The Washington times., 1909-07-29
THE SIGNAL OF DEATH

Mr.. Spargur," returned the stranger.
Il don't know him. Who is nc
The partner to the late Mr. Bates.
He has taken the greatest interest IN
4 this matter throughout ana Is Iulty
ConversanJ with all the details. i reany
think you would do better to see nilh
ALLOW me to be the judge Of that /
please You asked me for ctedehtialSI 1
and I've told you / was Wiling 70 a1los
/ by Miss Wards decision as 70 Wheths55i
or not I was able 10 do what SAID
Now, what is the answer
Mr. Carson delayed no longer Dut
seeing the man was oc1erInlheu' Sent
for Milicent.
She appeared a moment or two later. /
You say" she Queried, eagerly, al |
vanCing toward the stranger, 'thaI YOU
| can recover dear Florence for us, anu
also enable US TO lay cur handS upon /
| this wretch who assassinated MI
| Bates2"
| al do" He bowed
| But" Sic added. shrewdly. Mr., Car
son tells me that you gave me as
/ surety for your reliability SnC trust
worthiness. How can that &c wen
/ never saw you in all my life DGIytet
| The man removed his hat, AID t-ILlbt,,
| faced her full in the strong light IfoNi
/ a western window.
! Look he said.
/ She gazed at MIN, daWniIg cOhlpIe-
I
! "Ah." she breathed at last, with d
touch Of compassion in her soft, sweet
voice. Il see. You are. perhaps. sir, the
father to that unhappy younS nan.
Certainly a near relative, then?'
| PERHAPS. Let me tell you a story.
As you have gathered, no doubt. IroIn
] the newspaper accounts. the seizure OF
/ your friend and the murder OF yo2r es-
cort on that tragic night IN the res
taWant, was not the work OF any one
man or small group Of men. but OF a
powerful organization.
Far under ground, down IN those
! holes and burrows with which the eartn
under Chinatown is hOneycOmbed, they
hold themselves as secure from the law
as though within a medieval fortress
and woe betIde the hapless prisoner VINO
falls into their clutches and IS Dorne
down into those caverns.
| Il knew such a man once who had
ben carried there a captive and con
demned to the horrible G sath whlch
they allOt their prisoners a death so
awful tlat l dare not describe II here.
Bound and gagged, unable to sur
a hand or foot, this man .&y Tor hours,
expecting each moment - near his
final decree Of doom, hav.Eg pictured
TO him all the tine the pangs and SUI
ferings he was destined TO endure.
THE man escaped. But can you mag
inc what effect these hours of mental
anguish might have had ulon him
what traces they would leave upon his
features? He entered there boy in APP
peardnce-when he came forth ne was
an old and gray-haired man, full halt
| century apparently added TO his years.
The girl, who had been following mis-
story closely. drew back with quick
exclamation. and once more scanned his
/ features with a searching gaze.
You, you, you, yourself, are the
; mani she declared.
He bowed.
Thomas J. Moore into your hands, ne
] said. Il am here.
Mr.. Carson. scarcely able to credit
the astounding statement, stepped for
. Nsard. and attempted to interppSe some
! excited query, but Mllicent waved nm
; You are not guilty. them she de-
mauded Of Moore. You have been
wrongfuIIy. accused Of this crime? You.
! too, were victim and not the perpe-
! traitor Of this dastardly OutrageY'
! It say so,' he answered. but the
only proof l can offer you Is my IN
supported word.
NO" she cried. with quick sympathy,
you have far, far stronger proof than
that No one remembering for mo-
lment your appearance as saw you that
night, and noting now the change Which
has come over you within single week,
- could doubt for a moment the absolute
70 truth Of your story.
And now" she said, I'VE place our
r selves unreservedly in your hands. Whac
n y
= give toward delivering Florence from
: her dreadful situatiOn?"
y Tom then sat down. and the three
I ! went fully into the situation, he descr.o-
+ ! ing conditions as they existed in the
! underground domain, and outlining the
plan which he had formed for the miss
> ing girls ultimate rescue.
TGey desired to call Spargur into the
70 ! council, but the Georgian strongly OBJ
/ jeCtcd TO the introduction of any more
- persons than those already concerned
d Where his life depended on the absO-
I | lutte secrecy which he maintained con-
| corning his relations with the searchers
J. am not only his life, but in all prOba-
s billty the sole chance for Miss Carson s
d Irecovery-the fewer people that know Ct
70 his identity, the better.
g But viii you, yourself, after all you
G have gone through, descend once more
10 MilnCeut, with strong discussion. You
! say that you 90 masked and gowned
It that there is no caance 70 discover your
e identity. why not, then, let one of the
detectives in Ou- employ go in your
I, place? You could give him his instruc-
r tions, and he could do the work as
Il we'll as YOU. Do this I beg of you
L and used 70 II. There is no need OF
l. your FORGETTING your life on what may
prove a vain attempt"
No" Tom rose to his feet, his Jaw
r set in stern decision I will not ruT
the chance OF "A mistake now. I shall
60 myself"
If The Continuation of This story VIII
J. BE Found in TOmOrrOw's
Issue of The Times.