t
a
TREY 0'
SEVENTH INSTALLMENT
The photo-drama corresponding to the tnsialfmamft of
The Trey 0' Hearts" may now be seen at the kitting
moving picture ihttters. By this union arrangement
iHh the Universal Film Mfg. Co. H is therefore not only
possible to read " The Trey O'JIearts" tn this paper,
tut Uo to tee each MaOmrnt cf it ot th moving .
picture theaters.
(Copyright, lfl. by Loula Joseph Vanoa.)
STALEMATE.
rryorun n f nrta th -th ien" r-
fcloyrd iijr Mrnrra Trta In th arlvat war of vinpmrt
which, through th ncy of hi dauhtr Jadlta, a wo
rm of violent palon Ilk hi m, h ;lnt
Alaa I.w, ton of th tnn (now 4a) wham Tria held
. rrnlhl for th accident which render him a holplea
rrlpplr. Alan I In lor with . Jadttb'a twin and
douni. but In all alaa hr oppoalt. Jaditk tow t com
paaa Alaa'a daath, but nndrr dramatl clrromatanc h
art hr lif and aa. onwlttlnaljr and vnwllllncljr, win
hr lov. Thrftr Jadlta I by tura wrkd upon by
th aid htrd, th aw lor. aad'Jaalauay at br alatar
I THE HOU8E DIVIDED.
Alone tn that strange place of silence and shad
ows that den of the devil's livery, crimson and
black chained to the Invalid chair wherein, day
In, day out, for years on end, he bad suffered the
Promethean torments of the life that would not
die out of his wretched, wrecked carcass, though
without ceasing sharp-beaked envy, hatred, malice
and all uncbarltableness pecked insatiably at his
vitals, Seaeea Trine sat waiting, with the Im
passivity of a graven figure waiting on his Immi
nent hour of ultimate avengement for the wrong
that had made him what he was.
"Another hour! ... In sixty minutes more
they will be here, Judith and Marrophat and Rose
poor fool! and him! ... In sixty minutes
nor they will put blm down before me, bound and
helpless, It not dead . . ."
A slight pause prefaced words that were a whim
pered prayer: "Ood send that he he not dead!
Have I lingered here tn anguish all these weary
years for the fulfillment of my revenge only to be
cheated at the end by teath? Ood grant that
Alan Law may be laid down still living here at
my feet! . . . Then . . ."
A bitter smile twisted his tortured features:
Then shall my will be1 done to him!. And then,
when I have seen blm die as his father died then
i -Ah, Ood! then at last I too may die! . . ."
There was a long sllenoe, then a groan of ex
asperated protest: "Why do they not come? Why
does Judith delay, when she knows how I suffer?
Why have I been put off from day to day with her
telegrams that begged for more time and prom
ised everything but told nothing! until yester
day . . . Where are those messages, she sent me
yesterday?"
His one sound band groped out like a claw and
ought a mass of papers on the desk beside him,
sorting out from among them two yellow forms.
Painfully he. blinked over these and slowly his
pain-bent Hps conned thetr wording:
"'Alan and Rose safe with me will bring both
home tomorrow night without fall,'" he read the
first aloud; and then the second: "'Have motor
car waiting for me tomorrow morning from three
'clock till called for New Bedford waterfront
Judith.'" "No!" he affirmed with the fervor of one per
evaded by his own desires: "I must not doubt the
girl! She has promised, she has performed."
So still was he, Indeed, that he seemed to sleep;
but so deceptive was that semblance that he was
alert for the least sound. The girl entered softly,
as If fearful of disturbing his slumbers; but she
found blm with head erect and eyes a blate.
"Judith!" he cried, his great voice vibrating like
a braien bell. "At last! Where la he? You have
brought him? Where Is he?"
With no more answer than a sigh, the girl
drooped her head and let her hands hsng limply
with palm's exposed.
After an Instant of incredulous disappointment
the man shot a single, frigid question at her:
"Ton have failed V
1 have failed," she confessed..
