Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
The Door of Death
By John Esteven
Alliance and 'oOehsaa

or the other, the man in question looked
away or shufled uneaSily.
They gazed at him with a sort OF
mingled awe and fear, like people
guarding a tethered lion, and by nc
means sure Of themselves AS we came
up, heard one of them observe meekly
That was great fight you put up, Mr.
Balloon"
do you think sou" answered a clear
voice. who was asked for your opin-
ion?" And the bulky fellow cringed
into silence, moving back a pace.
Then Bellion'S eyes fixed on us.
WELL" he asked coldly, did you en-
| Joy the hunt?"
you fought WELL" replied Morse. "it
that's what you mean. You almost
beat the lot Of us-but not quite. We've
come to see what can be done for you. "
Ballion shook his head. Nothing.
confess, though, I like your compli-
ments. It softens the sting of losing
which was, of course, objectionable
But I'm glad it was you and not one
of these-a stare included us-"that
brought me down. You're a man OF
courage and sense, the only admirable
qualities
"You fooled me into Understanding
you. I was stupid enough to consider
this fellow"-he glanced at me-"a
danger rather than you. All, well!'
And. struggling his shoulders, Before
leaving there's one thing would like
to learn-about Eleanor. Dead?"
NO" retorted; "she will live in
spite of your infamy."
"Faugh!" he exclaimed. "Pietistic
gable! She belonged to me by every
right; she broke faith and should have
paid the price, in simple justice. But
as regards her. at least. I had hoped
that luck would favor mel wasted q
bullet on that pillar"
He raised his manacled hands, press
ing the backs of them to his lips in q
Balloons sapphire on his fingers.
"Infamy?" he repeated. "A word!
have not straddled between conven-
tional rights and wrongs. but looked tC
myself. What use to life was Celia
whom killed? She stood in my way
as did Francis. That confession of his
almost fooled you. Morse. All, it took
some persuasion before he signed"
And. pausing moment, as If looking
back, he added: More than flesh and
spirit could be thought to stand, he
signed at last"
For one suffering intense pain he
showed curious langour, almost drowsi-
ness. His eyes closed moment. And
grew conscious once more of that
strange pressure round about, the in
sistent, diffused mentality that haunted
Greyhouse. Once again it seemed to me
as if all this had happened long ago
a scene re-enacted from former life
this stately hall, the merciless, blood
stained man before us, with his cynical
valor.
Curious odds and ends of thought
normally unfamiliar drifted together.
remembered the torn pennons and
armor, Ballion fighting alone in the
darkness. his scornful, oft-repeated cry
Was it not a time delusion? Was he not
actually what in thought and bearing
he resembled-an italian condottiere OF
that Renaissance, whose essence seemed
alive in him and in this place?
I found his eyes fixed on me with a
! hard brilliance.
"a pity" he said, "that miscalcu-
lated the drug that night when you SAT
here. HaSta'S advice was right.
II regret that I did not kill you and
her. Otherwise, my only feeling Is in
difference; condemned man doesn't
need to bother about others. Say
loved her beauty-say I needed her
wealth-in any case, a prize. believed
her superior to the soft nonsense OF
ethics and thought her an ornament. a
| fine creature worth caring for, which is
all you can expect in women. She
i turned out commonplace.
His head dropped, whether or not
from weakness it was hard to tell, but
he recovered himself. I saw that Morse
was observing him sharply.
"You." he continued, cycling me, care
small good man, in spite of your
lapses toward what you consider evil
you are one of the countless zeros that
form the significance of modern cul-
ture. Live on with her and be happy
in a SNUG domestic nest. Perhaps you
don't envy me-but on my word don't
envy you"
He dismissed. and I believe forgot
me with a change of glance. Before
go, Morse. is there anything you'd like
to ask me? I've nothing to conceal at
present"
(To Pc Continuedl