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Show THE DARK STAR By ROBERT W. CHAMBERS Author of "The Firing Lino," "In Secret," "The Fighting Chance," "Tne Danger Mark," "Lorraine," "Cardigan," etc. CHAPTER XI. TIIK UR KAKKItS. The n.t dlniriff ro(in w:ih ;iimo.st empty now, tiiouKh tli: lobt-y an.I rhe cafe be-"yon-,I Htlll M'-viirrn'Mt vith people arriving-and arriving-and dftjjarrifiK'. lirandc-a, chaflnjc at th.; tlphfine, had finally fiuoceedod In ot-tlng' ot-tlng' Stull on th wire, only to learn that th-. nt-wh fr'm .Saraiojra wan not ai,Tfre-nhln; ai,Tfre-nhln; that thfiy tiad loHt on jv(:ry lurai. Also, Ht'iU had ariJthpr rli'iuletliiK Item to dfuali; It e(-(it(l that Maxy v'fnern had b.-n .efti that nnriiln in the act u' rttjpfxrtln? for .VtfW Vork on the fast ex i Tens; and wlr h htm way a woman TtyfrnhUiiK Jrund-3"a wif.;. "Who saw hw'f" dmrt nrifd IJrandPH. "lor. Ho didn't trl a k-xu! f-quare look at h;t' Vou know the hatM women vear." 'All rit'ht. T'rn off, Hen. Oonri-hye " Tho h; '.Hitinfj uni'a.sliu'n vh loh had driver! him to thu telephone ic"rMi.st.ed wl en he came out of the boftth. Jle caat a flow. ahnuHt aleeiiy ylanct) around him, a w no familiar fane in the throned lohby, and he looked at his watch. The car had bt-n ordered f'-r 10 ; it i. eked half an hour of the time; ho wlnhed he had ordered the car earlier. For now his uneasiness w:i h verine: on that Hpi-cfPM of superst If ioua inquietude whlcJi at times oln-HseH all KJtmhIers, and "whfch iw known uk a "hum-h." He had a hunch that he was "In wronK" Korne-. Korne-. iow or other; nn overpowering loiiKlnfr to (?f-t on hoard the ft earner csmilh-d him a desire to get out of the citv, get away quick. The risk ho had taken waH betrinnlnp: fo npprar to him ns an unwarrant.'d piece of reeklesdnens ; ho was amazed , with himHelf for taltinc sueh a chance disgusted at his fool fun. and totally nn-ner-es.Hrtry course with this young prlrl. All lie had had to do was to wait a fw months. Me could have married in safety then. And even now he didn't know whether or not the ceremony performed by Parson Smawley had been an illegally leg-al one; whether It made him a bigamist big-amist for the next three months or only something worse. , What on earth had possessed him to take such a risk the terrible hazard of discovery, of losing the only woman he had ever really cared for the only one he probably could over care for? Of course, had ho been free he would have married her. When he prot his freedom he would insist on another ceremony. He could persuade her to that on some excuse or other. J3ut in the meanwhile! He entered the deserted dining-room, came over to where Rue was waiting, and sat down, heavily, hold intr an un-llphted un-llphted cipar between his stuhbv llnpers. "Well, little plrl," he said, with forced cheerfulness, "was I away very Ions?" ""Not very." "You didn't miss me?" he inquired, ponderously playful. His heivy pleasantries usually left her lust a little doubtful n nd r-on fused, for he seldom smiled when he delivered himself him-self of them. He leaned across the cloth and laid a hot. cushiony hand over both of hers, where they lay primly clasped on the table edye: "Don't you ever miss me when I'm away from you. Rue?" he asked. - "I think it Is nice to be with you." nhe said, hotly embarrassed by the pub-Hefty pub-Hefty of his caress. "T don't bolieve you mean it." But ho smiled this time. At which the little rltrirl smile stamped itself on her lips; but she timidly withdrew her hands from his. "Rue. I don't believe you love me." This time there wag no smile. She found nothing to answer, beinp: without any experience in pive-and-take conversation, which left her always uncertain un-certain and uncomfortable. For the pirl was merely a creature still In the making a soft, pliable thine: to be shaped to prfetion only by the I'.tfht touch of some steady, pat!'-nt hand that understood or to be marred and ruined by a heavy hand which wrought at random ran-dom or m brutal haste. Hran-les watched her for a moment out of 6epy, greenish eyes. Then he consulted con-sulted his watch aain, summoned a waiter, gave him the parcels-room checks, a nd bade him have a boy carry thMr luggage Into the lobby. Ah they roso from the table, a man and a woman entering the lobby caught s!:'nt of tii-'-m, halted, then turned and walked bade toward the street door which thf-v bad Just entered. ISrardes had not noticed them where ho stood by the desk, scratching off a tel'-grarn to Stull : "All c.j. K. Just going- aboard. Fix It with Su-!n." He rejoined Hue as the boy appeared with thtr luggage : an underporter took the bags and preceded them toward the Street. "There" a the car!" said Brandes, with a deep breath of relief. "Ho knows his business, that chauffeur of mine." Their chauffeur was standing beside tho car aji they emerged from the hotel and started to cross the sidewalk ; the . porter, following, set tholr luggage on i the curbstone : and at the same instant a young and pretty woman stepped llyht-I llyht-I ly between Rue and Brandes. j "Good evenlna:, KMdio," she said, and struck him a staggering blow in the face with her white-gloved hand. Brandes lost his balance, stumbled sideways, recovered himself, turned