Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-07


and over. always toward the door. be-
cause Crang was needless of the direc-
ton they were taking. and he, John
Bruce, was probably not strong enough
In any other way to force the other
out Of the room where they could finish
this.
They rolled to the threshold-and out
into the hall. John Bruce loosened his
hold suddenly. staggered, to his feet. and
leaned heavily for an instant against
the jamb of the door. but it was only
for an instant. Crang was the quicker
upon his feet. Like beast there was
SLAYER on the others lips, his hands
| clawed the air. his face was cOntOrted
hideousy like the face of one demented.
one from whom reason had flown. and
with whom maniacal passion alone re.
mained-and from the banister railing
opposite the door Crang launched him.
self forward upon John Bruce again.
| "She's mine!' he screamed I've
been watching you two! III teach you !!
this!' '.-
John Bruce side stepped the rush. /.
and Crnng pitched with his head against
the door jamb. but recovering. whirled
began to curse steadily now in low.
abominable monotone. 1t seemed to
John Bruce that he ought to Use his
fist as cork and thrust it into the
| others mouth to bottle up the vile
| flow of epithets that included Claire,
and coupled his name with Claire's.
Claire might hear! The man was raw
ing. insane with jealousy. John Bruce
struck. His fist found its mark on
Crang's lips, and found 1t again; but
| somehow his arm seemed to possess but
little strength. and to sag back at the
elbow from each impact. He writhed
another blow on his side
| And then they. had grappled and
locked together again. and were swaying
like drunken men. now to this side, and
now to that. of the narrow hall.
1t could not last. John Bruce felt
his knees giving way beneath him. He
had underestimated Crang's resistance
to the overdose Of drug. Crang was
the strOnger-and seemed to be growing
stronger every instant. Or was it his
own increasing weakness?
Crang's fist with short-arm jnb
smashed Mt John Bruce's wounded side
once more. The man struck nowhere
else-always. with the cunning born of
hell, at the wounded side. John Bruce
dug his teeth into his lips. 4 wave
|
his senses leaving him. and he clung
now to the other. close. tight pressed,
as the only means of protecting his side.
He forged himself then desperately
to last effort. There was one chance
left. just one. In the livd face, in
the hot, painting breath with which the
other mOuthed his hideous profanity
there was murder. Over his shoulder.
barely n foot away, John Bruce
glimpsed the staircase. He let his
weight sag with seeming helplessness
upon Crang. It brought Crang around
in a half circle. Crang back was to
the stairs\n John Bruce let his
hands slip slowly from their hold upon
the other, as though the last of his
strength was ebbing away. lie accepted
a vicious blow on his wounded side as
the price he must pay. n blow that
brought his chin crumpling down upon
his breast-and then with every ounce
Of remaining strength he hurled himself
at Crang, and Crang's foot stumbled
and with a scream of infuriated sur
prise the man pitched backward.
John Bruce grasped with both hands
at the banister for support. Something
went rolling, rolling, rolling down the
stairs with queer. dull thumps like a
sack of meal. His hands slipped from
the banister, and he sat Imply down on
the topmost step and laughed. He
laughed because that curious looking
bundle at the bottom there began a
series of fruitless efforts to roll back
up the stairs again.
And then the front door opened. He
could see it from where he sat, and
Paul Veniza--that was Paul Veniza
wasn't it?-stepped into the room be-
low, and cried out, and ran toward the
bundle at the foot of the stairs.
John Bruce felt some one suddenly
hold him back from pitching down the
stairs himself, but nevertheless he kept
on falling and falling into some great
pit that grew darker and darker the
farther he went down, and this in spite
of some one who tried to hold him back,
and-and who had face that looked