pale contours.

Into their absorption came a shattering knock upon the door. Instantly
the nightmare was upon Maria Angelina. She was tense, her eyes wide, her
lips parted. And as the knock was repeated, one hand, wide-fingered in
fright, was raised as if to ward off some palpable blow.

"Oh, let me hide," she breathed across the table into Barry Elder's
ears.

Fortunately the latch was on the door.

"Who's there?" said Barry Elder raising his voice to cover her
reiterated whisper. In negation he gestured her to silence.

"Hello, hello there, I say!"

It was the voice of Johnny Byrd and Maria Angelina half rose from her
chair and clutched Barry Elder's arm as he moved towards the summons.

"Do not let him in," she gasped. "That is the man--last night----"

The dog's barking was drowning her words. Johnny called again.

"Anybody in? Here you wake up--anybody here?"

Barry Elder had stood still at her words. His expression changed. He
turned and pointed to a blanket from the floor flung over a chair.

She slipped behind it.

Calling to his dog to behave and keep still, Barry stepped over to the
door and opened it.

"Oh, Barry Elder! Gee, I thought this was your place but I didn't know
you were here," Johnny Byrd declared in relief. "I saw the smoke and
knew there was somebody about. . . . Gee, have you got any food?"

Slowly Barry surveyed him.

Johnny Byrd was not punctiliously turned out; he was streaked and
muddied; his blue eyes were rimmed with red as if his night's rest had
not been wholly soothing; he had no cap and his hair had clearly been
combed back by fingers into its restless roach.

Barry's eyes appreciated each detail. "Hello, Johnny," he remarked
without affability. "How did you happen to toddle over for breakfast?"

Johnny was not critical of tones. "Oh, never mind the damned details,"
he said bitterly. "Gawd, I could eat a raw cow. . . . Say, you haven't
seen any one pass here lately, have you? I mean has any one been by at
all?"

"I haven't seen any one pass here at all," said Barry Elder.

"Sure? But have you been looking out? Say, what other way is there--Oh,
my Lord, is that coffee? Or do I only dream I smell it? I haven't had a
bite since the middle of yesterday. Let me get to it."

But Barry Elder did not spring to the duties of his hostship. He did not
even move aside to permit Johnny Byrd to spring to his own
assistance--which Johnny showed every symptom of doing. He co