um and moonlight
in the postscenium was rent away by the glare of the full complement of
electric lights installed in the house.

A thought later, while still all were blinking and gasping with
surprise, Max strode into view just behind the footlights. Halting, he
swept the array of auditors with an ominous and truculent stare.

So quickly was this startling change consummated that Whitaker had no
more than time to realize the reappearance of the manager before he
caught his wrathful and venomous glance fixed to his own bewildered
face. And something in the light that flickered wildly behind Max's eyes
reminded him so strongly of a similar expression he had remarked in the
eyes of Drummond, the night the latter had been captured by Ember and
Sum Fat, that in alarm he half rose from his seat.

Simultaneously he saw Max spring toward the box, with a distorted and
snarling countenance. He was tugging at something in his pocket. It
appeared in the shape of a heavy pistol.

Instantly Whitaker was caught and tripped by Ember and sent sprawling on
the floor of the box. As this happened, he heard the voice of the
firearm, sharp and vicious--a single report.

Unhurt, he picked himself up in time to catch a glimpse of Max, on the
stage, momentarily helpless in the embrace of a desperate and frantic
woman who had caught his arms from behind and, presumably, had so
deflected his arm. In the same breath Ember, who had leaped to the
railing round the box, threw himself across the footlights with the
lithe certainty of a beast of prey and, seemingly in as many deft
motions, knocked the pistol from the manager's hand, wrested him from
the arms of the actress, laid him flat and knelt upon him.

With a single bound Whitaker followed him to the stage; in another he
had his wife in his arms and was soothing her first transports of
semi-hysterical terror....

* * * * *

It was possibly a quarter of an hour later when Ember paused before a
door in the ground floor dressing-room gangway of the Theatre Max--a
door distinguished by the initials "S L" in the centre of a golden star.
With some hesitation, with even a little diffidence, he lifted a hand
and knocked.

At once the door was opened by the maid, Elise. Recognizing Ember, she
smiled and stood aside, making way for him to enter the small, curtained
lobby.

"Madam--and Monsieur," she said with smiling significance, "told me to
show you in at onc