The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1943-05-13

older man, holding out the mock
ing god.
Burleson turned and looked
back at him. He was breathing
hard; suddenly a fire leaped in
to his eyes, he stretched out his
shaking hand, Selling the god and
flung it with all his force into the
corner. It struck the edge of the
great mantel, slanted, spun like
a top against the brass fender and
fell, broken in a thousand pieces
on the floor.
For the last twenty minutes,
while the jade god was meeting
it's fate, Landon's taxi had been
speeding uptown. Landon him.
self was no longer impatient; he
was glad of this chance to order
his thoughts. 1t seemed certain
that the bird had flown. In that
case, was there any harm done?
If Pam liked him she would have
to forget him. 1t was plain to
Landon that Marks courage had
failed.
'He didn't want to face the
unmasking," he thought shrewd-
ly; che knew I'd have to do il"
Yet he was uneasy; so uneasy
that he had made up his mind to
see Mrs. Lynn and feel his way,
find out if she knew anything,
and if Mark Grant had been there
again. If he suspected any effort
to hold on to his acquaintance,
he would denounce the convict
rather than risk his making love
to Pam Rodney. Girls were pc
culiar. The modern girl was in
dependent; she might carry on a
correspondence with an undesira-
BILE, unknown to her relatives.
The thought made Landon furi-
Gus; he was still singing from
the tone of her refusal; she had
made it little too plain that he,
Landon, was totally uninterest-
ing. He was ripe for mischief
when the taxi drew up at the
house.
At the door he got his first
! shock; Mrs. Lynn was at home
but she was not alone; they had
company-"a gentleman" Lam
don found out who it was with
out difficulty, and his blood boil
ed. He promptly lost his head.
The consequences to himself were
not to be thought of. He had a
weapon that would drive the in
truder out of his paradise. He
had intended to wait in the re-
ception room, but, as he entered
it, he heard the crash of the jade
god in the library and startled
cry from Pam. Landon cast pru-
dence to the winds; he passed the
servant who was going to an
nounce him, lifted the portiere
and appeared in the library. No
one noticed him. Burleson had
tottered as the jade god fell, his
gray face was distorted with the
red streak, his eyes famed. He
put out a long hand, a hand that
used to be powerful, grasped ths
/ back of a chair and leaned on it..
He was breathing audibly.
you're ill!'' cried Mrs. Lynn;
Pam, telephone for the doctor
your uncle's ill!'' It seemed to
! her a relief, a valid excuse for
such a scene!
I'm not ill.," Burleson said
! thickly, but his hands went to
his throat, he sank heavily into
his chair, his eyes fastened on
Mark. "You-go aWay!" he ex-
claimed furiously.
Pam ran to him. ''Uncle, what
IS it? Tell us!' she pleaded.
Mark had not moved. His eyes
were fastened on the shattered
green bits on the floor and there
was something akin to anguish
in his face. Burleson would new
er speak!
Mrs. Lynn, still in a panic, fled
to the telephone. 1--WE must have
a doctor for you, Herbert, she
cried, and came face to face with
Landon.
The young man was standing
at the threshold, one hand still
on the portiere, his face livid. He
did not understand the scene, but
he believed that Mark had come
there to carry off Pam, that he
was defying Burleson, and the
girl loved him! 1t was the wild