The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-09-05
TkI)F, N1,z,l PRINCES s.
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| She heard the prince shouting and
arguing; she was dimly conscious
of q struggle between the two men;
heardy, family, the crack of pistol
shot.
Then she knew nothing else, for
her knees buckled under her, her
head struck the corner Of a stool
drawn up to the wall near the door,
and she had tainted.
When she regained consciousness
she vas lying on the lower bunk in
the front room of the shack, and
Prince Ivan's arms were about her,
his kisses frenzied and wet on her
neck and cheeks.
Her hand, feeling as heavy as
lead, came up slowly, instinctively,
and pushed with all its power
against the fat, dimpled cheek that
was pressing against her throat.
"Stopl" she noaned, struggling to
rise, but the princes shoulders were
pressing against her chest, his hands
had seized hers, were gripping them
crushingly.
As her brain cleared, a dreadful
realization of what had happened
came to her sharply. Happy" who
had befriended her, protected her,
was gone, of course.
Satan" was dead, his plane a
twisted mass of burned timber and
steel. And she was alone with the
prince
That realization galvanized her
slender body, gave her an almost
superhuman strength. Somehow,
while the princes breath came
painting against her cheek, she man
aged to free her right hand.
A moment later she had drawn
from the pocket Of her tweed skirt
the can opener with which she had
had the foresight to arm herself the
night before.
With all her strength she jabbed
the sharp point of the instrument
into the princes left shoulder, which
was still pressed crushingly into her
chest.
He sprang up with a howl of rage
and pain, his face livid, his hand
clapped to his injured shoulder.
Vee-Vee took instant advantage of
her opportunity to slide from the
bunk and to run toward the door.
The prince gave her scarcely a
glance; he was busy tearing off his
coat to inspect his wound.
In that short flight from the bunk
to the door she prayed wild prayer
that the door would be open, that
she could escape. Her fingers clawed
at the rusty iron hasp Of the door,
and to her incredible relief it swung
open. 4
Happy" in fleeing, had not for
gotten his promise to her. At the
risk of his own liberty he had de-
cided not to lock her in the cabin
with the prince, until he could make
good his own escape.
She was tumbling down the three
rotten steps of the cabin when she
heard the thud of the princes feet
as he plunged across the floor after
her. Reason halted her feet.
She reached up, seized the door by
its dangling paddock hasp, and pulled
it shut, just as the prince, from
within the cabin, hurled himself
against It.
Her teeth were chattering with
fear but her fingers were as strong
as steel as she lifted the paddock
over the hasp and snapped the jaws
into place.
The prince beat upon the door
called wild, incoherent promises and
threats to her, but she did not heed
them.
She was fleeing dom the family
marked path, her feet winged with
the Joy of freedom, her brain toe
dazed to formulate any plans, ever
for the first stages of her flight
when a lusty shout came ringing
and echoing across the little mead
ow in which the cabin lay:
"Vee-Veei Waitl It's Jerry, Vera
Stop!"
Ito Be ontinued)
In the next chapter vee-vee comes
face to face with the woman she has