The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1917-04-07

Burning Building.
continued to plead. She stripped her.
self Of the mantle aud held II out to
him.
pne man had been left In the cellar.
That was the crook named Joe. who
had tainted from the Intense heat As
Ravcngur sat up and opened his eyes
on the ground, Joe was opening his
In the cellar. lie, too. could not at
first remember what had happened to
him.
lie was conscious only of the hght
in the shed, the outbreak Of the blaze.
But Joe had not II mcdtative mind.
lie found himself alive, and that was
his chief concern. He meant to re-
muin alive. lie was not anxious to
face what seemed TO him the inevitable
punishment for his crime.
lie had no doubt that he was al
ready branded as Ravengnr's murder
| or. And he felt, too. that Blanca was
becoming too exacting, and her
schemes too dangerous.
lie crnwlcd out of the cellar by the
body was to be seen though he thought
hc heard Biapta's voice In the distance.
Joe thought it was altogether good
moment for making his getaway.
lie started TO crawl through the long
grass, meaning to reach the pine
trees ana then slip carefully down to-
ward the cliff.
but as he raised his head he wns
startled and terrified To see RaVcngur
| lying not twenty PAGES away, support
/ ing himself upon one elbow and star
/ ing about him.
Joe suddenly took heart again. The
man was not dead, then.
lie edged away from Ravengur, and
then he saw the figure OF Lcontine,
apparently become incarnatc out Of
| nothing. lie saw II wuver, now ylsi-
Bile. now invisible. Then she was
standing beside Havengur, who had
| risen TO his feet, aud Offering him the
mantle.
At once Joe made his decision. lie
| Topped down In the grass ana began
crawling toward them.
Ravcngar, meanwhile, resolutely de
clined the mantle.
Take 1t, my dear" he said again.
II nm quite safe. And will meet
| YOU here after It has grown dark, and
We can make our plans together. You
| can never go back to your husband"
Leontlne shivered She had tolh
Rayengar Of his murderous plot
tl.h
| it," she said submissively. and drew
back her arm, with the filmy mantle
| upon II.
At that moment hand shot upward
| from the grass and tore the mantle
from her grasp. A moment later Joe.
un expert thief, had II in his posses
sion, and was racing for the pines.
Leontlne cried out, and Ravengnr
staggered after him. But Joe was al
ready out Of sight, hugging the pre-
| Cious mantle in his arms.
As Leontine turned, voices were
| heard from the other side of the trees.
They were those OF Sebastian and b.
unca, who had been Joined by her sec
ond servltor
I Ravengar by the arm. I'VE must ger
away before they sight usw
"Leontine! The mantle"
"Our lives, Rayengar," she respond
| ed.
And, Seiz'ng him by tho arm. she
| helped him into the trees into the un-
derbrush. They crouched there while
Blanca and Sebastian, unsuspecting
their presence, passed by them toward
the hotel.
II suppose that fellow Ravengar
won't come back 10 life" suggested
Sebastian.
Blanca realized for the first time
that he had gone. But she did not care
to bet Sebastian know that she had
saved him. 81 guess we've seen the
last of him." she answered.
Blanca and Sebastian, arm in arm.
started down the path through the
woods together.
tEND OF TENTH EPISQDE)