Show lac was gw H I 1 basw B r w VH vit W ll iBy FREDERIC F VAN DE WATER 11 av CHAPTER ix continued 11 if I 1 went on let me keep my amateur standing ill be very glad to escort your niece otherwise as I 1 told you im busy pride goeth before destruction PI miss agatha informed me 4 why dont you finish it I 1 asked 44 and a haughty spirit before a fall she stared at me lor for a long moment then she nodded yes she told roe me 1 I suppose youre right will you be here at eight david with pleasure I 1 said and gathering up my copy went back to the workroom if L lyon on had not opened the door of his apartment as I 1 lett left miss agathas I 1 should have forgotten him entirely hello said he id just about given you up and was on my way out for a paper come in his flat was bright with lights but it had a feeling of emptiness he explained as he took my hat and coat that lone ione and everett had gone tor for a walk hes a lazy dog lyon said easily takes no exercise whatever and of course when theres a strain it simply pulls him all apart here we are he had led me into the living room and pointed to the trophy above the mantelpiece I 1 admired it and with an effort kept from looking behind the couch where the black bearded body had lain lyon ran through his collection with the engaging pride of a child taking down sabers claymores cla ymores ra piers thrusting them upon me to swing and balance while he chatted of their history and where and how he acquired them it was pleasant to see a middle aged man so openly gleeful here he said at last his leathery face glowing are my best be loves and opened a long rosewood box from chamois casing he drew one forth an epee de combat and handed it to me tenderly it was a beautiful weapon a little longer than the french dueling sword a full yard V ard I 1 judged from the etched steel shell of the guard to the button of waxed thread that blunted the point yet sweetly balanced and easy to my hand like it lyon asked artlessly very much I 1 told him it would be a joy to use he looked wistfully about the room 1 I dont suppose he mused that we could I 1 say lets shove the sofa aside and try oh come he urged as I 1 hesitated here are masks he lifted them from the wall and we shant need gloves indulge an old man w whose hose fencing days are over mallory just for a minute or so it will be all I 1 can stand I 1 assure you he had stripped off his j jacket as he talked his enthusiasm and the pleading of the sword in my hand impelled me to follow him we thrust the sofa against the wall put on our masks and faced each other en garde he cried in an odd voice his blade darted for my throat instinct alone prompted my parry he caught my thru thrust st on his guard and the shell uttered a high clear note his riposte grazed my arm the fury of his attack startled me I 1 shifted so that light fell upon his weapon the button that made mine harmless was missing from his the blunt nail head point had broken off the new steel of the fracture was a flickering spark before me I 1 cried a warning and lowered my blade lyon ferriter laughed harshly and lunged CHAPTER X body not mind saved me the reflex centers that keep half forgot ten training helped my sword to engage and delay his I 1 leaped backward barely in time and he had me in in a corner I 1 could retreat no farther our blades bound there was no sound but our breathing and the whisper of steel on steel in that odd instant of delay neither of us spoke I 1 knew it was useless to repeat my warning and he embarked on his purpose had no need for words I 1 parried the deadly spark of that unguarded point As ments half palsy had vanished understanding came in that split second as lightning bares a landscape his face was blurred by the mask but I 1 could see purpose in the pose of 0 his body could feel it in the lant movement of his blade along r my Y own I 1 felt little tear fear it was bar hard d to recognize dea death th in a familiar fa anil far and heretofore safe sport sh shame ame was uppermost in my mind and charrie chame sired anger thought of my own stupidity row aled me by a pose of mystery by fatuous 3 hints to everett and lyon 1 I had asked tor for this I 1 had stuck hyneck my neck out ut while his brother and sister found 1 an alibi elsewhere chere lyon would aou d silence nce me so deftly that no matter what at others might he would w uld be suspect j safe I 1 wondered what he bethought thought I 1 knew ew that made my 1 murder necessary and then had tune time for no further thought HIS word had felt and tested and tapped mine automatically I 1 had responded he feinted now to lift my guard and followed with a lunge that I 1 barely turned he caught my riposte for an instant we faced each other A strange calm held me I 1 had fathomed his purpose and now I 1 understood how he would perform it he was a trained fencer stronger if no quicker than 1 I he held his weapon delicately in the french fashion he could have run me through before now if he had wiped away his instinctive regard tor for my utterly harmless sword but he could not or would not the zest of contest had him eventually he would kill me foully if necessary but first he would match his skill against mine seeking a fair opening through which to drive his point po int steels sibilance sibila banke nw ney and then in the high ahn chaille c of blade upon resonant shell guard an innocent mocking sound I 1 fought carefully knowing that my first mistake would be my last and in in the fascination of contest he tolerated me defense would not serve me he could at any minute catch my harmless blade in his free hand and drive his own point home my sole fragile chance lay in a trick it could be attempted only once it must be tried before the already aching muscles of my sword arm grew weary the blades engaged and parted with clicks and brief sharp sigh ings the shell guards rang brightly we moved against each other w V whatever is on your mind will have to be unloaded while I 1 shave cat footed sharp witted tight bod fed and I 1 felt myself tiring I 1 forced all myself into desperate assault my purpose needed the deftness of long practice which I 1 lacked strength it demanded too and I 1 doubted if I 1 had enough but it was my only chance the apparent wildness of my attack pleased lyon he must have seen in it the flurry before the end