The Washington times., 1918-02-13

at hand-there came a sharp yelp,
and then the long, low growl which
Esther knew too well.
The two women clutched each
other. The lamp fell from Lillian's
hand and shattered to pieces on the
floor. They were in nearly total
darkness.
Hes there-close to us-and you
say we are safe!" cried Esther des-
pairingly; land, oh, heaven-the
darkness"
"Fool-fool!" screamed Lillian.
ut is ] who am the mad fool.
forgot the passage from the cast
I wing, which opens here. He knows
it well, and that is the way he is
coming. Ny God, but he will be on
US directly" She struggled to free
herself from Esther's arms. LET
me go, Esther" she painted, "thers
is still a chance if / am not too
late"
Don't leave me-oh, please,
please, don't leave me-" moaned
Esther, "alone and in the dark. Let
US shut ourselves in one of these
rooms-or cannot we run out of the
house,"
"He will be on the stairs in 4 mo-
ment, and there isn't door Of
these upper rooms that he could not
break down like matchwood-be
sides. they have no bolts or keys.
There is just a possibility-the par
tition door-if can get there first
let me 90, Esther, you must let
me 60"
Shrieks, Footsteps, Silence.
She tore at Esther's hands and
freed herself. The girl sank to the
floor. another howI-nearer now
ringing in her ears. She heard the
sound Of Lillian's footsteps on the
stairs, then-save for a muttering
wind-all was silent in the house:
A faint glinmer filtered through a
great skylight above her, but with
this exception the darkness was
complete.
She could never have said how
long she remained thus. 1t seemed
hours-it can only have been sec
onds. e.. .-
Light light" she walled; tho
words bursting from her lips with
violent effort. "oh. God. give me
light" .--.,
She struggled to her feet at last
and clutched the balustrade of the
gallery that surrounded the hall.
Some rotted piece of stone or wood
work-she could not tell which
fell from her hand and clattered to
the paved ground below The sound
restored her somewhat to the con-
seriousness of her position and OF
her imminent peril.
Lillian! Lillian,"~ she called
frantically, and the sound of her
voice echoed as if through long cor
ridors. "Lillian!"-the answer was
derisive
Suddenly, from somewhere below
hcr-for the sound came from
the stairway-she heard violent
screams. Help, help. Oh, Esther,
help" Then above the screams
rose the yelping, exultant howl Of
the thing, the human animal thing
she dreaded.
Help! Oh. my Cod"
Esther stuffed her fingers into
her ears as the wall died away.
Then she ran madly, wildly, with no
thought of direction. with no aim OF
purpose. She ran down the corri-
dor, round the balcony, returning,
without knowing it, to the place
from which she had started, and be-
gan her futile flight once more. It
seemed as if she had covered miles
of ground, put a great distance be-
tween herself and her pursuer, and
still she ran.
She sank down at last, incapable
Of further movement, painting for
breath. gasping in agony. Her eyes
now she was still-had accus-
toned themselves to the Pickering
light-perhaps that Of first dawn
and she realized that she was still
on the balcony surrounding the hall,
that she had been running in a fu-
tile circle. She tried to drag her
self to her feet, gripping the balus-
trade and drawing herself along the
floor, but her limbs refused to bear
her. She lay prone where she had
fallen.
But now she could see, and she
prayed for darkness, even as a few
moments earlier she had prayed for
light. She had turned towards the
staircase-the way by which he-it
must come And it was coming.
Her sense of hearing, like her sight,
was painfully acute, and she real
lied a heavy footsteD on the stairs,