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

there followed the usual provoking ST.
lence. Plague take it," muttcred
when I heard something like moan
through the phone.
my God. they'll kill me-"
| almost dropped the receiver in
surprise. The words. uttered in low
time. evidently woman's. had the
effect OF coming from blank space.
The shock set me to Quivering,
They'll be back In moment
They'll have no mercy. Help me. for
Gods sake"
The words came jerkiy 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 cant be gone much longer.
Good God. they're coming Help me!
help me, They're"
1t was Randalrs blatan, voice that
broke in. Hello" he said. Hello.
Well'"
Hang up your receiver" shouted.
This is me. Robinson Hurry. YOU
idiot Something terribles happened"
1t took an endless time to make him
understand. The moment he did cut
of | began violently to work the re-
ceivcr- holder of my phone in an effort
to attract the operators attention.
There was a snap somewhere. The
phone suddenly became absolutely
dead. II took me some time to realize
this: then I damned 1t down on the
desk and ran to the door.
AS opened 1t. a cab was creeping
by Hailing the driver. jumped in.
Go like the devil I said. and gave
him the address of the west exchange
with which l 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
me-" What had happened
Around the corner we whirled and
the lights of the exchange hsshed
into sight. Wait" I shouted to the
driver. as I leaped out and dashed up
the stairs. A girl pointed out to me
the manager.
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 tho girl live I'll
20 to her home"
He asked each separate girl and
none knew. I was growing desperate
when the boy who did Odd 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
Nillsworth suburb was six miles
away. 1t was three o'clock when We
reached there. The girl and her aunt
had moved back within the city fully
ten miles from where We were. As
soon as possible I changed cabs. for
the horse I had been using was utterly
done up Drive for all you are worth"
/ said to my new cabby.
The words had heard over the
phone kept running through my brain:
Help me. help me!" Perhaps 1t was
too laie.
There was a growing light in the
east when We stopped before = 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. til patter Of feet. then
the gas in the hall was lighted
shouted who I was and whom I
wanted to see.
The door cracked and . head done
up in curlpapcrs appeared. I'm her
What's the trouble?"
told her, clenching 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 a smile For
a moment I stood unbelieving
Blu, do Won understand" cried
This is a life and death matter.
Whom was | connected with"
Ne
What?
She extended a yellow-back volume
through the door. y had got TO the
third chapter Just where the princess
had been thrown into the dungeon.
when ! had 10 20 on duty: 90 took the
k<><,l ,,opC NTH mo and vac rc.dir,
a biz out TO Mamie Moore when Won
asked for number. Listen: Ny God.
they'll kill me They'll be back in q
moment. They'll have no mercy Help
me- for Gods sake. They can't he gone
much longer think : hear them on
the stairs nov Good God they're com
ing, Help me. help me- They're,
l1..C alnu3 About haa :,