"Why?"
She shrugged slightly. "Who knows why one
tails? I did my best: he was too much for me,
outwitted me at every turn. Time and again I
thought I bad him, but always he escsped, either
by his own wit and courage or with another's aid.
Only yesterday night they were all three in the hol
low of my hands but now I bring you only Rose."
She fsltered, awed by the glare of his infuriated
eyes. "Let me explain," she begged.
He snapped her short: "You cannot explain.
The thing Is impossible, that you should have
failed. There Is something beneath this, some
thing you will not tell roe."
His band sought the row of buttons on the desk
and pressed one long.
Almost instantly a servant glided noiselessly Into
the room.
"My daughter Rose have her brought here to
me at once!"
In another moment the replica of his daughter
Judith was ushered Into his presence.
. Upon this one he loosed the lightnings of his
wrath without ruth.
Rose suffered him In silence. Ills most galling
recrimination educed no retort from thla one.
In a lull tn Trlne's tlrsde, Judith chose to Inter-,
ject: "Don't be so hard on the silly fool: she's
sot responsible; she's sick with love for that good
looking simpleton!"
"And you!" Rose turned on her passionately
"what about you? If I love Alan Law, at least I
lore blm openly. I'm not ashamed to own It and
I don't pursue him. as you do. pretending I mean
to sacrifice him to a wicked family feud, and then
spare him every time I meet him, to lead him to
believe I haven't the heart to Injure him as you
do, hoping so to work upon his sympathies and
earn a kindly word and a pat on the head from
his hand!"
Fiercely she leveled a denunciatory arm at her
sister. "There!" she cried to her father "If you
need to know there stands the daughter who has
betrayed your faith as I have not, who have never
even pretended to approve your villainy!"
VJ think," Trine announced In a voice of Ice "I
have learned now what I needed to know."
His fingers sought the row of Jmttons; and
when a servsnt responded, be Inquired:
"Mr. Marrophat has returned?"
"He Is tn the waiting room, sir."
"Conduct Miss Judith to blm and tell hint I hold
him personally responsible for her safe-keeping.
He will understand."
And for a long time thereafter the father, alone
LOUIS
with the daughter who hd been estranged from
him alnc birth br every Inatlnct af her nature),
essayed In Tain to break down her mutinous al
ienee. At la t Trlns summoned two of his creatures
and had her led weeping from the room to be held
prisoner tn her bedchamber on the topmost floor
of the house, .
n-A SPORTING OFFER.
Some two hours later, that same evening, Mr.
Alan Law, very much alive and. In spite of a com
plete new outfit of ready-made clothing, looking
much more like himself than he had In a fort
night, Issued forth. from the Orand Central station,
hailed a taxlcab, and had himself conveyed to the
Hotel Monolith.
But If be looked his proper self once more, It
speedily was demonstrated that his wish was other
wise, for after -learning from the room-clerk of the
Monolith that a suite was being held In the name
of Arthur Lawrence, that was the name Mr. Law
inscribed on the register.
On the other hand, it was his true name that he
gave to the person whom he called upon the tele
phone Immediately after being shown to his rooms.
' Alan's Appearance at the Hotel Monolith Cre
ated a 6tlr.
Rut then he was speaking to his old friend and
man of business, Mr. Digby. x
Within another ten minutes thla last was In con
ference with his employer.
"I think you must be out of your head," Digby
insisted nervously, once their first greetings were
over. "You might Just as sensibly throw yourself
from the top of the Metropolitan tower a. coma
to New York while Trine Uvea and knows you'ra
this side the water."
"Nonsense!" Alan laughed. "Remember this Is
New York not the backwoods of Maine!"
Alan paused and smote hla palm with a remorse
ful fist. "By the Eternal, I'm forgettlng,Barcus!"
"Barcusr
"Chap whose boat I chartered In Portland sheer
luck on my part: he's one of the salt of the earth.
