. Then. his eyes fixed
on the floor, he traced q track In the
accumulated dust Of years. showing
where trailing garments had made u
broad plain mark.
There was an open door at the end
Of the long room. 1t led out upon a
platform which spanned an alley.
Leading from the platform was rick.
ETY. flight Of narrow stairs. As We
glanced over the railing we saw a fe-
male form just leaping from the lower
step. AS she turned to run down the
alley towards the next street she
turSed slightly.
1.-The same girl" observed Marvel
sententiously.
YES" | assented, noting that her
hand was held closely across her chest
and that she tottered as she ran, evil
IDENTIFY on the verge of collapse from
nervous excitement.
i saw Marvel make a movement to
dash after her. Then he saw II was
too late. At the mouth of the alley
stood an automobile. evidently in wait
Ing for the girl. She fairly fell into
lis seat as she pulled herself up the
step. the urgency with which the
chauffeur acted telling that she had
given him some speedy directions.
The machine fitted out of view with