The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-01


deserted street, moving to and fro
with the rhythmical movements Of .
pendulum.
Now the way was free for Louie to
cross. But the little crook saw Gnd
knew nothing except the face Of his
enemy beneath him. He stood still in
the center of the girder. as calmly as
il he were on level ground. He grinned
into Sebastian's face and, very delib-
erately. raised his heel and stamped
on Sebastian's fingers.
Sebastian's hands shifted as L0uie's
heel came down on them again and
again, Fortunately for him the blows
had little effect, for Louie's strength
of muscle was absorbed In the uncon-
scious maintenance Of his balance. Sc
bastian's hands moved, and he would
swing first by one hand and then by
the other.
His brain alone seemed clear, and an
thoughts for his fate had disappeared.
It mattered nothing to him now what
happened; his supreme desire was to
fling Louie down, even IL he died with
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 Sebas-
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 al
ways the heel went up and down.
Sebastian crooked his elbow and
der, got his foothold, and crept like
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 Sebastian's 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 ut Bianca's feet.
Blanca, who had been near to swOon-
| ing, rushed to him, kneeied down, and
bent over him.
"Well done!" she said. swell donel"
At the sound Of her voice Sebastian
rose to his feet, glaring ut her.
II have killed a man tonight" he
snarled. "If 1t had not been for you
I should never have added murder to
my other crimes"
| ut was self-defense. Sebastian. We
can swear to 1t If ever suspicion falls
| upon any of us. 1t is nothing, Sebas-
tian."
| But he broke down, sObbing, and the
tears streamed down his face. In the
reaction from the nervous tension Sc
bastian's emotional nature found full
expression. II have killed a man." he
moaned. wringing his hands.
Blanca slipped her hand through his
arm. But he shook her roughly away
and gained the ladder. descended 1t.
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, 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. 1t 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.
ut almost makes me believe In God"
he muttered, as, gaining his house at
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; Sebastiaa'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 over
the situation. Murder In place of for.
gerry! Which was the worse7
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 a sheet of 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 60 un-
Dunlahodn