Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-10-21
ADAMS
A NOVEL
BY NINA WILCOX PUTNAM

T N
stand? It's not settled until either
those papers are signed, or else . . -"
He broke off significantly, his black
eyes, with their ugly glitter, finishing
for him.
You r supposed to be dead!" he
whispered.
Whats that! Are you threatening
me?" said Adam. why, you soft
sneak. you couldn't hurt a fy!"
Breck's face went livid with fury.
His hand flew to the table, Selling a
bottle as though to brain Adam with
It, With a shout, Adam grabbed for
n thing. missed. and knocking
Breck's arm up, grappled with him.
In another instant they were swaying
about the room, fighting desperately.
Adams n thought was to get the
heavy bottle before his cousin could
XIII him, for there vas no doubt nov
OF his m%urderous intent. Twisting this
way and that, Brock still managed to
Keep his weapon out Of reach. and
twice they circled the room, upsetting
tables and chairs, neither gaining adj
vantage. Brock was tall, and for all
MS slender appearance, muscular, and
in good condition; and Adam, taken
even with him. Tbe-little room shook
and trembled with the thunder Of the
strife. 1t seemed as though the ancient
and fimsy walls must collapse and
bury them at any moment. Almost
incredibly, Breckenridge managed to
Keep h weapon from Adam. His
arms seemed like steel Orders, I'M
bendable. Then, suddenly. they were
like eels, supple, elusive. With a sud-
den movement Adam bent his cousin
e backwards, crashing into the
table and upsetting the lamp, leaving
the room in total darkness save for the
occasional flash Of lightning from the
raging storm without. Both men went
down with the table, the noise of its
upset, the breaking of the \crockery
and the lamp DINING in their ears
like the crack of doom. Over and
over they rolled among Sthe' debris,
speaking no word only a gasping
breath or two. clawing each other like
a couple of panthers. the blackness
making a mountain Of the overturned
table, a cavern of the cupboard, the
door of which had flown open, and
which added its blows to the fight, 1t
was as II all the furniture had joined
" AS AAoNoS ~ was duulIlS u The
black nightmare of a struggle. Now
the lightning revealed Breck's face for
an instant, the red lips drawn tightly
back from the pointed white teeth in
a mar that was like a dogs. Again
1t silhouetted the fighters as they met
and locked together like a fendish
octopus, or showed up Adams face,
crimson and drawn and almost unrec-
o%gnizable. with blazing eyes. Then
darkness again and the roar Of the
heavens rolling together when the
splitting streak of, lightning had
passed. At one swing. they broke the
little mirror beside the sofa. sending
a shower of glass to the floor; another
heave of the struggling forms. and the
rack OF tinware next the stove came
down with an avalanche Of sound,
making the footing even more uncer-
tain. To Adam it seemed as though
the strife would never cease. The
whole of chaos seemed suddenly con-
densed and poured into the little room,
while outside the thunder and the rain
rang like the angry laughter of the
gods. Something primitive had burst
into the place, rousing old lusts and
hatreds, sweeping aside all rules Of
brute now, bit Adam on the arm.
causing him to let go for an instant.
With a curse he flung Brock from him
and at the same instant came a blaze
of lightning and the shattering of a
window-pane. There was a moments
lull in the storm. and a woman's voice
-Pearrs-could be heard screaming
for help. The sound of Breck's
breathing came harshly, and Adam,
c%rouching below the window, felt a
warm trickle of wet on his wrist. Then
Adam sprang at him, and down the
two went>upon the floor again. In the
yard was the confused sound of men
shouting and running, and the high
shrilling of PEARLS screams. In an
other instant the doors on either. side
of the room were flung open, and
through one, Woolcraft, Kipp and a
policeman rushed in, while at the
other, Pearl appeared bearing a light.
Good Cod" yelled Woolcraft. Let
me at him!"
With a single bound he was upon
the struggling pair, and had flung
them apart. the policeman Selling
Brock and holding him. woolcraft
standing beside Adam, his arm about
his shoulder.
1t was a strange scene presented
there. The room strewn with wreck
age, the two tall combatants held in
leash, the officer in his dripping oil
skins. the gigantic ex-pugilist, keen for
the fight, the p~ale-faced woman who
set down her lighted lamp and went
to Adam with a little moaning cry at
sight of the blood upon his shirt.
Its nothing!" he said. as she came
up to him: "A cut from the mirror.
that's ALL" Then under his breath,
mo fuss before the cop"
She understood and was silent, and
instantly Adam began to grope for
some method of keeping the matter
from going further.
"Oh, dearie me! Oh. dearie mel"
walled Mr.. Kipp. Whatever is it all
about?"
"shut up. Grandpa!" ordered the
policeman-the same it was who had
witnessed Pearls arrival. Shut I'D
you, and let the gintleman here speak.
What was it happened ?" turning to
Adam.
"A little family row, officer" Adam
'lreplied. There is really no need for
your help.
by the sound 1 thought it was
murder" commented the Irishman.
And. be heavens, it looks it. Come,
now, what was 1t, and who's done
what or I'll run in the lot Of ye!"