Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-16
suers again.

enough to see the two get out and go
up the marble steps.
One glimpse the pursuers had Of
their prey as the elevator shot up
ward. They managed to evade the
hotel authorities and get up the wide
staircase without observation. By
keeping on the alert, they discovered
that the elevator had stopped at the
second floor. so the people they were
tracking must have apartments there.
Lurking in the shadowy parts of the
hall, they watched, and soon were re-
warded by seeing Durham come out OF
a room and hurry to the elevator. He
had remembered his promise to his
| mother about the ensravers. As soon
as he was gone. they presented them
selves boldly at the door.
Filled with the Joy that had come to
| her and feeling entirely safe now in
the protection of her husband, Mary
Durham opened the door. She sup
posed, of course, it was the bellboy
| with pitcher of ice water, for which
she had just rung.
"Ah, here you are at last, my pretty
! cousin," It was the voice of Richard
that menaced her, with all the stored
| up wrath of his long baffied search.
At that moment the man from the
motorcycle stepped softly up the top
stair and slid unseen into the shad-
ows Of the hall.
For an instant It seemed to Mary
Durham that she was going to faint,
and in one swift flash of thought she
saw herself overpowered and carried
into hiding before her husband should
return. But with supreme effort she
controlled herself, and faced her tor
mentor with unfiinching gaze. Though
her strength had deserted her at first,
every faculty was now keen and col
lected. AS IL nothing unusual were
| happening, she put out her cold, trem-
bling fingers, and laid them firmly
| over the electric button on the wall.
Then with new strength coming from
the certainty. that some one would
soon come to her aid, she opened her
lips to speak
What are you doing here, Richard2"
1--WE come. after you, my lady. A
nice chase you've led me, but you
shall pay for 1t now"
The cruelty in his face eclipsed any
lines Of beauty which might have been
| there.
81 shall never go anywhere with
you" she answered steadily.
He seized her delicate wrist rough
ly, twisting it with the old wrench
with which he had tormented her in
their childhood days. None of them
saw the stranger who was quietly
walking down the hall toward them.
viii you go peaceably, or shall 1
have to gag and bind you?" said Rich
ard. Choose quickly. I'm in no mood
to trif1e with you any longer"
Although he hurt her wrist cruelty,
she threw herself back from him and
with her other hand pressed still hard
er against the electric button.
Catch that other hand, Mike" com
manded Richard, and stuff this in her
mouth, while l tie her hands behind
her back
1t was then that Mary screamed
The man in the shadow stepped W
behind and said in low voice:
What does all this mean?"
The two men, startled, dropped the
girls hands for the instant. Then
Richard, white with anger at this in
reference, answered insolently: az
means that this girls an escaped luna
tic, and we're sent TO take her back
She's dangerous, so you'd better keel
out of the way"
Then Mary Dunham's voice, cleal
and penetrating, rang through the
halls:
"Tryon, Tryon! Come quick! Help,
Help!"
AS if in answer to her call. the ele
vator shot up to the second floor anC
Tryon Durham stepped out in time II
see the two men snatch Mary's hands
again and attempt to bind them behinC
, her back.
In an instant he had seized Richart
by the collar and landed him on TIL
. hall carpet, while a well directed blow
. sent the fiabby Irishman sLrawling a
the feet of the detective, who prompt
- ly sat on him and pinioned his arm
! behind him.
7 How dare you lay a finger upon thi
2 stepped to the side of his wife and pu
a strong arm about her, where sh
stood white and frightened in tn
doorway.
Q No one had noticed the bell boy hat
r come to the head of the stairs and re
1 ceived a quiet order from the detec
tive.
In sudden fear, the discounted Rich
e ard arose and attempted to bluff tn
stranger who had so unwarrantly in
g teFsered just as his fingers were abou
!, to close over the golden treasure of hi
cousins fortune.
: Indeed, sir, you wholly misunGer
5 stand the situation" he SAID to Dun
r ham, with an air of injured innocence
:, though perhaps you can scarcely BIZ
= blamed. This girl is an escaped luna
q tic. We have been searching for he
o for days, and have just traced her.
! is our business to take her back a
3 once. Her friends are in great dis
/, tress about her. Moreover, she IS dan
: gerous and a menace TO every CUES
} he