Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-01-27
The
Dark
Mirror
BY
Louis Joseph Vance
AGthOr of"THe False Faces"
~7he Lone Wolf" Etc.
Illustrated BY
IRWIN MYERS
Illustrated BY
IRWIN MYERS
] Observation-Disclosures
1920, by the Author.j
VIII. cARNEHAN-contlnue

AuOW yOu Ec everything u mS' OuI
what's Inez to you that you've got to
let her come between US and spoil
everything2 We were so happy before
you listened to her lies Please,
Red, please!"
There was an instant's pause,
vibrant with the passion Of her pur-
pose and his doubts. But that very
moment of indecision told her she
was winning-had already won.
Her arm moved round his neck,
drawing his head down. He resisted
stubbornly, but of sudden yielded.
With low cry he crushed her to him.
The hard stubble Of his beard, un-
shaven for three days, rasped her
sensitive skin. The reek Of his breath
was sickening as he sought the fra
GRANGE Of her mouth. But she steeled
herself, repressed her shudder Of re-
pulsion, let him have his way, even
mustered a show of response that
contented him. For If her flesh
crawled, her heart sang; she had won.
He had dropped his pistol; 1t lay un-
needed on the table beside them. She
nestled more closely into his embrace,
breathing broken terms of endear-
ment in answer to his half-coherent
words. The movement brought her
nearer the table and the pistol, al
most between 1t and Carnehan. He
did not seem to notice. She debated
the next move, trying to scheme some
way to free a hand without exciting
his suspicious, so that she might
grope behind her until her fingers
found the weapon -.
What sound 1t was that startled
him, whether a football on the stairs
or a door banging on one of the lower
floors. she never knew. But the man
lifted his head sharply, listening, and
his embrace relaxed.
He muttered: "What was thatT
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
tragicomic mask of maudlin stupefac-
tion, until the wall behind him brought
him up. At the same time under
standing smOte him like a thunder
bolt. He pulled himself together and
started for her, but ducked smartly
and again fell back on finding himself
under the threat of his own pistol.
But the reaction was involuntary.
dictated by instinct more than by con-
sclous fear. Drink and rage had put
him well beyond the influence Of that
emotion. BE 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 a little neither spoke nor
moved. The girl was motionless,
tense. her eyes dark with settled pur-
pose In a 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; but
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 against
the table. Ponderous as It was, this
last swung out Of place. The lamp
itoupled, rolled upon its side, and went
over the edge with noise Of splinter
ing glass.
The girl, borne bodily back across
the table, lay kicking and struggling
while Carnehan's hands closed round
her slender throat. Somehow she had
lost hold Of the pistol. Her ineffective
fingers tore at wrists of steel.
A gust Of hot air rose round her
head. She saw Reds face f1tfully IL
Ilunined by blush glare. The glass
reservoir Of the lamp had broken, and
the oil, spreading upon the rug, had
caught fire Of the Pickering wick. She
redoubled her efforts, but the pressure
upon her windpipe was cruel beyond
description, her brain was reeling, so
was all the world Darkness was
fast closing in upon her like a black
fog.
Then something happened, some
thing miraculous intervened. 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
I'm 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 happenedT she creaked in
a voice she did not know as her own.
II returned-thank Goblin time r.
"But Red-T
Knocked senseless-back there"
Through the open doorway she
caught a glimpse Of. a 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 flight afte,
Aight.
Before they had accomplished hall
OF that descent, the house was buz
zing like hive of enraged bees. On
the lowermost landing they had fair
~ to fight their way through the
crowd Of panic-stricken tenants
swarming out of their cells.
I A motorcab was waiting at the curb
Mario hustled her into the vehicle
followed, and slammed the door. Evi
dently the driver was already In.
structed: he made off without delay
Leonora collapsed, sobbing weakly
upon the bosom Of Mario.