“Yours?” he asked, handing the photograph to her, and Lois was conscious that his voice sounded strained.
“No, it belongs to Mr. Patterson.” Lois turned to hand it to its owner, and was startled by his expression. Patterson took the photograph mechanically.
“Smell anything?” he demanded, and Lois drew in a long breath.
“Good heavens!” she ejaculated. “It is——”
“Fire!”
Wheeling spasmodically about, Julian Barclay caught a glimpse of Yoshida Ito’s yellow face peering out from inside the portières, and again the cry rang out:
“Fire!”
CHAPTER XV
THE FATAL REQUEST
There was a breathless pause as host and guests alike sat stupefied. In the pantry frightened servants echoed the cry of “Fire,” while from outside came the hoarse shouts of men, the clang of fire bells, the rush and roar of the arriving engines. Swiftly the spell in the dining room was broken, and bounding to their feet men and women crowded about Ogden.
“Who closed these folding doors?” stormed Ogden, tearing apart the portières and tugging at the doors concealed behind them. “My God!” He fell back as a volume of smoke drifted through the hall door thrown open by one of the guests. The electric lights in the hall beyond resembled glow worms in the smoky atmosphere, and the men hesitated for a second.