nt. There is no need to detail the catastrophe. It
came suddenly, and the knife did not flash. Sick and thinking of
himself, Eugene stood staring at the figure lying before him upon the
reddening floor. A rabble fought with the quick policemen at the
doors, and then the lights went out, extinguished by the proprietor,
living up to his reputation for always being thoughtful of his patrons.
The place had been a nightmare; it became a black impossibility. Eugene
staggered to one of the open windows, from the sill of which a man had
just leaped.

"Don't jump," said a voice close to his ear. "That fellow broke his
leg, I think, and they caught him, anyway, as soon as he struck the
pavement. It's a big raid. Come this way."

A light hand fell upon his arm and he followed its leading, blindly, to
find himself pushed through a narrow doorway and down a flight of
tricky, wooden steps, at the foot of which, silhouetted against a
street light, a tall policeman was on guard. He laid masterful hands on
Eugene.

"'SH, Mack!" whispered a cautious voice from the stairway. "That's a
friend of mine and not one of those you need. He's only a student and
scared to death."

"Hurry," said the policeman, under his breath, twisting Eugene sharply
by him into the street; after which he stormed vehemently: "On yer
way, both of ye! Move on up the street! Don't be tryin' to poke yer
heads in here! Ye'd be more anxious to git out, once ye got in, I tell
ye!"

A sob of relief came from Bantry as he gained the next corner, the
slight figure of his conductor at his side. "You'd better not go to
places like the 'Straw-Cellar,'" said the latter, gravely. "I'd been
watching you for an hour. You were dancing with the girl who did the
cutting."

Eugene leaned against a wall, faint, one arm across his face. He was
too ill to see, or care, who it was that had saved him. "I never saw
her before," he babbled, incoherently, "never, never, never! I thought
she looked handsome, and asked her if she'd dance with me. Then I saw
she seemed queer--and wild, and she kept guiding and pushing as we
danced until we were near that man--and then she--then it was all
done--before--"

"Yes," said the other; "she's been threatening to do it for a long
time. Jealous. Mighty good sort of a girl, though, in lots of ways.
Only yesterday I talked with her and almost thought I'd calmed her out
of it. But you can't tell with some women. They'll brigh