Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 16, 1921 — page 78: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

EYES OF THE DEAD. ed to do little; "Leesah had but to doff her over-robe, and then she was ready to appear in her stage costume—that of an odalesque —pink and blue satin, with tiny slippers with their toes upcurled, Tartar fashion. The talk outside buzzed, mounted. Peeping out from time to time, Pierre and "Leesah could note how folk kept apart from Troiville-and how he tried to carry off his impending disgrace with an air. "Leesah lolled in the alcove on some cushions there. Pierre stood at the al- cove’s entrance. He was perfectly calm, content, sure of his purpose. He had re- solved, in some way, to come at Troiville. His eyes began-to burn again. He tried to brush the sensation from them with a quick pressure of his finger-tips. He glanced at Troiville. Behind his chair was Merim, gazing at him, veil upraised. On her face was a glance of extreme aversion and menace. She pointed at the captain. The vision passed like dawn-slain mist. Pierre felt his eyes become cool again, and his set purpose was clearer, stronger. The olive-skinned Greeks who played for their act forsook their places as waiters and came, thrumming their instruments, atten- tive to their wonted cue. The folk in the café stirred. Old Martin, alert, made ready to lead the applause for his favorites, even though his face was sad over his own near grief. Pierre sent the old exempt a glance of cheer across the little pool of faces up- turned under the lamps’ brightness. *Lee- sah stepped out beside him and sat at the side of the target board. Her time was not yet, save for placing things at which Pierre threw his gleaming blades. A ripple of plaudits rewarded their entrée. Pierre went back to his place that was near the outer fringe of the café’s patrons. He found himself close to the chair of Troiville, which was by now much apart from all the others, as the drawing away of all had left the accused man to himself, Disregarding this, for the moment, La Forge set himself to the. task at hand. He began methodically to cut the pips out of the playing cards as "Leesah placed them for him. He heard behind him the 69 low, sibilant gibes of Troiville, unheard by all the others. “Hah, your nerves are bad; you will miss.” _ Or again: “ That was a poor throw, La Forge—poor for you.” Instead of unnerving Pierre, these mean slurs but steadied him as his hatred for the man deepened. Applause came from the others, Major Cherimande leading it. Pierre turned and bowed, looking over Troiville’s head calm- ly. ‘Leesah, bowing, had a serene face, She was too far away to have heard Troi- ville’s taunts. : Now came the other tricks—harder. Pierre poised his knife for the throw that was to snuff the cigarette held between the girl’s red lips. Never had she seemed more beautiful to him than then, as she turned her loyal eyes to him and held her splendid body taut and stiff, that no fault of hers might mar the act. As he. drew back his right hand for the cast he heard Troiville sneer: “Your hand is trembling, La Forge!” But the knife sped true, thudded inte the target board, after nipping the ash from the cigarette, Pierre turned to acknowledge the ap- plause. He permitted one glance, white- hot, to flick onto the gray, drawn face of the captain. The face of him went red at the flare of that hate-blent look. Then Pierre turned toward "Leesah again. She was going toward the target board to take her place for the supreme act—the- out- lining of her body in the hedge of gleaming blades. Pierre turned once to note what Troi- ville was doing. He was spinning his glass, his lips framed for another taunt. It came with the cast of the first blade that, none the less, found its correct mark just over the girl’s head: “¢ Bah, you will kill her, with your donkey play, La Forge.” His vdice ‘was low, concentrated. came to Pierre’s ears alone. At the cast. for the point of “Leesah’s right shoulder Troiville’s searing tongue flicked: “Not that way, careless one; you will It CoOnmiclboool (C@