Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-07-08
@e
SKY
PIRATE
BY GARRETT p
SEQVISS.
coeSeeHr BY FRANK A. eroaser cooeAsX
(ContinuedJ

directed waves, radiating on all sides,
80 that they would reach the original
speaker whatever his location might
be, This, as those who are familiar
with the early history OF wireless tsleg'
raphy know, was at first the only way
In which messages could be sent, and
many years were spent IN fruitless ef-
forts to direct them to definite places
and thus prevent them from being
picked up By Tom, Dick OF Harry at
all points Of tho compass. Fortunately
all that, even at the time OF which /
am writing, had been completely mas
tered, although the original method
was still occasionally employed for
special purposes, as IN the present
case. So complete, indeed, was the
solution Of the problem that wireless
telegraph and telephone messages had
already become as exclusive as by the
ancient telegraph system. Each sub
scriber. as at the present day, had his
syntonized instrument, duly numbered,
which responded only to a limited set
OF waves, which might be compared
with the characteristic spectral lines
of a chemical substance, no confusion
being possible At need any receiver
can be thrown open to take undirected
and unsyntonized messages.
Accordingly Mr.. Grayman, although
greatly surprised that any OF his con-
identiaI correspondents should sum
mon him thus, replied in the manner
indicated:
"Hellol What do you want?"
william GraymanT" came the re-
Spouse, interrogatively infected.
Yes"
"Himself-in personf"
"Yes." %%F
Every good. In the air."
This last phrase may also need a
word Of explanation. 1t Is used to In
dictate that the ~interlocutor Is afoat
and that he either does not know or
does not take the trouble to designate
his position In the atmosphere by ref
erence to some known point on the
earth's surface.
who Is it7a demanded Mr.. Gray.
man.
captain Alfonso Payton."
"Whoi / don't know such a person
Who are your 1 can't bother
" am afraid, Mr.. Grayman." inter
rupted the voice, THAT you conAne
your attention a little too exclusively
to the financial columns Of the news
papers II you don't recognize my name,
Yet / might well figure in them also.
My transactions are frequently large
enough, as you are going to find out.
| Most people know me ~ the sky pf
rate"
"what nonsense is this?" exclaimed
MI. Grayman impatientiy. How have
you dared
mo nonsense at all. Mr.. Grayman,'
the voice again interrupted, "and as
for daring. listen. I took your daugh,
ter Helen from your house last night
and she, with her maid Susan, are here
on my aero, the Chameleon"
Grayman's heart nearly stopped beat
ing.
what? What is thatT' he exclaimed
81 have our daughter In my Gus
tody," the voice responded with dis.
tinct deliberation. "She Is IN no dan.
ger of any kind and will be in none
provided that you accede promptly to
the terms which l am going to give
you. If you do not you will never see
her again."
There was a cold. self confident. con.
vtncing tone to the voice that sent q
SILVER through the billionalre's nerves.
He wiped the cold sweat from his
brow with one hand. while with the
other he chung to the receiver and
pressed 1t to his ear. The strange voice
went on, for he was incapable for the
moment Of interruption or reply:
eff Won meet my demand she VIII
be restored to you without publicity
and without injury. You are the rich
est mar in the world, they say. You
best know how you have acquired
your riches, but that is no affair OF
mine. l have. however, pressing need
of a part of your plumber. My terms
are S10,000,000"
"What Internal trick are you trying
on me?" exclaimed Mr.. Grayman, los
ing his temper and at the same time
recovering his nerve and the tncre-
dulity natural to a man in such circum-
stances. who are you anyway I'll
hear no more of thisl
at must be that some crank has
found out my number" said the bill
lionaire to himself. II must see the
company about this"
He was about to drop the receiver
when the voice began again:
"If you want to see your daughter
again, Mr.. Grayman, you'll not try TO
cut of this conversation. II you still
don't know me ask any newspaper
man or almost any man In the street
who Alfonso Payton is and what he
does when he makes q good capture
and gets no response TO a fair offer.
l repeat that I have your daughter.
I took her from the window Of her
room with my aero last night. l Will
release her for the sum that | have
named. Ten million dollars will leave
hardly a ~perceptible vacancy In your
pocket, but that which will happen to
your daughter II you fail TO pay will
pickle your heart In yitrioL l know
you have q heart-for her"
MI. Grayman's anger vanished again,
and a cold fear began to take its
place. His incredulity vanished also.
49,