First, something must be done for the boy. You've
got influence of some sort In Now Bedford, surely?"
DigTy reflected: "Some. There's George Blaine,
Justice of the peace "
"The very man. Telegraph him .In Barcus' Inter
ests immediately. And telegraph Barcus as well
send him a hundred for expenses and tell him
to Join me here in New York as quick as he can!"
"Your friend's address?" Digby Inquired, mildly
Ironic as he sat down at the desk and fumbled with
the supply of stationery.
"New Bedford Jail, of course!" Alan chuckled
but cut his laugh in two as something fluttered
from the pack of envelopes which Digby had dis
turbed and fell to the floor between the two men.
Face up. It grinned sardonic mockery of Alan's
confidence: It was a Trey of Hearts.
With an ashen face and a trembling hand, Digby
stooped to pick the damned thing up; but Alan
was beforehand with him, and got his fingers first
upon the card.
"Now will you believe' Digby demandad huskily.
"In what? A simple coincidence?" Alan flouted.
"Not I! Who knows I'm in New York or that
the Arthur Lawrence for whom your agent engaged
these rooms was Alan L"w. No, my friend: It's a
bit too thick for me. Take my word for It, this Is
nothing mora nor less than a souvenir of a poker
party held by yesterday's tenant of this suite."
"Perhaps perhaps!" Digby assented, stroking
tremulous Hps. "But I'm afraid for you, my boy.
Who knows that Trlne's spies ere not watching
my man when he made this reservation? Who
knows but that 'Arthur Lawrence' was too thin a
disguise for Alan Law? I tell you, I'm frightened
to the marrow of my old bones! Do me this favor
at least, my boy: now that you've been warned,
whether by accident or design we won't argue
that do leave town go Incognito to some quiet
place near by and wait there for the sailing of the
next transatlantic steamer. Oh, surely you can't
deny me this one wish of my fond ol heart, my
boy!"
With a gesture of unfeigned affection Alan
dropped a hand on Dlgby's shoulder
"There's nothing on earth I would not do for
you," he said. "You'va been a father and a mother
to me ever since I can remember, even If we were
separated, most of the time, by three thousand
miles of salt water. But this thing I can't do It,
even for you. I can't do It even for myself. Rose
Trine Is here tn New York. In the hands and at
the merry of her father and sister: and you may
Judge what their mercy will be when you learn all
that she has done for me, "l -won't go and I can't
go until I find her and take her with me. And
that Is final."
"Then," Digby struck In. grasping wildly at a
straw of hope, "I have your word youH go, provid
ing I find and restore Rose to you?"
"Yon have my word to that, unquestionably.
Bring Rose to me. and Ml gladly shake the dust of
New York from my shoes, and never return till
Trine Is put away comfortably la his gTava."
JOSEPH
"It shall be done," Digby promised. "It must!"
"You believe that?"
"In twelve hours Rose shall be restored to you."
"Will you make a book on It? I'll bet you some
thing handsome and hope I lose Into the bargain.
If you believe you can carry out your promise, wire
the White Star line to reserve the host available
suite on the Oceanic, sailing tomorrow morning at
ten and make arrangements for a marriage before
the boat sails!"
"I'll go you," Digby agreed: "and if I fail. I for
feit the cost of the reservation. But about this
marriage"
He hesitated.
"You'll have to have a license In this state and
can't get one except by applying in person with
your bride-to-be. There won't be time "
"Then we'll marry in Jersey!" Alan Insisted.
"Dig up some clergyman over thereof you don't
know one yourself "
"Oh, I'm well acquainted with the very man!"
Ill THE TIME 'O NIGHT.
Not Ill-pleased to bo left to his own devices
(whose proposed character Digby would never have
approved had he so much an suspected them) Alan
aw
B II if nil. f i
Judith Disclosed a
none the less deferred action until after midnight'
And espionage was all he feared save and ex
cept always, of course, failure to And his Rose.
