Page 104 (1/1)

Half a dozen tihostly apparition he had seen in the lightning flare of the store friends froalow The picture of that giant of a ht him in a sea of electrical fire, was indelibly burned into his brain It was a tragic picture

Again he put out the light and bared the blanketed , but he saw nothing but the sodden glea flashed A second time he opened the door a few inches and sat doith his back to the wall, listening

How long it was before drowsiness stole upon him he did not know, but it came, and for a few moments at a time, as his eyes closed, it robbed him of his caution And then, for a space, he slept A sound brought him suddenly into akefulness His first impression was that the sound had been a cry For a moment or two, as his senses adjusted therew upon him

He rose to his feet and widened the crack of his door A bar of light shot across the upper hall It was from Marette's room He had taken off his boots to deaden the sound of his feet, and he stepped outside his door He was positive he heard a low cry, a choking, sobbing cry, only barely audible, and that it ca, he limpse was of the bed It had not been used The rooripped at his heart, and an ier made an effort to resist pulled him to the head of the stair It was more than an impulse--it was a demand Step by step he went down, his hand on the butt of his Colt

He reached the lower hall, which was still lighted, and a step or two brought hi-room beyond That door was partly open, and the rooht Soundlessly Kent approached He looked in

What he saw first brought hi desk table over which hung a great brass lamp stood Marette She was in profile to hilowing like a rich, sable cape in the light of the lamp She was safe, alive, and yet the attitude of her as she looked doas the thing that gave him shock He was compelled to move a few inchesat And then his heart stopped dead still