The Washington times., 1918-02-13

80 - " win "a AANA "SANet NA~-N
came a heavy blow upon the door,
and the handle turned violently.
The palc-faced women looked at
each other. Neither was yelled now,
though fragments Of chiffon hung
disconsolately from their hats. A
lamp burnt upon Il small table, and
farther on, IN what was evidently
a large, square hall, there was more
light, blue ard feeble, though Es-
Their could not yet recognize its
source. The face that the girl look
ed upon was that Of far woman,
young and classically featured,
beautiful certainly Under normal
conditions. but now blood and tear
stained. Thorns had scratched her,
ncttles had left the imprint Of their
sting. The makeup box was no
stranger to that face, and now that
there was no trace Of paint or pow
der the impression was that Of
WEAKNESS and i'll health. All this
Esther hardly recognized at the
time, but the impression Of it came
back to her wildly later on.
Lillian put her lips to the door.
KNOCK, you beast; howl, you
BEAST she cried franticallv You
can't break down the door Go to
your kennel while I send your mas
tcTs to thrash you. Oh, I'll send
them, I'll send them. It's the whip
you want, the whip"
The door ratified furiously and
the woodwork cracked. Lillian, be-
side herself with rage, continued TO
cry sa~agc invective. At last Is.
thcr seized her and babe her be
silent.
Don't, don't" she whispered
hoarscely. what is the good? Are
we safe? Is there no other door
by which he can enter? Or the
windows-are they firmly closed?"
Lillian rose at once from her
crouching position and looked Wild
" about her.
This part Of the house." she
said, lis shut off from the other
wings-and from his-by heavy
doors 1t is uninhabited, though
they-the men you have seen-have
been here tonight. They must be
here still, as the lights are still
burning. or perhaps they went in
pursuit of him, and that is why the
door was open. Come, let US see"
1.-The BeaSt-the Beast. "
As she spoke. the rattlino of the
door ceased, and heavy footsteps
could be heard moving away. A
long howl went up-a howl with
human infexion.
The beast, the beast muttered
the woman, turning away; che will
go back to his own place
They went into the hall. a bare.
oblong space with n gallery run
ming around its four sides. Many
doors opened upon it, and Lillian
ran from one to the other. locking
this enc, boiling another. She look
ed into some of the rooms and dis
closed one as partially furnished;
the remains of a meal stood on the
table. and there was a lamp burn
ing upon the martelpiece.
They were here" she said,
when they were alarmed. We will
lock every door and then we shall
he safe
And they
Lillian shrugged her shoulders.
They know how to manage him.
They are men. They have the
whip"
She stumbled over some object
that lay on the floor. What is
that >" she muttered. as she stoop-
cd and pick it up. 1t was long,
heavy-handled whip. "They have
dropped it." she continued, passing
the thong between her fingers, but
it has been used-see here" She
raised her hand and showed that it
was bloodstained. Esther shud-
dCrci.
Are VIC safe now" asked the
girl. rs there no door by which
he can enter? Are you sure-quite
sure"
Lillian laughed harshly. Her calm
seemed restored. We shall have to
srcnd the rest Of the night here
that's all" she said. They're
bound to return, and VIC will put
Ii-nt in on, Of the windows. There
arc some sofas in one Of the rooms
upstairs, and VIC might liz down for
a while. I'm dead beat, and I ex-
rect you are the same. Poor girl, "
she added more softly, "I'm afraid
I let you in for terrible fright
but it's all right now, and the morn
ing will bring comfort. 1t must be
near morning by now, too
She led the way to 4 great stair
casc-in the oldcn days it must
have been 4 feature of the house.
Sin. had taken the lamD from the
room in which supper had been laid,