lash of thought she saw herself overpowered and carried into
hiding before her husband should return. But with a supreme effort she
controlled herself, and faced her tormentor with unflinching gaze. Though
her strength had deserted her at first, every faculty was now keen and
collected. As if nothing unusual were happening, she put out her cold,
trembling fingers, and laid them firmly over the electric button on the
wall. Then with new strength coming from the certainty that some one would
soon come to her aid, she opened her lips to speak.

"What are you doing here, Richard?"

"I've come after you, my lady. A nice chase you've led me, but you shall
pay for it now."

The cruelty in his face eclipsed any lines of beauty which might have been
there. The girl's heart froze within her as she looked once more into
those eyes, which had always seemed to her like sword-points.

"I shall never go anywhere with you," she answered steadily.

He seized her delicate wrist roughly, twisting it with the old wrench with
which he had tormented her in their childhood days. None of them saw the
stranger who was quietly walking down the hall toward them.

"Will you go peaceably, or shall I have to gag and bind you?" said
Richard. "Choose quickly. I'm in no mood to trifle with you any longer."

Although he hurt her wrist cruelly, she threw herself back from him and
with her other hand pressed still harder against the electric button. The
bell was ringing furiously down in the office, but the walls were thick
and the halls lofty. It could not be heard above.

"Catch that other hand, Mike," commanded Richard, "and stuff this in her
mouth, while I tie her hands behind her back."

It was then that Mary screamed. The man in the shadow stepped up behind
and said in a low voice:

"What does all this mean?"

The two men, startled, dropped the girl's hands for the instant. Then
Richard, white with anger at this interference, answered insolently: "It
means that this girl's an escaped lunatic, and we're sent to take her
back. She's dangerous, so you'd better keep out of the way."

Then Mary Dunham's voice, clear and penetrating, rang through the halls:

"Tryon, Tryon! Come quick! Help! Help!"

As if in answer to her call, the elevator shot up to the second floor, and
Tryon Dunham stepped out in time to see the two men snatch Mary's hands
again and attempt to bind them behind her back.

In an instant he had seized Richard by the collar