The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-04-05

| we passed and In half an hour we were
in the firms apartment looking on
the Plaza. Tom Railway, Rand's gi-
gantlc Sioux student helper, was busy
In the laboratory and / went into the
office to answer clients correspond
ence. Scarcely had l opened the dicto-
graph when l heard a crash some
where in the locality of the laboratory.
We never knew when the assassin,
the maniac or the avenger would visit
us. In fact, for three years we had
been expecting blood-thirsty calls
from at least two men. Snatching
my Luga magazine pistol out of a
drawer, l tore through the place. 1t
was deserted. Beside a powerful
microscope lay Rand's hat, under the
scope was what seemed to be a tiny
bit of feather as nearly as l could tell
at a hasty glance. / did not recall
having seen 1t as any of the material
evidence in any OF our cases. In
front of the hall door lay Tom Rah.
ways laboratory apron torn in pieces
as If it had been snatched from his
body. Two chairs and a water-cooler
lay overturned. l ran on down the
dark hall and stumbled over something
so forcibly that / fell sprawling. A
human body lay there.
Turning on the hall light, saw that
it was neither Rand nor Tom, but a
tall, powerful young man laid out un-
conscious with big purple bruise
beginning to stand out on the side of
his face and a cut in his head. In
one hand he held piece of Tom Rah-
ways apron and it was plain to me
that the Sioux's fist had stretched him
there. Now it flashed over me that
l had seen that face twice before with
in a few hours. felt sure of it, but
had hurried on down and nearly
reached the street before | remem-
bered. The first time had been in
the crowd in Wall Street before Pur-
don's door as we came out; the second
time was on the platform of the sub
way at Columbus Circle.
By this time was on the sidewalk
looking wildly about for signs of Tom
and Rand, who doubtless had gone in
pursuit of the second man. II Rand
wanted TO capture him, surely he
would wish to retain possession Of the
man upstairs in the hall. / should
not have left him. Back hurried with
all speed and to my intense chagrin
he was gone. ran down the steps and
found a mite of milliners delivery
girl there, staring stupidity down to-
ward Madison avenue. Yes, she had
nearly been knocked down by two
men who brought a third out Of the
door and put him in cab, then drove
away very fast toward the east. One
Of them had big brass thing in his
hand. That was all she could tell
| returned to the apartment gravely
puzzled and only when | entered
the laboratory did l realize the sig
nificance of even that little. The
brass thing the girl has seen was the
microscope-the one that had had the
bit of what seemed to be feather
under the lens.
Since | could not follow and assist
Rand and Tom in whatever they were
doing, the only thing was to blde
their return or word from them.
did not have long to wait. 1t was
less than half an hour before Tom
I-ahway came in breathing heavily.
but grinning. He did not stop even
when he heard of the escape Of the
man he had floored and | did not
blame him for his amusement when
he told me what had happened.
AS he was at work over the Bunsen
burner he heard a door creak and
| a.,
behind Rand. who was at the micro
scope. The short dark man dealt a
mis-aimed blow at Rand with a black
jack. Both Rand and Tom rushed the
pair and when Tom had stretched out
his man in the hall he ran on after
Rand, who was pursuing the heavy
dark man across the Plaza The pur-
sued dashed into the Park and Rand,
telling Tom to continue the chase on
, foot, sprang TO a nearby taxicab
stand, where we knew all the drivers,
caught cap and coat from one and
jumped into his cab running it into the
, Park with the Vacant" sign show.
! ing. 1t was an easy thing to come
bowling along the drive ahead of the
, pursued man, who hailed the cab with
, joy, climbed in and gave orders for all
speed uptown somewhere.
i Just as Tom finished the telephone
bell rang. When | answered it heavy
voice said:
: "Hells! Who is this?"
, ''Mr. Duncan"
TO MAKE sure you are Mr.. Duncan,
| Will ask you what a friend of yours
said this morning when someone elGe
; mentioned General Bickles' name?"
: He said he had an artificial leg"
| replied. recognizing that was talk.
r ing TO Purdon. y know now who you