Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-22
Ill
The Palace
of Darkened
Windows
Bly,
MARY
HASTINGS
BRADLEY

Torn between caution and impa-
thence he worked on, and as soon as
the hole was large enough he pulled
himself cautiously UP and dropped
over the edge into the case-Iike bal
cony on the other side. The panel
which separated 1t from the rest OF
the old room was half open. and he
stepped thru, 1t into what appeared
utter darkness.
He stood listening keenly. for he
knew that he was standing below the
rose room; the very spot where he
was must be almost exactly beneath
that secret passage outside the panel
in the rose rooms wall. Not sound
came down to him and he dared not
wait longer but turned to the left
and passed thru the arched door
way into the next great salon.
AS his eyes grew accustomed to
the dark he saw that 1t was not ut
ter blackness, but that some wan
light from the paler night without
family penetrated thru those jeal-
ously guarded Observation-Disclosures
not so heavily screened. he had been
told, as those upon the front of the
palace, for these were upon the court
He found time for flash OF horror
at this sitting barricade as he made
his hurried way thru the room and
stepped out into the little anteroom
beyond.
Here he paused. for he knew that
to the left. ahead OF him, was the
curtained opening into the long salon
upon the street, and within that,
FRITZ had warned him, eunuch
sometimes slept or Seniha occasion
play on the piano there and fingered
apparently in wait. But on one SEEM
ed stirring, and Billy stole to the
door on his right. opening on the
encased stairs, and found it locked.
Hurriedly he pried at it with. a burg
larious tool, and then sudden out
burst sounded overhead.
There was racket of hurrying
feet and then a muffled explosion of
shot. A hoarse voice yelled. Anoth-
er shot, and then a thud of some
thing falling
Desperately Billy fired his gun in
to the lock. The noise did not mat
ter now and might serve to divert the
fight from Falconer. Throwing his
weight against the shattered lock.
he bounded up the narrow stairs and
raced down the long hall to the door
that was brightly gilded. From be-
yond, but fainteN now, came the
sounds OF conflict With a heart
beating to suffocation he flung open
the door and rushed into that room
CHAPTER XIV.
Candles flared on the table but not
a figure greeted his eye. The room
was deathly still; nothing stirred
but the long draperies fluttering in
the wind.
"Arlee!" he whispered in a voice
strained with excitement. "Arlee
Beecher, are you here?. -. Arlee!
No voice answered. No motion re-
vealed her. Only the candle flames
danced drunkenly in a puff of air
Haunting their secret knowledge OF
the tenant they had lighted.
He darted to the tumbled bed and
flung aside the covers; he looked be-
meath. it and beneath the couch; he
sent a candies light travelling about
the empty Wilderness Of the bath. No
little figure, pitifully silenced, was
And alk the while that din sounded
somewhere beyond them-running
feet and strident yells.
Hes got her!" thought Billy, and
first his heart leaped and then it
sank. For, very dear to, that boy
heart had been the dream of rescuing
her himself And then he hated him.
self for that base envy. For what
did it matter as long as little Arlee
was safe. and that she was gone
with Falconer, the empty room and
the signs of hasty departure all
spoke in witness. He wondered
sharply how they had gone and
whether he had better try to follow
them and then thought it was .shrew-
der to go back the way he had come
and from below to try to guard
whatever. descent they must make
He turned swiftly and crossed to
the door. With a hand outstretched
toward it he caught suddenly, be-
meath all the distant din, the click of
a sliding lock, and he whirled about,
dropping his right hand into his
pocket, to see a pale face staring at
him from the other side Of the bed
=
Captain Kerissen. The candle lights
glinted on the muzzle of gun level
ed steadily at him.
stay where you are" the Captain
added. and Billy stayed, and thru the
dusk the two men. stood cycling each
with a glare of, hatred. But Keris-
sens eyes held hatred triumphant.
80, Monsieur" said the Turk.
This is the midnight call you gen.
tlemen pay-in, the chamber OF my
wife" a.
Your wife," Billy gave a snort of
unbelief she says you did not mar
ry herr"
when you are found dead-if you
are found" the other continued, look
ing lovingly along the sight there
will not even be a question into the
cause You will be carried off like
carrion-carrion that prowled too
near"
Just the same you've made a mis-
take" said Billy In a logged and
argumentative tone. I'm not inter-
ested in visiting any wife of yours.
Tia lod1. I'm ranpAas n IN o. cave VIZ,
didn't marry her. But she says you
did keep back most Of her jewelry
and she's giving the story to the
papers tomorrow unless return
with the stuff tonight"