It was about one in the morning whon he ar
rived Inconspicuously (but not so much so as to
seem deserving of police surveillance) In the
neighborhood of the Riverside drive home of his
mortal enemy, a grim white house that towered,
stark and tall, upon a corner.
His preliminary reconnoissance provided little
more than comfortless exercise. Huge, still, its
wall bathed in the milk and ink of moonlight and
shadow, all its windows dark but one and .that
one. In the topmost tier, showed only a feeble glim
mer, so slight that Alan almost overlooked it.
But once discovered. It focused upon itself his
thoughts with a power little less than hypnotic.
He believed with small doubt that Rose was a
prisoner within those walls: that Judith must have
conveyed her there with all speed. '
And, this being the presumptive case, that small,
high window of the light might well be hers.
f Directly across the street from the Trine resi
dence, on the opposite corner, a colossal apartment
structure stood half-finished, stonework to Its sec
ond story, gaunt Iron skeleton rearing above.
To his Infinite disgust, Alan found the guardian
very wide awake, very much on the Job: no chance
here to steal unseen Into the building.
This In Itself might have been deemed a sus
picious circumstance: not for nothing does an hon
est night watchman so deny the laws of nature and
the tenets of his craft. But Alan merely praised
the man while cursing the very fact of his exist
ence; and, accosting, overcame wlih bank-notes
what seemed an uncommonly stubborn reluctance,
and got his ay.
He could not know that another skulked behind
a barrier of lime barrels and overheard all that
passed and. when Alan had ducked smartly into
the unfinished building, rose and stole after him
with footsteps as noiseless as a cat'a and a face
that had the savagery of a tiger's when it was
transiently relieved In a shaft of moonlight.
At length Alan gained the gridiron of girders
on a plane with the lighted window across the way,
and crept along one of these, gingerly on his hands
and knees, until he came to its end and might, if
he cared to, look down a hundred feet to the side
walks. That view, however, did not tempt; he kept his
eyes level; and was rewarded with a bare glimpse
of a prettily-papered wall, framed in the lace of
half-drawn curtains.
And of sudden whether through fortuity, or in
stinct, or the psychological attraction of hla stead
fast concentration th tenant of the room came
to the window and stood there for a little, looking
pensively out, altogether unconscious of the watch
ar in his aerial coign.
Again a horrible uncertainty harassed him. Was
VANCE
the woman Rose or Judith? That she was one of
these he could plainly see. But which? Dared
be assume his hopes fulfilled? N
With difficulty he detached his hungry vision
from her, and drawing from his posket a small
notebook, tore out a blank page, placed this flat
on the girder, found a pencil, and with the assist
ance of a ray or two of -moonlight scrawled a mes
- sage of almost stenographic brevity.
When he looked up from this task, she had van
ished. Sitting up, astride the glr.er, he took his watch
a cheap affair he had picked up when reclothlng
himself In the garments of civilized society, at
Providence, that morning opened the back of the
case, and closed it upon the folded message. '
Then drawing back his arm. he breathed a si
lent prayer to the god of all true lovers, snd cast
it from him with all his might with such force
that it almost unseated him at the end of the
swing. But nothing We would have served to
bridge that yawning chasm.
And the watch flew straight and true, squarely
through the lighted window and to the further
wall ...
In that very instant of his exultation over an
obstacle overcome, he heard a sound behind him
of heavy breathing.
The assassin had come that close upon his prey
when Alan turned and discovered his peril.
The same moonbeam which had aided Alan in
the composition of his message struck across the
other's face, and showed it like a hideous Chinese
mask of deadly hatred, with Its eyeballs glaring
and Its Hps drawn back from the naked blade
gripped between Its teeth stiletto nothing short
of a foot In length.
With a sharp, startled movement, Alan swung
himself bodily about, so that, seated again astride
the girder, he faced the assassin, who sat up, strad
llng the girder, his feet hooked beneath It, and the
stiletto poised In a lifted hand.
