The Washington times., 1909-07-28
THE SIGNAL OF DEATH

/ Eager as he had been to get away
from his subterranean retreat, even tor
TINS brief respite, he was now hundred
Jlmes more anxious 10 get back.
lie must not be taken-he simply must
/ nol-DeIOre he had the chance TO return
and set on foot some kind Of a plan 70
erect this girls deliyeTauce.
! 1es' ne must get back at once, Dut
/ how could he do it?
] With this portrait Of him broadcast, In
| eVeTyDOdy's hands, would he not be re-
/ cognized and seized before he could
| traverse even the short distance back to
/ the restaurant?
| How, indeed, did it happen that ne
! had not been apprehended already?
AS he glanced furtively around, II
seemed TO him that everybody IN the
/ PARK was looking curiOusly at him, ana
/ ne imagined that each chance converse
/ llon IN progress must be in regard 10
/ himself.
| In his agitation ne spread the news
/ paper out and held it up to shield his
! race, pretending to read, although the
/ letters danced so before his eyes, 1t is
! doubtful # he gained the sense OF
single word
/ And then, while he thus covered on
/ the Dench, he heard woman seated
across the path say to her little boy:
| Freddy, I'm afraid that old gentle
man over there isn't feeling well. L
t thought minute OF two ago he was
having a fit or something, and now just
/ see how his hands are trembling where
/ ne Is trying TO hold his paper. Run
across, dear and ask him If he Is sick.
ana II there is anything we can DO for
( him"
Down came Toms paper like a fash,
ana when the urchin trotted Up to
| lisp the inquiry TO which he had been
! prompted, he received for answer a
! beamtnE smile and a penny pressed in
} TO his chubby fist from the change
/ returned by the newsie.
Old gentleman, indeed Tom no long
/ eT feared detection or arrest. He felt
/ ike shouting aloud in his relief, for he
/ knew now that he could pass unrecog-
nizeds through all New York.
| THOSE moments OF haunting horror
/ spent bound and helpless IN the death
/ chamber had furnished him with q
! better disguise than any ne could nave
fashioned from all the masquerading
! paraDhenalia IN his predecessors
/ closet.
Quite at his ease, and with all his
/ misglvings of a moment before van
| lshed into thin air, he settled himself
| back upon the bench, and proceeded to
| read the paper at his leisure.
/ Now, as IL happened, news was dull
/ that day. and since the restaurant mys-
terry was still the chief topic of general
/ interest, with no new Developments to
! record. there had been published a sort
/ Of rehash of the case which furnished
/ Moore with pretty thorough resume
/ OF its various features.
I
/ the personality Of the girl with whom
/ he had fallen in love at first sight and
] of the devotion with which she had
/ thrown herself into the work of res
! cuing her abducted friend.
/ He also learned of the arrival of the
1 latter's parents from Chicago, their die
/ tress at the continued failure to gain
/ any tidings Of their missing child and
( the additional blow which had fallen on
4 them in the way Of Gripping financial
I loss through the bankruptcy Of Bates,
/ Spargur & Co.
Him." the sympathetic Georgian
/ thoughtfuliy strOked his chin between
/ his thumb and fOrednger, i reckon 1t
would be a whole power Of comfort 70
Z those two old people to know that their
/ daughter is alive and unframed so far,
/ even though she is in the hands OF
/ those blood thirsty Wretches.
! and / guess Miss MilliCent would be
/ mighty glad 10 hear, too.
II wonder If ] dare risk Ii" he pom
/ dered, speculating not only on the
/ danger Of being Identified and turned
! over TO the police, but also taking into
! account that unremitting espionage OF
! the tong, which the former leader had
/ warned him would follow MS every
/ movement whenever he ventured
/ abroad
Indeed, he was already conscious Of
/ il. not By the actual discovery of any
| particular persons following or shad-
( owing him, but by an instructive feeling
/ that he was watched.
1T would be ALFRED convenient, Of
! course TO have somebody ike her
/ father working in conjunction with n.
from the outside, that is, If I could
! once convince them that I am not the
/ relentless butcher they think me-" he
/ reasoned the matter out with himself
still on the other hand. if the toEg
! should discover that / had even so much
! as spoken 10 these people. it woui1
I probably be all ove~ with me.
] IF there was only some way that I
could be sure Of having thrown their
! accused spies off the track, I'd brave
! the rest; but"
He broke off with a sharp express
| sion OF self-COntempt.
Look here. Tom Moore" he chided
! himself Are you, a Southern gentle
man. going to turn tail before a pack
Of cowarGIy Chinese TufianS2"
Damn their spies." he calculated,
spiritedly That old mother shall not
| grieve another night for her lost girl, II
II can help f..
For her sake and Millicent War5s
II am going 10 take the chance!"
The Continuation OF This story VIII
BE Found In TOmOrrOw's
Issue of The Times.