The Carlisle independent., 1917-09-06

There he swung. high above the deserted street, moving to and fro with the rhythmical movements Of a pendulum.
 Now the way was free for Louie to cross. But the little crook saw and knew nothing except the face of his enemy beneath him. He stood still in the center of the sgirder, as calmly as if he were on level ground. He grinned into Sebastian's face and. very delib- erately, raised his heel and stamped on Se5astian's fingers
 Sebastian's hands shifted as Louie's heel came down on them again and again. Fortunately for him the blows had little effect, for Louies strength of muscle was absorbed in the uncon- scious maintenance of his balance. Se- bastian's hands moved. and he would swing first by one hand and then by the other.
 His brain alone seemed clear and all thoughts for his fate had disappeared It mattered nothing to him now what happened; his supreme desire was to
 
 him.
 Suddenly he realized that the move ments of Louie's foot had become per fectly automatic. Louie did not know whether he was stamping on Sebass tian's hands or not, the heel always descending in the same place. Louie had, in fact, hypnotized himself, as is well known to be frequent among rope walkers. That accounted for his strange rigidity of body, the ease with which he sustained his purchase upon the girder.
 Sebastian swung by his hands little distance further along the beam. Louie had not moved to follow him, and aI- ways the heel went up and down.
 Sebastian crooked his elbow and drew himself up. He gained the gir- der, got his foothold, and crept like a panther toward Louie. He seized him in his arms.
 Louie, awoke too late. A piercing cry left his lips. The next instant the body, flung from Sebastians arms, hurtled through the air and rushed down toward the street below, while Sebastian tottered across the girder. reached the roof of the gambling house, and sank exhausted at Bianca's feet
 Blanca, who had been near to swoon- bent over him.
 .'Well donev' she said. "Well done."
 At the sound of her voice Sebastian rose to his feet, glaring at her.
 q have killed a man tonight" he snarled. If it had not been for you I should never have added murder to my other crimes"
 .'It was self-defense, Sebastian. We can swear to it if ever suspicion falis upon any of us. It is nothing, SebaS- tian."
 But he broke down, sobbing, and the tears streamed down his face In the reaction from the nervous tension Se- bastian's emotional nature found fluff expression. "I have killed man." he moaned, wringing his hands.
 Blanca slipped her hand through his arm. But he shook her roughly away and gained the ladder, descended it, passed down the stairs, and found him self upon the street.
 Now the episodes of the evening seemed like dream to him. He had gone there to be married, a little more than an hour before; he was leaving as he had come, and, in the interval, he had committed murder.
 He tried to brace himself, but he staggered drunkenly along the street toward his home. In that short walk all the mans past life seemed to walk in procession before him. There were women whom he had betrayed, men whom he had wronged; and, above all the rest, the most deeply implanted. the proud and loving face of Leontine whose life he had ruined.
 The love upon that face had never been for him. It had been a dead mans love, and the thought had mad dened him and driven him on and on in his career. Now Leontine was dead. and every scheme of his had come to ashes.
 Tt almost makes me believe in God" uc iuultcIcu, dS, StiiAluS HIS uOuSc dA last, he set his key into the door.
 A single light burned in the study. The servants had been sent away, ex- cept the caretaker; Sebastian's bag gage was awaiting him at the station with Bianca's. A bitter jest!
 He flung himself down in his library chair and his mind went rowing oyer the situation. Murder in place of for gery! Which was the worse?
 Suddenly he started up, trembling violently. Out of the brilliance of the electrically-lighted room a white hand had appeared, the fingers holding : note scribbled on sheet ef his own writing paper. The hand laid down the message and disappeared.
 Trembling in every limb Sebastian took up the paper and read:
 Think not your guilt will go m- punished"
 He sprang to his feet, at bay now. as Louie had been. It seemed beyond reason, the fantasy of brain disor-