Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-03-03
'LouisJoseph Vd1lce
Author Of The False Faces
The Lone Wolf" Etc.
Illustrated by
Irwin Myers
cePy-,snt 1870 by the Aothe~.

uOOIs, Shc HCNCI hHGWs Dul ttt
lifted his head sharply. listening, and
his embrace relaxed.
He mtAtered: "What was that?"
II didn't hear anything, Red :"
With no more warning she thrust
him vigorously from her.. Altogether
taken by surprise, he stumbled back
ward grasping at the air. his face q
tragicomic mask Of maudlin stupefac-
ton, until the wall behind him brought
him up. At the same time under
standing smote him like thunder
bolt. He pulled himself together and
started for her. but ducked smartly
and again fell back IN finding himself
under the threat of his own pistol.
But the reaction was involuntary.
dictated by instinct more than by con-
scious fear. Drink and rage had put
him well beyond the influence of that
emotion. He could not grasp the pos
sibility of her carrying out that threat
implicit in her attitude. He knew only
that he had been tricked and must be
revenged.
For little neither spoke nor
moved. The girl was motionless
tense, her eyes dark with settled pur-
pose in face abnormally pale with
excitement. The man stood in a semi
crouching pose. swaying slightly from
side to side: shoulders bowed, head
thrust forward, murder glimmering In
: bloodshot eyes. A dull growing Is
sued from his half-open lips. Abrupt.
ly, making nothing of the pistol. he
charged head-long.
She had not dreamed he would dare
The pistol exploded in a waver
ing hand, and it's shot went wide; hui
its fire scorched the face of the beast
and added the pang of physical pain
necessary to make his madness blind
lust to kill.
His body crashed into hers with
terrific force. Both reeled back againS'
the table. Ponderous as ii was. this
last swung out of place. The lamr
toppled. rolled upon its side. and wen,
over the edge with a noise of splinter
ing glass;
The girl, borne bodily back acros,
the table. lay kicking and strugglin.
while Carnehan's hands closed rounf
her slender throat. Somehow she has
lost hold of the pistol. Her ineffectiv.
fingersNtore a. wrists of Steel
A gust OF hot air rose round hei
! head. She saw Reds face fitfully II
lumined by a blush glare The glas.
reservoir of the lamp had broken. ant
the oil. spreading upon the rug, hat
caught FIRE Of the Pickering wick. She
redOuhled her efforts. bur the pressure
upon her windpipe was cruel beyond
description, her brain was Keeling. so
was all the world Darkness was
fast closing in upon her like black
fog. !.
Then something happened. some
thing miraculous interviewed. Too
daZed TO comprehend. at first con-
sciouS only of the freedom of her
throat. she was caught up and carried
swiftly away.
Set upon her feet. she. found herself
In the hall. at the head of the stairs.
Mario supporting her with an arm,
To his anxious inquiry. she returned
a CHASTITY smile and feeble shake of
her head.
"What happened?" she creaked in
voice she did not know as her own,
~ returned-thank God lin time !"
"But Red
"Knocked senseless-back there"
Through the open doorway she
caught glimpse of room that
seemed a well of raging flames. violet
orange and green. Then Mario picked
her up again and started downstairs.
On the first landing she heard him
shouting the alarm of fire. She strug-
gled. and he put her down, but held
her hand and dragged her with him
as they plunged down fight after
fight.
Before they had accomplished half
of that descent, the house was buzz
zing like hive of enraged bees. On
The lowermost landing they had fair
ly TO fight their way through the
crowd of panic-stricken tenants
swarming out Of their cells.
A motorcab was waiting at the curb.
Mario hustled her into the vehicle.
followed, and slammed the door, Evil
IDENTIFY the driver was already In
structed: he made off without delay.
Leonora collapsed. sobbing weakly,
upon the bosom of Mario.
TX. AT MIDNIGHT.
And sobbing as though her heart