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 They had hooded affairs, of gas-mask pattern over their heads, and they were at the door of the directors' room.

"Don't go in!" Doris cried to them. "No mask's any good! Don't let them in!" she cried to me.

Apparently they did not hear and Doris jerked toward them. I held her and shoved her back of me. "Don't go in, Reed!" I called and at that moment, though I did not know it, I must have let Doris go.

I was watching the men and calling to them again; they had the door open a little; now they dropped back, but they could look in.

"They're dead," said Reed's voice.

"Sure," said the other. Then I missed Doris; and when I saw her, she was at the top of the stairs where she had first appeared. She had the door open and she was standing in it, looking back; then she slammed it. I was after her, but she had too good a lead. On the third floor, she entered the Sencort offices and left me on the back stairs with a bolted door between us.

I beat upon it and shouted and then realized, too late, that my best chance was to go to the ground and head her off. Of course I never headed her; she was gone.