swiftly and encountered the full, protruding pro-truding black eyes of Maxy Venem staring close and menacingly into his. From Brandes's out lip blood was running run-ning down over his chin and collar; his face remained absolutely expressionless. The next moment his eyes shifted, met Ruhannah's stupefied gaze. "Go into the hotel," he said calmly. "Quick " "Stay where you are!" interrupted Maxy Venem, and caught the speechless and bewildered girl by the elbow. T,IUe lightning Brandes'a hand flew to his hip pocket, and at the same instant his own chauffeur seizeid both his heavy, short arms and held them rigid, pinned behind his back. "Frisk him!" he panted: Venem nimbly relieved him of the dull black weapon. "Can the fake gun -play, Eddie," he said, coolly shoving aside the porter who attempted to Interfere. "You're double- crossed. We got the g-oods on you; come 1 on: who's the girl?" The woman who had struck Brandos now came up again beside Venem. She was young, very pretty, but deathly white except for the patches of cosmetic on either check. She pointed at Brandes. There was blood on her soiled and split glove: "You dirty dog!" she said unsteadily. -'You'll marry this girl before I've divorced di-vorced you, will you? And you think you are going to pet away with It! You doa-! You dirty dog!" The porter attempted to Interfere ag-aln, but Venem shoved him out of the way. Brandes, still silently struggling to free his imprisoned arms, ceased twisting suddenlv and swung hie heavy head toward to-ward Venem. His hat had fallen off; his face, rtpeplv flushed with exertion, was smeared with blood and sweat. "Whnt'a the idea, you fool!" he said In a low voice. "I'm not married to her.' But Ruhannah heard him say It. "You claim that vou haven't married this girl?" demanded Venem loudly, motioning mo-tioning toward Rue. who stood swavlng. half dead, held fast by the gathering crowd which pushed around them from every side. "Did you marry her or did vou fake it?" repeated Venem in a louder voice. "It's .1all one way; maybe both!" "Trie married her In Gavfield at el even this morning !" st'd the chauffeur. "Far-son "Far-son .Smaw.ey turned the trick." Brandes' s narrow eyes glittered; he I struggled for a moment, gave it up, shot ! a deadly glance at Maxy Venem, at hi3 ; wife, at the increasing throng crowding ! closely about him. Then his infuriated eyes met Rue's, and the expression of her face apparently crazed him. Frantic, lie hurled himself backward, j Jerking one arm free, tripped, fell heavily ; with the chauffeur on top, twisting, 1 panting, struggling convulsively, while all around him surged the excited crowd, shouting, pressing closer, trampling one another in eagerness to see. Rue, aimost swooning with fear, was pushed, Jostled, flung aside. Stumbling I over her own suitcase, she fell to her knees, rose, and, scarce conscious of what ! she was about, caught up her suitcase and reeled away into the light-shot dark-, dark-, ness. j She had no idea of what she was do- i ' lng or where she was going; the terror i ; of the scene still remained lurldlv before her eyes; the shouting of the crowd was In her ears: an Indescribable fear of j Brandes filled her a growing horror of this man who had denied that he had married her., And the instinct of a i frightened and bewildered child drove her into blind flight, anywhere to escape this I hideous, incomprehensible scene behind I her. i Hurrying on, alternately confused and j dazzled in the patches of darkness and 1 flaring light, clutched at and followed , by a terrible fear, she found herself halted halt-ed on the curbstone of an avenue through I which lighted tram cars were passing. A . man spoke to her, came closer; and she I turned desperately and hurried across a street where other people were crossing. From overhead the roaring dissonanoe of an elevated train; on either side of her phantom shapes swarmed figures which moved everywhere around her, now illumined by shop windows, now silhouetted sil-houetted against them. And always through the deafening confusion in her brain, the dismay, the stupefaction, one dreadful fear dominatedthe fear of Brandes the dread and horror of this JudaB who had denied her. She could not drive the scene from her mind the never-to-be-forgotten picture where he stood with blood from his cut lip striping his fat chin. She heard his voice denying her through swollen lips that scarcely moved denying that he had married her. And in her ears still sounded the other voice the terrible words of the woman who had struck him an unsteady, unreal un-real voice accusing him; and her brain throbbed with the horrible repetition: "Dirty dog dirty dog dirty dog " until, almost out of her mind, she dropped her bag and clapped both hands over her ears. One or two men stared at her. A taxi driver came from beside hfs car and asked her if she was ill. But she caught up her suitcase and hurried on without answering. She was very tired. She had come to the end of the lighted avenue. There was darkness ahead, a wall, trees, and electric lights sparkling among the foliage. I Perhaps the sudden glimpse of a wide nnd star-set sky quieted her, calmed her. Freed suddenly from the canyon of I the city's streets, the unreasoning