But even now Alan was in little or no better case
than before. If he faced the thug, he faced him
Bottle Labeled Poison.
with no arms other thanhis bare hands. He had
not even a pen-knife In his pockets.
With a low cry of desperation he snatched off
shis hat, a soft and shapeless felt affair, and flung
it squarely in the fellow's face. .
Before he could recover before, that Is, It
dropped away and cleared his vision, Alan had bent
forward and grasped the wrist of the hand that
held the knife.
He snatched simultaneously at the other hand,
but It eluded him.
Immediately the two became engaged in a fu
rious contest for possession of the stiletto.
Alan had this advantage, as long as the knife
might not strike that his right arm was free,
while the assassin had only his left. With this he
strove persistently to reach his knife-hand and pos
sess himself of the weapon. As persistently Alan
foiled his purpose by dragging the knife-hand
toward him and swinging it far out to one side.
At the same time he struck repeatedly with his
clenehed flst at the other's face. His blows did
little damage beyond disconcerting the other; but
this proved a very considerable factor in the duel.
In the end, they served together with that steady,
reslstlessly downward and outward drag, to break
the grip of the man's locked legs.
Abruptly he rltched forward on his face along
the girder, kicking wildly, grasping at the air. The
stiletto fell from an instinctively relaxed grasp,
and disappeared. And before Alan oould releasa
his hold, or ease the strain upon the right arm of
the assassin, this last had slipped bodily from the
"girder and hung helpless In space, dangling at the
end of Alan's arm with no more than the grip of
five fingers between him and death.
The shock of that unpresaged turn brought Alan
forward and flat on his stomach. And the strain
on his left arm was terrific. He doubted if he
conld maintain it for another minute. Nor was
there any reason why he should retain it. The end
he had designed for his victim was merely hla
Just deserts. -
And yet Alan could not let Mm go.
Thus the battle began anew but now it was a
bsttle with a man half-crazed with fright and strug
gllng so madly that he well-nigh frustrated the ef
forta of his rescuer.
In the upshot the assarsin lay like a limp rag
across the girder, head and arms dangling on one
side, legs and feet on the other, spent with his
terrific exertions and physically sick with terror.
And In this state Alan left blm: he had done
enough: let the man shift for himself from this
time on.
t IV CHANGELING,
-n the vague, chill gray of that dull and desolate
dawn. Judith stirred abruptly on the couch of a
sleepless night, and with the rapidity of one who
has arrived at a settled purpose after a long period
of doubt and perplexity, rose and bathed and
dressed herself in negligee.
In the adjoining room she could hear small,
stealthy noises the sounds made by her sister
moving about and preparing against the unguess
able moment when her rescue would be attempted,
according to the information conveyed In that mid
night message.
For chance had conspired with her insomnia to
station Judith tn the recess of her darkened win
dow, Idlj viewing the gaunt framework of the un
finished building from an angle which, when Alan
edged out along the girder, showed him plainly In
sllhouatte against the sky.
In Judith's eyes his identity was unmistakable.
She had seen him throw the watch and had
heard the double thump of Its Impact with the wall
and floor of Rose's bedchamber.
And she had witnessed, with wildly beating heart
that duel in the air able to surmise Its outcome
only from the fact that the victor spared the life
of the vanquished.
The clock was striking six as she left her room:
across the street .worklngmen were streaming into
the bull?' jg to begin the labors of the day.
Brushing unceremoniously past the drowsy and
lr.diffp-ent guard In the corridor outside the door
to Roso's r m, Judith turned the key that re
mained in the lock on the outride, removed it,
entere", and locked the door behind her.
Without any surprise she found her sister al
ready dressed to the point of donning her outer
garments.
Rendered half-frantic by this unexpected inter
ruption, threatening as it did the perilous scheme
that Alan had proposed. Rose greeted her sister
with a countenance at once aghast and wrathful.
"I insist that you leave this room at once!"
"Insist by nil means and be damned! I may
leave this room and I may not. dear little sister.
But one of us will never leave it alive."
