The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-07-25
eyEoetSNp SHELL.
n,1sTsNysp ~
eMSAmsRFtHIO


broad, squat shadow doomed presently
in front of them, a tumble-down wood
Ell erection from which issued the
sound of subdued voices. Penning-
ton drew her along with him toward
a spot where a slight showed between
the rotting timbers.
Crouching in the weeds that rose
waist-high in the clearing, she peered
through. In the center of the apart
ment, around a broad stone slab, she
counted seven orientals. His back to
her, clad in a gorgeous wide-sleeved
jacket or dark blue silk on which was
embroidered a many-headed dragon,
sat an elderly Chinaman whose enor-
nous proportions could belong to no
other man she had yet seen than the
arch criminal whom Pennington
sought to secure reG-handed.
On the stone slab, like so many
sponge-fngers. Chinese playing cards
were spread face-downward and, even
as the girl bent forward, a yellow
hand began passing to and fro over
the surface of the improvised table,
sweeping the cords into a shapeless
mass.
Each drew a card except the man
whose back was toward her, who sat
motionless as a carved figure. silent
and watchful as the sphynx. She
saw the cards turned so that they
formed the nucleus of seven packs,
their converging circles Of black and
red showing clearly in the light Of a
hurricane lamp that hung, askew,
from beam. The light fickered and
an arm shot up from the huddled
group and raised the wick. For a
moment it f1ared to the roof, illum-
mating every corner of the building,
and Monica gasped. Half hidden be-
hind a log, his arms stretched out
beyond his head, the wrists secured
by leathern thongs, his knees drawn
up almost to his chest, lay the COM
missioner of police The head came
slowly round and the protrate man
gazed inquiringly toward the squat
ting circle. As If realizing that she
had seen, Pennington's fingers closed
on her arm and. at that instant, she
realized the significance Of those
seven, ever-increasing piles Of greasy
cards. They were drawing for the
Yellow Seven!
She closed her eyes to still the
throbbing Of her fevered brain. She
opened them again. and. acting on a
suddenc impulse, glanced UP at Pen
nington. He was kneenng on the soft
earth, one eye to the narrower por-
ton Of the chink that served as
spy-hole, while the barrel OF his au-
tomato was thrust partly thro 1 the
wider extremity Of the aperture She
caught something of the infection IF
the calm that seemed to pcrvade his
being, and looked back into the hut
in time to see a tall Chinaman in
black rise to his full length, a hide
Gus grin Illuminating his swarthy fea-
lures, the Yellow Seven held aloft.
The cultural chattering began again,
the cards were swept into a neat pack,
disappearing into the capacious sleeve
Of the man who had originally spread
them out, and the hand of the Oriental
who held the Yellow Seven slipped to
his waist.
Every head was turned toward the
commissioner as a long blade flashed
in the lamp-light, and the Cinnamon,
still gesticulating, rose one by one,
spreading themselves out along the
walls; but the figure in the mandarin
jacket, embroidered with a many
headed dragon, remained in precisely
the same position as that in which
Monica had first seen him.
The tall Oriental in black drew
back his sleeve and tested the blade
with a grimy thumb. A sudden hush
fell upon the entire assembly and
the girl, cramped and trembling be-
came aware of the ticking of the
watch at her wrist: In all this
CHASTITY nightmare, these ceaseless,
regular pulsations rang out as the
sole links with the normal existence
she had left behind her, She tried
to think Of the bungalow on the hill,
the long cane chairs with their many
cushions, the winding path that led,
rlbbon-like to the road, the wooden
Jetty where the coasting-steamers
yal at anchor; but these phantom
creatures refused to materialize and
her eyes sore and tingling, gazed
straight before her, fixed, because
she was powerless to withdraw them,
puon whom the lot had fallen to
destroy her brother
Someone came forward and threw
aside the lag, and the hand that held
the knife swung suddenly aloft.
Pennington's pistol broke upon
the stiffness. The man with the dag
ger spun around awkwardly- and col
lapsed in a heap. Cries of terror
resounded on every side, and a hand
reaching upward, plunged the build
ing in darkness
Monica and Pennington rose 81.
simultaneously.
Stop where you are" he called
back to her. Lie close up to the
wall. They'll be too scared to look
for you there"
He raced on toward the entrance
and Monica, too dazed to catch the
meaning of his words, followed in his
wake. AS she stumbled through the
underground she remembered that she
still carried the torch. Vague shaw.
owy forms shthered past her, STAN.
peding as If surprised by a regiment
of soldiers, rather than by one white
man and a girl. She heard them
crashing away into the distance and
somewhere a man screamed in NOR
tai terror as he ran, as II featrful
that the friend who strove TO keep
pace with him were the avenging
Enghshman seeking his life
AS their footsteps died away, Mon: |
lea switched on the torch. The door
of the building stood wide open before |
her and she let the light travel from