and an d so he contented himself merely with parrying my weapon waiting until my vain fury should flag I 1 thought I 1 heard him chuckle as he turned aside my thrust and then for a flash his blade was where I 1 wanted it I 1 threw my life into the trick had taught me my sword whipped about his in clumsy imitation of the french mans deada deadly Y I 1 heard him gasp I 1 saw the epee half torn from his hand he was quick in recovering but I 1 was swifter I 1 leaped forward to pass him and in the leap brought my own weapon down like a whip across the knuckles of his sword hand he grunted behind me I 1 heard the ringing clatter of the dropped epee I 1 reached the table and tore oft off the mask with my left hand my right gripped the ornate hilt of a sixteenth century italian rapier with wit h the long blade ready I 1 whirled lyon had made no effort to retrieve his fallen sword he had taken off his mask and was sucking with a slight frown the hand I 1 had struck his calm was more shocking than fury it saved his life for at the instant I 1 should have run him through right gladly lyon looked up from his injury with a rueful smile and his words made me feel that I 1 had reached in darkness for a step that was not there effective he said quietly though perhaps not quite orthodox tv he seemed for the first time to see the long sword in my hand a and nd lifted his eyebrows he was still breathing fast but was quite unruffled 1 I wondered for a wild instant which one of us was mad his dignity the normal furnishings of the room mocked my recent terror yet I 1 kept the rapier ready entirely unorthodox I 1 agreed striving to match his self possession but necessary and A nd now that weve enlightened each other ill be going goig his bewilderment as I 1 backed toward the door gathering up my outer clothing made me feel silly 1 I dont understand said lyon slowly neither I 1 told him do I 1 with the table between him and me and the door behind me I 1 let go 90 of the rapier and laying aside overcoat and hat ha t thrust anio my jacket janket I 1 kept my eyes on him his expression was so perfectly astonished toni shed that it quickened a doubt this made me angry at myself and I 1 snapped you can stop registering purity of heart look a at t your epee he stared at the weapon 0 on n the floor before him glanced at me in something like fright and bending picked it up he reached out his left hand and tried the broken point with his thumb my godl he said at last exactly I 1 answered color quickened his tanned face he looked from me to the weapon and back again its its why he babbled babble d and then burst out good lord lordman mal lory I 1 might have killed you I 1 admired his acting if acting it were and was ashamed of myself for even questioning its fraudulence I 1 said that was my impression too you thought he groped you thought that I 1 would I 1 never looked the button must have snapped it must be about ah he bent down on his side of the table and rose with the little blob of waxed thread in his hand it wab bled on his trembling palm it snapped off he said in a hushed voice it must have when I 1 tried the steel the memory of the weapon flung by its own resilience shook my belief lyon rocked it further now by asking in mixed indignation dig nation and reproach why you teu tell me man am I 1 not in enough trouble without that he swore proficiently I 1 asked are you deaf by any chance or maybe its just a bad memory I 1 did tell you perhaps I 1 should have stopped to write lyon looked at me a long minute his question was simple and dazing as a punch in the jaw you know that Iwas I 1 was deaf I 1 pulled myself together and jeered congratulations on a fast recovery he shook his head my boy I 1 can read lips but im quite deaf the smile vanished from his lean face and dim horror succeeded it 1 I heard beard you call he be said his voice shook a little 1 I tell what you were saying your face was masked I 1 thought he broke off savagely and shrugged what in hell he stormed do you care what I 1 think or for my apology or for the fact that ill never touch sword again you thought you had every right to think but why mallory in heavens name should I 1 want to kill you I 1 know whether he were honest or not I 1 knew that I 1 could serve myself best by letting him think I 1 believed him so that question I 1 told him also occurred to me he drew himself together with a shudder well he said and gave a crooked smile youve given me something else to think about anyway if the police had found a second body I 1 wish there were something I 1 could do or say or offer as apology for let it go at that I 1 broke in I 1 picked up my hat and coat and left lie he made no movement to follow me I 1 had a bare hour to change and return to the paget apartment when I 1 reached my lodging house I 1 galloped up the stair thrust open the door and paused staring hi accomplice said jerry cochrane 1 I began to think moved again he sat beneath the lighted wall bracket and gave a bland smile I 1 was not too hospitable whatever I 1 told him is on your mind will have to be unloaded d while I 1 shave and dress ive got a date oh ho crooned cochrane and looked at me with take fake mildness something more important than your duty to your paper for which every reporter worthy of the name would give his life blood in round numbers about abou ta a thou sand times as I 1 important to me I 1 told him where I 1 was going while I 1 stripped off coat vest and shirt he said mildly for a country lad you aim high mister I 1 let that pass cochrane droned dronek ive found out something so what I 1 encouraging he blinked and be beamed amed you remember the guy I 1 told yo you u about who went gold hunting with lyon ferriter and never C came ame back th the question stopped me as I 1 turned toward the bureau for m my y shaving kit I 1 nodded horstman it the same cochrane droned dronek this everett Fier ferriter riter the brother does he took look like a heinie 1 Is this I 1 asked rasped by the knowledge that he h hid id something I a game of twenty questions if so lets postpone it look like a heinie of course he jle hes s got a phony oxford abc acc accent ent a 8 little waxed mustache a faintly mauve manner and a letch for cologne he wears a funny expression half hauteur hall half imminent sneeze hes no hermn german TO BE CONTINUED |