The Yale expositor., 1917-03-15

into the room.
"And 1 will pay you a thousand!"
she cried.
Sebastian flushed and moved threat
eningly toward her. with my
money!" he sneered.
"a thousand dollars" cried Leon
tine again.
Romanoff smiled. at seems to be
going up in value. think I'll keep it."
he announced, pocketing the paper.
He was nearing the door when, with
an oath, Sebastian whipped out re-
volver from the desk beside him and
leveled 1t.
"You'll hand that over or you'll new
er leave this room alive!" he shouted.
Romanoff, taken aback, could only
stare into the muzzle of the weapon.
He saw that Sebastian was desperate.
He put his hand into his pocket and
drew out the confession.
Suddenly the revolver was dashed
from Sebastian's hand. Sebastian went
reeling back across the room, as If
he had received a stunning blow in
the face. Yet there was nobody in
the room except himself, Leontine, and
Romanoff.
Next instant, as Sebastian recovered
himself, he was picked up and hurled
to the ground. He lay there as If
stunned.
And Leontine, gazing in terror at
her husband, saw, at height of near
ly six feet from the ground, pair Of
eyes fixed on the PROSTATE man. 1t
was the mysterious defender who had
championed her,
Romanoff, with an exclamation Of
terror, turned and bolted from the
room. He hurried into the street and
leaned against the wall of the house,
trembling.
He held the precious paper in his
hand. He tried to replace 1t in his
pocket, but his hands shook
Suddenly his hand dropped as If the
wrist were broken. The invisible an
tagonist was upon him, and Romanoff
fought in his grasp, feeling a sensation
of power opposing him.
1t was a weird struggle in the sunny
street. A policeman, across the road,
looked in amazement at a man repro
ducing all the features of battle for
life-alone.
At last, leaping back, Romanoff man.
aged to wrench his arm free and de-
livered blow with all his strength at
the invisible antagonist.
1t was efficacious, for all at once
Romanoff felt that he was free. He
thrust the paper into his pocket.
Romanoff hurried away, glancing
back furtively in the fear that the in
visible presence was pursuing him.
Once aboard q street car, he felt
covered his nerve, until, by the time
he reached his destination, he felt
ready to laugh at the episode.
He jumped from the car and made
his way to private residence on the
side street near by. The blinds were
drawn, and there was nothing to indi-
| cate that this was other than a respec-
table private house whose occupants
were away.
AS a matter OF fact, however, the
house was connected with the one ad-
joining and was one of the most cele-
brated gambling establishments In the
city,
| The adjacent house was occupied
| by Blanca, the most notorious wom-
| an Of the underworld that the city had
| known.
| Romaroff tapped at the door of the
| gaming establishment, flung a word
to the woolly-headed attendant, and
entered through the grilled door. He
made his way along a passage and en-
tered the room in which, even at that
hour, the gamblers were assembled.
Blanca ran the place night and day.
Romanoff cast a glance about him.
The players, intent upon their game,
took no notice of him. But Romanoff
saw one man whose presence filed
him with CONSERVATION.
1t was Ravengar, unknown to Rom.
anoff by name, but the man with whom
he had fought for the confession in
Whites Village, the man to escape
whom he had made his desperate lear
from the high bridge.
Romanoff stared at him in momen
tary terror. What was he doing here,
He stood and watched the players
for few moments, and then made hi:
way quietly from the room. Entering
passage, he pushed back curtain
disclosing a paneled wall. Romanof
touched spring and one of the panels
slid back, forming a little doorway in
to an anteroom of the next house. HI
closed the door behind him and passed
on into larger room, where a woman
was seated upon a divan covered witt
Persian draperies, listening to the re
| marks of two men who were talking
, to her In low and eager tones.
AS Romanoff entered the mel
sprang to their feet quickly; then
recognizing him, they nodded, Bianci
: smiled at him.
: you've been away a long time, MI
Romanoff." she said. smiling at him