Evening star., 1923-11-20

everything save new refrain that
had taken possession Of his mind.
'It was Crang in there! 1t was
Crang in there"
1t was the door just at the right of
the landing. Crang's voice came from
there! and the voice was high. like
: the squeal of an enraged animal:
You're mine! I've got right to
going to have them! A mans got
the right to take the girl he's going
to marry in his arms. Do you think
I'm going TO be held off forever!
You're mine. and
The words We're lost again in cry
from Claire, and in the sound OF a
STRUGGLE falling chair, the scuffie
once more of feet.
John Bruce flung himself across the
hall and against the door. 1t yielded
of his own rush carried him, stagger-
ing. far into the room. Two forms
We're circlfng there under the gas
light as though in the throes of some
mad dance-only the face of the
woman was deathly white. and her
small clenched fists beat frantically
at the face of the man whose arms
were around her. John Bruce sprang
urally. His brain. his mind was
whirling; but something soft was
grasped in his two encircIing hands,
and that was why he iaughed-be
cause his soul laughed His fingers
pressed tighter. 1t was Crang'S throat
that was soft under his fingers.
Suddenly the room swirlcd around
him. A giddiness seemed to seize
upon him-and that soft thing in his
grip slipped from his fingers and es-
capped him. He brushed his hand
across his eyes. 1t would pass, of
course. 1t was strarge that he
should go giddy like that. and that
his limbs should be trembling as
though with the ague! Again he
brushed his hand across his eyes 1t
would pass off. He could see better
now. Claire had somehow fallen to
the floor; but she was rising to her
for support, and
Her voice rang wildly through the
room.
Look out. Oh, look out! she
cried.
To John Bruce 1t seemed as though
something leaped at him out of space
and struck. The blow aimed at his
side, which was still bandaged. went
home. 1t brought an agony that
racked and tore and twisted at every
nerve in his body. 1t wrung a moan
from his lips. it brought the sweat
beads bursting out from his forehead
but it cleared his brain.
Yes, 1t was DR.. Crang-but disrepu-
table in appearance as he had never
before seen the man. Crang's clothes
were filthy and unsempt, as though
the man had fallen somewhere in the
mfre and was either unconscious or
callous of the fact; his hair draggled
In matted way over his forehead.
and though his face worked with pas
sion, and the passion brought a curl
Gus hectic rose-color to supplant the
customary lifeless gray of his cheeks.
the eyes were most strangely glazed
and fixed.
And again John Bruce laughed-and
with q vicious guard swept aside n
second blow aimed at his side, and
his left fist. from a full arm swing.
crashed to the point of DR.. Crang'S
jaw. But the next instant they had
closed. their arms locked around each
others waists, their chins dug hard
into each others shoulders. And they
rocked there. and swayed, and lurched,
a curious impotence in the ferocity-
and toppled to the floor.
John Bruce's grip frightened as DR..
Crang fought madly now to tear
himself free-and they rolled over
and over in the direction of the door.
Hot and cold waves swept over John
Bruce.
He was weak, pitifully weak, barely
a convalescent. But he was content
to call it an equal fight. He asked
for no other odds than Crang himself
had offered. The man for once had
oversteeped himself with dope, and
was near the point Of collapse. He
had read that in the others eyes, as
surely as though he had been told.
And so John Bruce. between his gasp
ing breaths. still laughed, and rolled
over and over-always toward the
door.
From somewhere C1aire's voice
reached John Bruce. imploringly. in
terror. OF course! That was why he
was trying to get to the door. TO get
out Of her room--through respect for
~ l. l.
could finish this fight between one
man who could scarrelv stand on his
feet through weakness. and another
whose drug-shattered body was ap-
preaching that state Of coma which
he. John Bruce. had been made to
suffer on the night of the robbery had
been committed. And Nv the same
needle. He remembered that, Weak
I'm body, his mind was very clear.
And so he rolled over. always to-
ward the door, because Crang was
Needless of the direction they were
taking. and he, John Bruce, was
probably not strong enough in any
other way to force the other out
this.
They rolled to the threshold-and
out into the hall. John Bruce 1oos-
ened his hold suddenly, staggered to
instant against the jamb of the door.
But 1t was only for an instant.
Crang was the quicker upon his feet.
Like beast, there was saliva on the
others lips, his hands clawed the air,
his face was contorted hideously like
the face of one demented, one from
whom reason had flown and with
whom maniacal passion alone re-
mained--and from the banister rail-
ing opposite the door Crang launched
himself forward upon John Bruce
again. r,
been watching you two! III teach
you'll She's mine-mine. I'll finish
you for this!'
John Bruce side-stepped the rush.
and Crang pitched with his head
against the door Jamb. but recover
ing, whirled again. and rushed again.
The man began to curse steadily now
in a low, abominable monotone. 1t
seemed to John Bruce that he ought
to use his fist as a cork and thrust
It into the others mouth to bottle
up the vile flow of epithets that in
cfuded Claire and coupled his name
with Claire's. Claire might hear.
The man was raving. insane with
jealousy. John Bruce struck. His
fist found it's mark on Crang's lips.
and found 1t again: but somehow his
arm arm seemed to possess but little
strength. and to sag back at the
elbow from each impact. He writhed
suddenly as Crang reached him with
another blow on his side.
locked together again, and were
swaying like drunken men now to
this side. and now to that, of the
narrow hall. -.
It could not last. John Bruce felt
his knees giving way beneath him.
He had underestimated Crang's re-
sistance to the overdose of drug.
Crang was the stronger-and seemed
to be growing stronger every instant.
Or was it his own. increasing weak
ness?