Show L l INTO THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW By CLARENCE H STILSON u npyrnF art by Dully Btorj Pcb toi L The cutiHtnnt Htoppllig and starting of the local began to the Stanton who dropped the evening paper to bin knees and closed his yes which were dry and smaitlng from the strain of reading type that constantly vibrated from tho motion of the car lib I watch told him the lateness of tho hour 1030 p uland ho wondered If his wife was sitting lip for him She Mad not been well thnt moinlns either eith-er Perhaps nt this moment she was silfTeilng His delay bind been utiavoidnblo a bKfllneKfc matter cif ronblileiajl II Im portuico had been ail sted I A startling blast from the hoarse whistle advised him of the arrival of the train at the station that was his destination Even the proximity of homo could not dispel the atmosphere of unrest of foreboding that overshadowed over-shadowed his mind Gaining his gate at last ho sprang up tho steps but hulled abruptly at the sharp gritty crunch of broken glass underfoot The lather dim light of the hall showed that the plate glass In the door was shattered When tho eyes became more accustomed to the gloom the chaotic condition of the Interior was visible through the ragged rag-ged cracks Choirs were overturned rugs twisted Into confusion portieres hung In shreds fioin the doors or were lying among the rugs on the floor With Its handsome colored shade crushed and broken It was only n miracle that the tall lamp on the stand at the foot of the stairs still throw its light on the debris below Wideeyed and breathless ho entered enter-ed quickly palling his wifes name Helen HelenA Helen-A rustling In the upper hall ceased suddenly at the sound of his voice Silence except for tho rushing of blood In the eais until a cry Issued from dry cold lips HelenA Helen-A faint sound again reached the ears from thehall above and to be free from tho unnerving suspense ho leaped up the stairway the last turn of which was shrouded In gloom lily God Helen Where are you What bus become of you Ho struck a match to enable him to light the lamp In Its bracket and had just taken tho chtmnoy iii his hand when a sound that chilled him through and through struck his ear He turned turn-ed his head and saw by the feeble rays of tho match In his lingers f u womans llgiiro crouching near him and from the lips came the hissing prattling gibber of a maniac ul Tho match fell the chimney crashed crash-ed on the carpet What had ho seen In tho dim light No no It could not bo must not Helens illness that morningit could not bring her to this Hut alas The dainty tea gown she always wore when she greeted him on his return at night tho rich dark hair that brushed his check and temples In the morning during tho caress that said goodby though now disheveled locpo and bedraggled be-draggled assured him thai the wretched wretch-ed woman before him In the dark was his wife once erect and lovely now a slinking groveling animal A great wave of unutterable pity drowned the horror In tho breast Ah dearest give mo your hands This Is Jack Dont you know me The slender hands ho sought In the darkness ever evaded Jilm nor did the gentle soothing murmur of her name from his lips bring any spoken response At last by a sudden movement move-ment prompted by a scuffling footstep foot-step quite near ho was able to grasp the small wrists and holding tightly to draw her toward him n great tenderness ten-derness coming over him But as the wolf suddenly bites deep into the hand that feeds it so the wretched husband felt clawing hands at his face and throat and was thrown sharply backward With Ineart chill Ing screams of ferocity with tho snarl and slaver of tho beasts the demented de-mented woman sprang at him The foot he throw backward to save himself him-self betrayed him and still struggling the two forms toppled In n bruising wrenching tall down the dark windIng wind-Ing stairway Madness urged one to tear to destroy tenderness for bado the other to do aught In do fense that might Injure the woman he loved So the strange breathless combat continued In the darkness rho talon like grip at his throat was frightful her tangled hair was in his eyes and the gritting of clenched teeth sounded close to the ear ho sobbed chokingly at the roughness ho was compelled to use Now ho had her two hands In his her struggles and attacks were Ineffective Slowly he forced her back combatting each superhuman demoniacal assault with heartbreaking heartbreak-ing effort uytll he wedged the slender body Into a corner Ah the cruelty of It all But again tho nervous energy of tho slight form overcame his more quiet defensive opposition and almost before be-fore he knew It they had stumbled had slipped to tho bottom Tho tall lamp at tho impact of their bodies fell with a crash to tho floor and Hko a serpents tongue a greenish lambent lam-bent flame licked above the fragments frag-ments flickering and faded out The sound of the fall brQught a pause to the exhausting strife a sud den movement on the part of his antagonist an-tagonist and Stanton stood mono In tho smoky darkness of tho hall Ills quick breathing alone penetrated tho silence Ho groped his way toward I Mu wall but stopped quickly hoi ho-i lId hoar the faint soft rubbing of liiiKers in the wall paper It was at his back Hark There it was I aiialn 1 It came from back near tho HtiUrs Vlth both hands outstretched ed ho crept forward and felt along the staircase and then along the man tit piece He stooped and searched In the tlieplace for the frull llgure lie must Hud herAt her-At that Instant there came quicksteps quick-steps the slum of the front door and the putter of feet hurriedly crossing I the porch ho sprang through the door impelled to prevent any damage that i fie fleeing womans malady might lead her to bring on herself As well might ono have pursued a ttlllothewlsp The elusive figure before him led on through paths beset be-set with difficulties tho miagmlie bog and thicket silently sullenly opposed op-posed themselves to progress Harsh winds struck sudden blows unseen rocks tripped the hastening feet Ills quarry continued her erratic course and he cried out In anguish as he became be-came nwnic from the sound of the breakers that she was making for the sea Would he overtake her In time God help him lie broke from the woods close to the shore her slender figure bending against tho blasts hair and Raiments whipping In the gusts still cruelly beyond be-yond chalice of his overtaking her Though hot panting breaths scorched his throat and nostrils though hIs heart beat against its walls with stilling volicnncnce his Impulse to forestall the tragedy carried him forward for-ward swiftly Hut more quickly she gained the outermost of tho jagged rocks Around her burst the ponderous waves 01 er her head flew the crackling spray the hissing foam licked at her feet To her came no knowledge l of the eager hands the hurrying feet the breathless breath-less cries so rapidly nearing her With set eyes and outstretched arms she stopped forward Into the dark hollow of the next great wave the clutch of the lurking undertow snatched snatch-ed IflT from sight a soh of anguish burst from tho lips of the haggard desperate man who stood kneedeep In the Hood eyes strained to catch a glimpse of the cherished form But the winds beat about his head only tho harder the waves tossed and reared their crests and broke only tho more sullenly I the moon shone down through tho rifts in tho clouds only the more coldly He stumbled Into his dismantled hall ho sought his bedroom to exchange ex-change his drenched garments for others As he paused at the lop of the stairs the lamp In his hand throw welcome rays over the scene of the wild struggle In the upper hall On the floor lay In sad confusion many of his wifes diesses this door of tho wardrobe In which they should hang standing wide open As soon as his hand touched the knob It was evident that the door before him was locked but he shook It to make sure Standing there undecided he fortunately for-tunately coughed fortunately because be-cause it told tho woman on tho other side of the door that her night of horror had ended The doorkey turned turn-ed quickly the door was torn swiftly open a trembling sobbing wife clung hungrily closely In her bewildered husbands arms O Jack Jack 1 thought you would never come I should have gone mad myself If I had not fainted when I heard her In the hall among my dresses dress-es and then trying my door When I came to myself all was so quiet Until I heard your hand on the door I supposed then that they had come to take her back to tho asylum Promise me sweetheart never never to leave me again Her soft cheek was pressed against his own he silently lifted to his lips the little hand that rested In his |