South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-03-03


felt strong arms lifting me from
my kneeling posture and placing
me in a big arm chair turned so
that my eyes couldn't rest upon
either the body OF poor old William
or that Of the crazed woman who
had caused his death and her own.
But the position brought me directly
beneath the flashing eyes of Grace
Draper, who from every indication
had looied perfectly unmoved upon
the horrible thing which had just
happened
p o o r. nervous MadEiet'' she
Knocked, her beautiful mouth curved
ia "a smile of contempt. What
narrow squeak you had, But don
waste any breath sorroving for your
poor old ape. Keep your tears for
yourself You'll need them nov
any day"
Her words were full Of a vasue
menace. which I. knowing her. re
allied was no idle threat. Bound,
defeated. she yet looked more like a
conqueror than a prisoner as she
stood facing me, her beautiful head
held high. her red lips curling
scOrnfully.
The cool incisiye voice Of Allen
Drake cut across the silence like the
whistle of a whip lash.
Il have the mate 20 that little
stop gap i'm your friends mouth.
Miss Draper" ne said smilinsly. 'I
trust you will not compel me to use
it,"
She IA ed him unflinchingly but
7 saw her nostrils CULVER and look
i'm her eyes which only "a woman
can interbret knew shat this
wound 20 her vanity was the bitter
est draught she had had TO drain.
this realization that her beauty. the
remembrance of her wiles weighed
comfort was in question.
''Shc Means Something Awful
81 have so much choice in the
matter" she Knocked, but Mr. Drake
ignored the thrust.
Better get them out of here,
Dixon" he addressed one of the
guards CURLY Mrs Underwood,
I'll relieve you of your charge. Mr..
Gordon, please keep that Asiatic
here. I'm going to put him through
the third degree"
Kato's SILVER of very real terror
was a lucky thing for him. 1t
changed suspicion upon the part of
his Teutonic master to a passing
contempt, reflected in the CLEAN of
his eyes as he passed, bound and
suarded, out of the door, followed
by the man with the Scared hand.
Grace Draper came last. AS she
passed me she turned her head and
looked full into my fascinated eyes
with a nameless terror Of her that
would not down.
Remember" she said softly. 81
have one string left, a very little
one. but you will know it."
You won't be able TO use it for
20 years and the federal pen ought
TO render 1t quite harmless by that
time" Lillian retorted caustically as
she came swiftly 10 me.
The girl made no answer. simply
kept her eyes upon me with that
enigmatic hooking smile until she
had passed out OF my sight. When
she had gone 1 shivered and hid my
face in Lillian's shoulder.
she means something awful" I
whispered
"FiddIesticks!" Lillian returned,
but her tone was unconvincing And
now you must get out of this. Hide
your eyes, dear, and come with me
to your own room"
Prom 1 TO s."
/ Obeyed her, and she turned me
over to my mother-in-law's minis
trations, loving, gentle attentions,
supplemented, / shrewdly surmise.
by some powerful sleeping potion
adroitly given, for | soon fell asleep
and knew nothing of the gruesOme
duties that must have occupied the
rest Of my household in the hours
before morning.
1 didn't see Lillian again for sew
eraI days. At her request I did not
leave my room, indeed, was hardly
able to leave it for nearly a week
And il was through my mOther-in-
laws shrewd surmise alone that 1
learned of Lillians thOughfulnesS in
taking charge of the body of Mrs.
Allis, OF whose relatives we could
find no trace, and giving it decent
Christian burial. had directed
that William should be laid 10 rest
in the little village cemetery. but
Lillian had forestalled any morbid
ness upon my part by securing
burial for his slayer in another
town.
That Lillian had done this pri-
marily to save Robert Savarin pain
I well knew, and I could not help
contemplating with thankfulness the
fact that one very real obstacle 10
their future happiness-if it should
ever be vouchsafed them-had been
removed by Mrs. Allis'S suicide. OF
course. in the strictly legal sense |
that woman was not-and never had |
been-Robert Savarin's wife. but !
knew that for both their sakes as
well as for the poor crazed crea-
lures own il was far better that she |
was resting quietly beneath her six |
feet OF earth
Thoughts of Mrs AIlis dead. |
brought in their train speculations
concerning Harry Underwood. liv-
Ing. the man 10 whom Lillian was
legally bound, even though his life
was an offence not only 20 her. but