Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-10-30

The room was spinning around TO
silent black figures, the dying Yulow-
ski, the girl-all seemed merged in
one vast tumble Of color growing dark
er and darker, out of which one thing
and one thing only stood out clear and
distinct on his dying consciousness
the blazing eyes of the man who was
himself sinking into utter blackness,
some dim sense less paralyzed than
the rest seemed to tell him that a
change had taken place in the room.
Something new had come into that
whirling nightmare that spun round
him. dimly he heard a voice-loud and
agOniZed-a voice he recognized 1t
was a womanS voice, and after a
while the grip on his throat relaxed.
He staggered back against the wall
ly the room ceased to whirl round
the iron bands ceased to press upon
his heart and lungs
1t was Irma who stood there: Irma
whose 'piteous cry had pierced through
to his brain: Irma who had caused
those awful hands to relax their grip
just before 1t was too late. Little by
little everything steadied down: he
found he could see again-could hear.
He still crouched shaking against the
wall but he had got a respite anyway
IA breathingspace. And that was all
that mattered for the moment-that
and the fact that the madness was
gone from Hugh Drummond's eyes
The black figures were still stand
ing there motionless round the walls
the Russian was lolling fOrAard-
dead, Phyllis was lying back In her
chair unconscious. But Peterson had
eyes for none of these things: Count
Zadowa shivering in a corner-the
huddled group Of his own men stand
ing in the center Of the room he
passed by without glance 1t was
on DrummOnd his gaze was fixed
, Drummond, who stood facing Irma
with an almost dazed expression on
ehis face, whilst she pleaded with him
in an agony of supplication.
He ordered that man to brain my
wife with a rifle butt" said Drummond
hoarsely. "And yet you ask for
mercy"
He swung round on the covering
clergyman and gripped him once
again by the throat, shaking him as
terrier shakes a rat. He felt thu
girl, Irma, plucking feebly at E4s arm,
but he took no notice.
But once again Fate was to inter
vene on Peterson's behalf, through the
instrumentality Of a woman. And
mercifully for him the Intervention
came from the only woman-from the
only human being-who could have
Influenced Drummond at that moment
1t was Phyllis who opened her eyes
suddenly, and half-dazed still with
the horror of the last few minutes,
gazed round the room.
For a second she stared at Hughs
face, and saw on it look which she
had meyer seen befere-a look SO ter
sive cry.
"Let him go, Hugh: let him go.
Don't do it,
Her voice pierced his brain, though
for moment it made no impression
on the muscles Of his arms. A slight
ly bewildered look came into his eyes
he felt as a dog must feel who is
called off his lawful prey by his
master
Let him go-let Carl Peterson go!
That was what Phyllis was asking him
to do-Phyllis wing had stood at
deaths. door not five minutes before.
Let him go And suddenly the mad
ness faded from his eyes his hands
relaxed their grip, and Carl Peterson
slipped unconscious to the tioOr-up-
conscious but still breathing. He had
let him go, and after a while he
stepped back and glanced slowly round
the room. His eyes fingered for mo-
ment on the dead Russian, they trav-
eled thoughtfully on along the line of
black figures. And gradually smile
began to appear on his face-a smile
WHICH broadened into a grin.
Perfectly sound advice, old thing, y
he remarked at length. Straight from
the stable. / really believe I'd almost
lost my temper"