panic of a trapped thing subsided a little. Her arm ached: she shifted the suitcase to her other hand and looked across at the trees and at the high stars above, striving desperately for self-command. Something had to be done. She must find some place where she could sit down Where was she to find it? For a while she could feel her limbs trembling; but gradually the heavy thudding thud-ding of her pulses quieted; nobody molested mo-lested her; nobody had followed her That she was quite lost did not matter: that I can see, so you keep on going upstairs up-stairs till your friend meets you." "Thank you so much for your great kindness " "Don't mention it. Good luck, dearie!" The door clicked behind her, and Rue found herself alone. The stairs, flanked by a massive balus- j trade of some dark, polished wood, ascended as-cended in spirals by a short series of ! flights and landings. Twice she rested, her knees almost giving way, for the climb upward seemed interminable. But at last, just above her, she saw a skylight, and a great stair-window giving on a court; and, as she toiled up and stood clinging, breathless, to the banisters on the top landing, out of an open door stepped Neeland's shadowy figure, dark against the hall light behind him. "For heaven's sake!" he said. "What on earth " The suitcase fell from her nerveless hand; she swayed a little where she stood. The next moment he had passed his arm around her, and was half leading half carrying her through a short hallway into a big, brilliantly lighted studio. (To be continued tomorrow.) she had also lost this man who had denied de-nied her, somewhere, in the depths of. the confusion behind her. That was all that mattered escape from him, from the terrible woman who had struck him and reviled him. With an effort she checked her thoughts and struggled for self-command. Somewhere Some-where In the city there must be a railroad rail-road station from which a train would take her home. With the thought came the desperate longing for flight, and a rush of tears that almost choked her. Nothing mattered mat-tered now except her mother's arms; the rest was a nightmare, the horror of a dream which still threatened, still clutched at her with shadowy end spectral spec-tral menace. For a moment or two she stood there on the curb, her eyes closed, fighting for self-control, forcing her disorganized brain to duty. Somebody must help her to find a railroad rail-road station and a train. That gradually gradual-ly became clear to her. But when she realized that, a young man sauntered up beside her and looked at her so intently that her calmness gave way and she turned her head sharply to conceal the starting tears. "Hello, girlie," he said. "Got anythln' on tonight?" With head averted, she stood there, rigid, dumb, her tear-drenched eyes fixed on the park; and after one or two jocose observations the young man became discouraged dis-couraged and went away. But he had thrust the fear of strangers deep into her heart; and now she dared not ask any man for information. However, when two young women passed she found suf- j ficient courage to accost them, asking the direction of the railroad station from which trains departed for Gayfield. The women, who were young and brightly colored In plumage, displayed a sympathetic interest at once. "Gayfield?" repeated the blonder of the two. "Gee, dearie, I never heard of that place." "Is It on Long Island?" inquired the other. "No. It is in Mohawk county." "That's a new one, too. Mohawk county? Never heard of it; did you, Lil?" "Search me!" 'Ts it up-state, dearie?" asked the other. "Yu better go over to Madison avenue and take a car to the Grand Central Cen-tral " "Waft," interrupted her friend; "she better take a taxi " "Nix on a taxi you pick up on Sixth avenue!" And to Rue, curiously sympathetic: sympa-thetic: "Say, you've got friends here, haven't vou, little one?" "No." "What! Tou don't know anyone In New York!" Rue looked at her dumbly; then, of a sudden, she remembered Neeland. "Yes," she said, "I know one person." "Where does your friend live?" In her reticule was the paper on which he had written the address of the Art Students' league, and, as an afterthought, his own address. Rue lifted the blue silk bag, opened it, took out her purse and found the paper. "One hundred and six. West Fifty-fifth street." she rend : "Stun io No. 10." "Why, that isn't far!" said the blonder of the two. "We are going that way. We'll take you there." "I don"t know I don't know him very well- " "Is it a man?" "Yes. He comes from my town, Gay-field." Gay-field." "Oh! I euess that's all ri?ht," said the other woman, laughing. "You got to be leery of these men, litt'.e one. Come on; we'll show you." It was only four blocks ; Ruhannah presently found herself on the steps of a house from which dangled a sign, "Studios and Bachelor Apartments to Let." "What's h!s name?" Eaid the woman addressed as L1I. "Mr. Neeland." Bv the llqiit of the vestibule Ion tern they Inspected the letter boxes, found Neeland's name, and pushed the electric but ton. After a few seconds the door clicked and opened. "Now, you're all r'.cht!" said Lil, peer-Ins peer-Ins Into the lighted hallway. "It's on the fourth floor and there isn't any elevator |