Evening star., 1925-10-10

up. on the spot. to add to the conf1A-
grafton by burning 4 pair Of your
boots and q skeleton. That's where he
slipped. though! He must have
there was enough difference to be
detected between a mans bones and
womAn's. Now, II we want to Mt
In more pieces Of the puzzle--the
missing bits--we'H have to make the
gentleman supply those himself. wen
prod them out Of him."
"IreAt heavens. you don't mean
you'd torture him." cried RAwdon,
horrified. Vile as he is, won't al
II don't mean what you think ]
mean" Dagon cut in. DO you want
the fellow sent to prison."
mo-"
We'll then, promise him a chance
to make his getaway II he'll give US
the whole story. / think he'll accept
the offer. But there's a time for all
things. This has been an interruptio--
Before we talk any more, two OF us
had better go down below and rescue
while the third stays here and sees
that our prisoner doesn't escape"
For the first time. Haste spoke.
You mean-that Eve-is there?'
I'm pretty sure Of it," the detec-
tive answered.
And my sister" said Haste.
my sister," DaEon echoed.
Never had Dagon wanted anything
30 much In his life as to 20 down
open the door OF Pandoras room. He
| felt that by instinct she would rec
ognize him as her brother. But he
must sacrifice that wonderful moment
to duty. He must be the man to guard
Magnani. and let the others 60.
Hardly had the two begun TO de-
| scend when II occurred to Da4on that
there might be key in the pocket
OF Magnani. He found 1t as he eX-
pscted, and tossed it TO Haste. Ken
missed it. however. and the big. un-
! calmly bit Of iron fell with q metal
lie crash at the bottom Of the ladder.
| Wells. who had started first to de-
scend. SnAtched the key IS he step
ped off the last round. The passage
and the two doors were in front OF
him. and the image OF Pan was In his
mind as he tried the key in the door
at the right. There was no keyhole,
and both had been slipped back. He
lifted the old ia shioned latch. and
flung the door open. Light streamed
| out, and he had scarcely time to take
in the picture within, when Haste
| bounded past him.
1t was no moment for remembering
the amenities Of life. Haste had look
| ed over Wells shoulder and had seen
Fanny Gillett in the act OF choking
Eve to death. II he had to kill Raw
don Wells to pass him, he would have
done 1t then without a qualm of re-
morse. But Rawdon also saw the pic
ture and did not blame his friend
as he stumbled back from the rough
push. For an instant he lost his bal
ance, for his lameness was a handi-
cap: and recovering himself he
caught At the door frame. 1t was but
q second or two. yet there was time
enough for Haste to tear Eve from
Fanny Gillstts grasp. and fling the
latter aside like q discarded glove.
| There was horror and despair on
Fanny's dark face-the despair Of
failure: but Haste did not see it. He
saw only Eve. RAwdon thought he did
! not even know that Miss Gillett had
| fallen face down on the stone floor.
| She let herself fall. and she lay quite
| still. a. If the end Of the world had
come for her.
| "Eve-Eve. my darling. my pre-
cious girl! Look a. me-speak one
| word. Oh, thank God. was in time:
| You're alive" Haste poured out the
words passionately, his bride regained
in his arms.
Rawdon moved away. and went to
the door of the room across the mar
row passage. He turned the key in
the lock, and even as he did 80 the
door was pulled open by some one
inside. There was = light in this room
also. Pan stood there looking at him,
and holding back q curtain OF old
! tapestry. "Oh. Dom" she cried. 'Its
been agony shut up here. because
could do nothing more to save you
But there's another prisoner. I be-
lieve it's Eve, =
1T is." Rawdon broke in. "Kens
| with her. She'll soon be able to tell
her own story, and / shall need no
more saving by the bravest. best girl
on earth. Do you never think OF YOUR
self. PAM"
Il think more OF the people l care
for-you and Ken
Pan. dearest. l want you to think
Of mes In a class by myself. without
Ken" Rawdon said. Because I've
thought Of no one but you since you
disa ppeared. I've found out that
you're the only. girl in my world.
want to he the only man in yours-no
to be the first. Is there a chance?'
why. YOU know You always have
been flrst"' Pan answered. Il couldn't
help it. Do you really mean-that you
care, too?
He took her In his arms. and held
her tight az II he would never let her
i've lived for this: he said. 81
dreamed of you tonight-dreamed
that you called for help-from down
in the cellar
$50 I did. signaled, switching or
and OFF the light. 1 hoped prayed
i-sOme onA conld see"
Your brother saw"
Ken! Where il he?"
Hes found Eve. But didn't near
Ken when 1 spoke Of your brother
4 Are you strong enough to climb q
ladder? II you are, you shah see him
Hes waiting up there. owe you
to him. Ken owes Eve to him. And
after me, I won't grudge it II he
comes second in your Mfe!"
They left Fanny prone and still on
the stone floor. soorninG to punish the
woman since she had failed in mur-
der as she had failed in love. After
. long time she stumbled to her feet
and heavily climbed the ladder. Nc
l one lay In wait to catch her. No ont
cared what she did or where she
! went. She wanted to die. yet life war
| strong in her veins. When she had
gone out into the Persian garden and
looked at the deep pool she turned
away. sick and shivering. She did no,
return to the house. She did not wish
to see her mother or learn what had
happened to Magnani, though she was
! duly sure that ali was over for him
as for her. She tramped to the rail
way station, dusty mile after dusty