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 and landed him on the
hall carpet, while a well directed blow sent the flabby Irishman sprawling