Page:Frank Owen - Woman Without Love (1949 reprint).djvu/73

 "Oh, I think I ended a man's career once," she said easily. "At least if I didn't I gave him a headache that was perfect in its way. He was a rat and when I attempted to dispatch him I was guilty of performing a noble deed. However I imagine he recovered. Fellows like that live charmed lives."

Monty lighted a cigarette. "I hope you don't decide some night to catch up on your study of murder," he drawled. "I have a distinct aversion to dying, and I'm downright against being dead."

"As long as you behave yourself," said she, "I'll grant you immunity. But one false step, and I'll graduate."

"Gosh!" he cried. "Can it be possible that from now on I'm going to have two perfect enemies? What have I done to be so favored by the gods?"

One night Louella awakened suddenly from her sleep, choking, breathless, gasping. The room was filled with smoke and it was frightfully hot. She put out her hand to feel for Monty but he was not in bed beside her. Perhaps he was in the living room smoking. Often he sat up, drinking, after she retired.

She sprang from the bed, tore across the room and threw open the window. It was good to be able to breathe the cool air again. She felt as though she had been smothering. The air was refreshing. As she hurriedly dressed she could hear cries coming up from the street. Before the door a huge crowd was collecting. Shouts of, "Fire! Fire!" could be heard all round.

She must get out. Panic seized her as she opened the bedroom door but a tongue of red flame shot into the room and she banged the door shut again. Fortunately there was a fire-escape outside the window. She had thought that it spoiled the face of the building. It looked, she declared, like the bridge of an ugly nose. Now she was thankful for it as a means of escape. In a few seconds she was down in the street, almost unperceived. The crowd was concerned with the fire itself and with the clatter of hoofs as a fire engine drawn by three mighty horses came clanging around the corner.

Louella retreated to a shadowy doorway. Once more her life was being altered by Destiny. It was being burned away from