The white cat . eath was gone. I saw it on the floor,381 THE WHITE CAT trampled out of shape. Her liair had fallenover her shoulders, but its disarray waslovely. Her filmy, sparkling gown was rentand spotted from her falls. She had taken refuge behind an overthrowntable and stood with her revolver her head was a drifting cloud of smoke,about her a wild confusion of disorderedfurniture. A shaft of sunlight played uponher disheveled costume. In the stable, Iheard the dogs barking frantically. So much I observed in one flash—the pic-ture will always be with me as distinct asa photograp
The white cat . eath was gone. I saw it on the floor,381 THE WHITE CAT trampled out of shape. Her liair had fallenover her shoulders, but its disarray waslovely. Her filmy, sparkling gown was rentand spotted from her falls. She had taken refuge behind an overthrowntable and stood with her revolver her head was a drifting cloud of smoke,about her a wild confusion of disorderedfurniture. A shaft of sunlight played uponher disheveled costume. In the stable, Iheard the dogs barking frantically. So much I observed in one flash—the pic-ture will always be with me as distinct asa photograph—^but I had no time to speak,or even to think what I should do next, for,after that momentary pause, she bent for-ward deliberately and fired at me point-blank. I felt a sting on my left arm where herbullet grazed, but, without stopping tofind whether I was hurt or not, I fired withboth pistols at once, and went forward ather. The sound of the double shot in theclosed room was terrific. Her eyes, staring382. She was handsome—terrible. Page j8l THE WHITE CAT and fascinated, kept on me for an instant as ifshe were paralyzed, then she screamed again—^her voice rivaled the pistol shots—and,suddenly pushing the table with all her mightagainst me, she ran for the door. As shepassed, I shot again. The din was madden-ing. It was not my intention to finish with herthere, though, and again I gave her a chanceto escape, driving her before me. As shedashed out she brushed against a framedMadonna upon the wall and it came crashingdown. She stxunbled on the threshold—Ithought she would never get away—and,moaning pitifully, she half ran, half felldown the stairway. i It was a dirty piece of business. I wassickened by it. But, having gone so far, Ihad no thought of stopping till I had ac-complished my object. I gave her a mo-ment s time, therefore, and then, leaving thathorrid smoking chaos in her room, I followedher. She had gone out the front door and383 THE WHITE CAT turned t
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