"
Miss Templeton gave the message, and Hamar replied "Wait! Wait and
see!"
He then thrust wool, pins, horsenails, straw, needles and moss into
the mouth of the image, and John Martin had such frightful pains in
his stomach that he went into convulsions; and, after an emetic had
been given him, vomited up all the above-named articles, save the pins
and needles which worked their way out through his flesh, causing him
the most exquisite tortures.
Gladys, having given up going to the theatre in order to be with her
father during these attacks, now declared that she could no longer
bear to see him in such excruciating pain, whilst it was in her power
to prevent it.
"Tell him," she said, "tell Hamar you'll accept his conditions. Don't
think of me! I would rather do anything than see you suffer like
this."
"I can hold out a bit longer," he groaned, "at any rate I needn't give
in yet."
Every now and then there came a respite--perhaps for several hours,
perhaps for several days--then the tortures recommenced. And always
John Martin steeled himself to bear them. At last came the climax.
Hamar, infuriated that his efforts, so far, had proved fruitless,
resolved, since time was pressing, to play his trump card and either
win, or lose all. He rang up Gladys on the telephone.
"My patience is exhausted," he said. "I'll give you one more chance,
and one--only. Agree to be engaged to me at once--or I'll smite your
father with the most virulent form of cancer, and leave him to die.
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