New Britain herald., 1917-09-08
How Katherine Saved Madge From
Mrs. AIlis.

How Katherine Saved Madge From
Mrs. AIlis.
All the terrible stories of acid
throwing of which I had read or
heard Of rushed into my brain as I
heard Mrs. Allis' threat that my hus-
band wouldn't want to spend much
time looking at my face when she got
through with me-" and saw her draw
a small bottle from a pocket in her
dress If she had acted with her
usual cat-like quickness she would
have accomplished her purpose, for
was too paralyzed with fear to move.
But she was evidently possessed of
an insane inclination to taunt me with
her purpose. She held the bottle aloft
before uncorking it and laughed into
my colorless face.
u don't wonder you're pale, my
dear she Knocked. But your face
will have color enough in a few
moments. This is the most effective
rouge known
She was so absorbed in her gloating
that she didn't hear what I did, the
faintest grating as of key turning
in the lock Of my door, the door from
which she had removed the key. The
sound reused me, made me tense,
ready to act, gaze my paralyzed muscles
strength to move.
Without taking my eyes from the
| bottle which she held, 1 could see that
behind her the door was slowly, noise
lessly opening. and in the opening
stood Katherine Sonnet, her eyes black
| with excitement, her face white, but
her whole figure poised, ready for
action. In one hand she held some
thing which to my frightened eyes
looked like pistol
Drop that" she commanded, and
her voice was such as I never/ had
heard from Katherine's daintily curved
lips before. 1t was the voice of a
woman used to dealing with any kind
of emergency, and even through the
horror of the moment I remembered
hearing Katherine say once that she
had spent six months in the dope
f1end ward of hospital
ooh, Katherine!"
Mrs. Allis whirled, and even as she
did so 1 saw her fingers uncork the
bottle she held in her hand. Then
fear for Katherine gave me strength to
spring, to seize the hand with the
bottle and to force it downward even
as she drew her hand back to hurl it
at Katherine.
The next moment Mrs. Allis
wrenched her hand free, put both
hands to her eyes with a gasplng cry
and staggered to the bed, falling upon
lit and clawing 1t with her hands. Be-
fore she could shrek again Katherine
had stuffed a portion of a sheet into
her mouth, and coolly sat down be-
side her, holding her down with fingers
Of steel. In another moment shud-
| der ran through the PROSTATE womans
J q CHI rn1oyo6 her fingers
! clasping and resting quietly upon the
| coverlet while her face grew color
| less. Katherine bent over her, listened
| to her breathing, tested her pulse, and
then Strengthened her contorted figure
| in the bed. A pungent Odor filled the
| air, making me cough.
| ooh. Katherine!' l walled. "Is she
dead You didn't kill her?'
For into my mind had leaped the
thought that the weapon katherine
had held in her hands must be
"silencer" pistol
Kill her? No! Katherine said ex-
plosively. "She's simply tainted with
the pain She'll come around again in
a few minutes, then I'll have to tie her
up to keep her from screening. Shall
I call Mr.. Graham
ooh, no, no,"I protested. and Won
dered at myself at the dread which
rose in my heart at the thought of
raving Dicky a witness of the terrible
experience through which we were
passing. Don't do anything he will
hear. Do you suppose he heard her
cry out?'
at Won't Hurt YOU"
| "Judging from the way he was snor-
ing when I was getting into your
room, I should imagine it would take
more than one shreak to rouse him, "
atherine returned dryly. Ills door
was closed, but his slumber was
audible through it,
What made her shrek and faint,
Katherine?' I persisted Did she
| spill that stuff she had on herself, or
did you shoot her?'
IT suppose you might call it shoot
ing, yes" Katherine returned, holding
out to me the object I had thought
was a pistol. Take tit won't hurt
you"
I looked wonderingly at the thing