Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-04-25
Robinson
DetectiveWork

| tneateT, Wnen the tuiuk hdppchSu'
Il am sure that rumber is not
busy" l assured the operator. and
there followed the usual provoking 81
lence. Plague take it," l muttered.
when I heard something Ike moan
through the phone.
my God. they'll kill met"
! / almost dropped the receiver In
surprise. The words, uttered In low
time. evidently a woman's. had the
effect OF coming from blank space.
The shock set ne to quiyering.
They'll be back in a moment.
They'll have no mercy. Help me. for
Gods sake"
The words came jerkily over the
phone cut into sentences. and were
spoken in a repressed fashion as II
the speaker were trying to conceal
them from someone. But they began
to grow louder and more charged with
emotion.
"They can't be gone much longer. ]
think hear them on the stairs now.
Good God. they're coming! Help me!
help me! They're"
! 1t was Randall's blatant voice that
broke in. Hello" he said. Hello.
Well?"
Hang up your receiver" shouted.
This is me, Robinson. Hurry, you
idiot. Something terrible's happened"
1t took an endless time to make him
! understand. The moment he did cut
| OF I began violently to work the re-
| ceiver-holder OF my phone in an effort
to attract the operators attention.
There was snap somewhere. The
! phone suddenly became absolutely
| dead. It took me some time to realize
this; then l jammed it down on the
desk and ran to the door.
As l opened it. a cab was creeping
by. Hailing the driver. I jumped in.
Go like the devil" said, and gave
him the address of the west exchange
with which knew my phone was con-
nected.
| fairly gnawed my nails to the
quick as the driver whipped his horse
along at top speed. The words were
ringing in my ears: Help me! Help
/ H0. " HoI hou AuPpNhSu.
! Around the corner we wtirled and
the lights of the exchange flashed
into sight. Wait" I shouted to the
driver, as leaped out and dashed up
the stairs. A girl pointed out to me
the manager.
1.-THE forces have just been
changed" he said. THE operator on
your line has gone home"
But can't anyone else tell me what
phone I was connected WITH" ! ex-
claimed.
He said they couldn't.
Then another resort came into my
mind. Where does the girl live? I'll
/ 20 to her home"
He asked each separate cir; ind
none knew. was growing desperate
! when the boy who did o.u jobs said
he thought she lived with her aunt on
Queen and Oak streets in the Mills
worth suburb. The next instant was
in the cab. driving like fury. The
Millsworth suburb was six miles
away. 1t was three o'clock when We
r .ached there. The girl and her aunt
Lad moved back within the city fully
ten miles from where we were. As
soon rs possible I changed cabs. for
the horse I had been using was utterly
done up. "lr.ive for all you are worth. -
! said to M new cabby.
The words l had heard over the
phone kept running through my brain ::
Help me. help met" Perhaps it was
too late.
There was q growing light in the
east when We stopped before q small
frame house. Aching in every joint
from my hard drive. I ran up the
steps. Bur-er. went the bell. There
was a wait. tn patter OF feet. then
the gas tn the hall was lighted.
| I shouted Who I was and whom
wanted to see.
The door cracked aud . head done
no in curi-papers appeared. I'm her
What's the troubie?"
told her. clenchlng my hsnds. knit
ting my brows. filling my tones with
dramatic emphasis the while. She
started. slowly her eyes opened. then
her mouth expanded into smile. For
| a moment I stood unbelieving.
But, do you understand" I cried
This is a life and death matter
Whom vas I connected WITH"
Me
What"
She extended a yellow back volume
through the door. Il had got to the
third chapter. Just where the princess
had been thrown into the dungeon
when had TO 20 on duty: 10 took the
book along With me. and was reading
bit out to Mamie Moore when you
asked for a number. Listen: MY God
they'll kill me! They'll be hack In q
moment. They'll have no mercy. He'll
me for Gods sake. They can't he gone