Such a look as swept his face startled the girl. The hideous nature of the man was now revealed in all its naked deformity. She shrank from him as she would have shrunk from a venomous serpent. He continued to smile and stroke his glossy beard. "You see how it is, my dear," he proceeded. "The wisest thing you can do is to submit to the inevitable." He advanced as lie spoke. She recoiled with a shudder of wild alarm. "Back, scoundrel! Do not touch me!" she cried, warningly, an indignant, perhaps dangerous, fire blazing in her eye. Again the demon laughed. "You seem to take my love-making hard, Miss Darrel." "Not another step," warned Nell. "Ho! ho! ho! Would you try to frighten me? You can't do that, I've tamed more than one such as you. Come, be sensible, and let me have one kiss at least." Again he advanced. CLICK! Harper Elliston uttered a low yet startled cry and shrank back in alarm. A cocked derringer gleamed in the hand of Nell Darrel, and the open muzzle was pointed at his breast. This was as disagreeable as it was unexpected. A low-muttered oath fell from the lips of the baffled villain. "Girl, have a care, that weapon may go off," he cried, in a voice husky with disappointment and rage. "It WILL go off if you do not depart at once," she answered, with all the sternness she was able to muster. "Hand that pistol to me." "Never! Its contents you will get if you dare advance another step." Harper Elliston realized that he was baffled for the present. He had never suspected the presence of a weapon on the person of Nell Darrel, else he would have disarmed her at the outset. After a moment of hesitancy the villain turned and strode from the place. When Nell attempted to follow she was confronted by a solid oak door that Elliston had quickly closed and locked behind him. With a low moan Nell retreated and sank weak and trembling on the miserable cot, and for the next few minutes gave free rein to her alarm in tears. In the meantime Elliston hurried above, and confronted Madge Scarlet with a terrible frown on his brow. "You and that red-headed Professor have played a smart trick on me, old woman, a mighty smart trick; but let me tell you it won't go down for a cent. I don't like it much, neither." "Eh? I don't understand," said Mrs. Scarlet. "I'll make you understand," and Elliston advanced angrily upon the woman, and raised his hand. "Strike if you dare!" She looked ugly at that moment. "You're just capable of strikin' a woman," sneered Madge Scarlet. "I've seen such critters before. God never meant them for men, however." Mr. Elliston held his hand. He saw that he had come near making a mistake. "Forgive me, Mrs. Scarlet," he said in a subdued voice. "I was beside myself, but I had reason to be. Do you know that Nell Darrel is armed?" "No." "She IS, nevertheless, with a pistol. She's a perfect tigress, and would as soon shoot me as not. I shall leave it for you to get the weapon from her."