Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-22

haved tonight like a cheap bully, too,
Suddenly his rage against Carter
mounted. 1t was as though Carter
was partner of his guilt. 1t was as
much Carriers fault as his that they
were both in this mess Would Car
ter ever let that girl know? Darien's
face burned.
He leaned forward to peer at the
picture through the blue darkness.
Her pictured eyes looked back at him
gently, unwaveringly. Cad. There
was courage in every line of that head.
And those eyes,
lie turned and looked down the
garden toward the great iron grills,
open now What was it he W. look
ing for, down there? A Little gt.e t.
perhaps. a little ghost with shoi1
Jack hair and eager face? little
ghost coming in like a ship from far
ports Il strange lands, bringing with
Ter III ny and the thrill of those
-traugt ~ eS she had been?
Or was l.e looking for the ghost of
a girl in a strange, straight blue
Gown a girl who said, Il thought you
we're a fairy prince--thenn'
Pride fe!. away from him He put
out his ha nds in a pathetic, empty,
utila ges< are. Foolish little girl
ne whispe ed.
In the tickering lantern light the
hadows II Jack Darien and Tommy
advanced toward each other like
towering aid threatening giants.
bushes nd plants seemed to culver
and shrilg back from these black and
,tealthy shadows.
He a. d Darien came face to face
For an instant they eyed each other
straigh ard clear. Each realized that
there was to be no preiminaries III
this fight, and no quarter.
Ane, suddenly Tommy lunged out
with his fist. He had put all his force
behind if and it caught Darien on the
Jaw He reeled under it and Tommy
lre back for a second blow, but be-
TO- = he could deliver it Darien had
pi anged at MIN.
There We're no words in the mystic
ious and silent old garden, nothing
out the short, uneven breathing OF
two active, angry men, short grunts,
lne thud of clenched fists upon flesh
and the CRATE of sliding feet upon
gravel and sod.
After a very few moments Tommy
realized that this was to be no easy
task. Darien was fully his equal in
strength and training.
I'm let him hit me till he gets
tired out" he told himself. His time
would come then.
But it seemed to him that Darien
grew fresher moment by moment.
And try as he would he was firing.
Now and again he reeled under
blow Blood was dripping from
place on his cheek bone and drops OF
it slid slowly into his mouth as he
gasped for breath. The salty taste
of it was sickening.
Keep your head. Keep your head
he cautioned himself dumbly. but his
brain did not respond as quickly as it
had been doing. His feet seemed
long distance from him and the
ground tilted.
Was he going to fall? If he fell he
would be at Jack Darien's mercy. He
must not fall The entire struggle
now resolved itself merely into an at
tempt to keep his feet.
one or TWO blows he managed to
get home to Darien, but most OF them
went wld and he realized that his
control was going
He began to boz home upon Darlen
with the desperation born OF stark
fear. They came to grips. 1t ceased
to be a battle of blows. Locked in
each others arms they struggled like
wild beasts toward the taut flesh oil
the throat!
Dariens hand found his throat first.
II was cruel hand and it closed. He
struggled back from the death-grip,
tore himself madly from it. Reeled q:
he fell away free. Closed his eyes
for an instant to clear them of the
darkness that strangulation had
brought to them.
And in that instant felt crashing
sense ton go through him. From
on2ewhere way back in the caverns
of his soul small voice cried to him,
You have lost judy. and then there
was darkness
After while he came back pain
fully to a strange. Pickering place
Where was he? He put up a sore. ach-
ing arm touched his head. His head
was set, cold.
Damn YOU" Tommy cried. 'Yoi
NAV have licked M but that doesn'
make yoJ any better than ! am.
We've fought over girl. It happens
to be the girl I'm engaged to. You
had no right to fight over her. You're
nothing but man gone mad with
money / know because I'm the same