. With a start of terror. Rose shrank back from
this strange, wild thing that wore the very shape
and semblance of herself.
"What do you mean? You cannot mean to mur
der me in cold blood, Judith?"
"Not I!" Judith laughed harshly. "But. since it
has pleased Destiny to decree that o must boO
love one man let Destiny decide between us and
bear the blame of murder!"
"Judith!"
"One moment!" Crossing to a Bide table. Judith
took up a glass from a tray that held a silver
water-pitcher, and returned with It to the table
that occupied the middle of the floor. At the same
time she opened a hand till then fast clenched
and disclqsed a small blue bottle with a red label
shrieking the warning "POISON!"
"Strychnine," she explained composedly. 'In so
lution." And emptied the bottle into the glass.
A measure of courage returned to Rose. "Do
you expect to be able to make nje drink that?"
she demanded contemptuously.
"Not I but Destiny, if it will! See here." From
a pocket of b?r dressing-gown Judith produced a
eealed deck of playing cards. "Let these declare
the will of Destiny toward us. I will break the
seal, shuffle the cards, Rnd deal," she explained,
suiting action to word. "The one who gets the
Trey of Hearts will drain that glass. Is It a bar
gain?" "Never! Oh, now I know that you are altogether
mad!"
Whipping a small revolver from another pocket
of her dressing-gown, Judith placed it on the table,
ready tb her hand.
"You will shoot me if I do not consent?"
"Not you but him. If you refuse, little sister.
I will shoot Alan. Law dead when he comes to
keep his appointment with you."
With a shudder Rose bowed her head.
"Deal," she muttered fearfully, "and may God
Judge between us!"
One by one she stripped the cards from the top
of the deck, dealing first to Rose, then to herself.
The Trey of Hearts fell to Judith.
There was an instant of silent dread, ended by
Rose, as Judith's hand moved steadily toward the
glass.
"Judith!" she Implored. "Don't I beg of you
I didn't mean It I take back my consent"
"Too late!" said Judith, lifting the glass and
eyeing its contents wlth a strange smile.
' "Judith! you cannot mean to 'drink it?"
"Can't I, though?" the other laughed mirthlessly.
"Just watch me!"
With a strangled cry Rose covered her face with
her hands to shut out the sight, stood momentarily
swaying, and dropped to the floor in a complete
faint.
Delaying only to recognize this phenomena with
a pitying smile for the weakness "of spirit that
caused it, her glance darted through the window
and saw that which caused her to stay her hand
an instant longer.
On the topmost tier of girders of the building op
posite, Alan Law stood amid a little, knot of
amused and animated laborers, one foot in the
great steel hook of the hoisting tackle, both hands
clasping the chain that linked it to the glgantlo
block.
And as Judith stared, he smiled at something
said by one of tbose'about htm. looked back, and
waved a hand to some person invisible.
Immediately the arm began to lift, the tackle to
move slowly through the blocks. Very gently ha
was swung up and outward. ...
With a cry Judith flung the poison heedlessly
from her, leaped across the room, and snatched up
the street garments Rose bad dropped at her sis
ter's entrance.
In another moment she raa struggling madly
into them.
Before the shadow of Alan, clinging to the hoofc
and chain, fell athwart the window. Bhe was
dressed and clambered out upon the sill.
"Sweetheart! My bravest little woman!"
By way of answer Judith breathed only a word
of tenderness.
The hook hung steady within six inches of tha
window-ledge. Alan extended his arm.
"Nothing to fear, except lest I hold you too tight,
dear one!"
Immediately they were swung away from tha
window, over toward- the opposite sidewalk, and
gently lowered to the street.
"Sr't and sound and cot a soul over there the
wiser as yet!" he declared with a derisive nod
toward the home of Trine. "Come along. Here'a
a limousine waiting. In twenty minutes we'll be
at the ferry. In forty over in Jersey, within an houf
married, within four hours safe at tea!"
ITo be continued.)
