The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1914-12-18


rushed into the hall. Her hat wal
missing. He made for the hall doc
with a speed which seemed incredible
to the bewildered Susan's eyes. Gu
into the street, up and down which
he looked. Far away he discovered 1
dwindling taxicab. The child wal
gone.
In the house Susan was answering
the telephone, talking incoherently.
who is it?" Jones whispered. his
lips white and dry.
THE princess. :" began Susan
He took the receiver from hel
roughly.
Hello, who is it?"
This is Olga Perigoff. Is Florence
there?"
mo. madam. She has just stepped
out for a moment Shall I tell her
to call you when she returns?"
Eyes, please. want her and Su
san and Mr.. Norton to come to tea
tomorrow. Good-by."
Jones hung up the receiver, sank
into chair near by and buried his
face in his hands.
what is it?" cried Susan. terrified
by the haggardness of his face.
"She's gonel My God, those
wretches have got her! They've got
heri"
Florence was whirled away at top
speed. Her fatherl She was actually
on the way to her father, whom she
had always loved in dreams, yet never
seen.
Number rs Grove street was not an
attractive place, but when she ar
rived she was too highly keyed to
take note of its sordidness. She was
rather out of breath when she reached
the door Of the third fiat She knocked
timidly. The door was instantly
opened by a man who wore a black
mask. She would have turned then
and there and flown but for the swift
picture she had of well-dressed man
at table. He lay with his head upon
his arms.
'Father!" she whispered.
The man raised his careworn face,
so very well done that only the closest
scrutiny would have betrayed the
paste of the theater. He arose and
toward her with out
stretched arms. But the moment they
closed about her Florence experienced
a peculiar SILVER.
MY child" murmured the broken
man. They caught me when l was
about to come to you. l have given
up the fight" A sob choked him.
What was it? wondered the child,
her heart burning with the misery of
he thought that she was sad instead
Of glad. Over his shoulder she sent
! glance about the room. There was
| sofa, a table, some chairs and an
enormous clock, the face of which was
Tented and the hands hopelessly tan
sled. Why, at such a moment, she
should note such details disturbed
Ter. Then she CHANGED to look into |
he cracked mirror. In it she saw |
everal faces, all masked. These men
we're peering at her through the half
losed door behind her.
"You must return home and bring |
ne the money" went on the wretch |
Who dared to perpetrate such a mock
Try. ut is all that stands between |
ne and death"
Then she knew! The insistent daily
came home to her. She I'M
Ierstood now. She had deliberately
walked into the spiders net. But in
tead of terror an extraordinary calm
ell upon her.
Very well. father, l will go and
ct it." Gently she released herself
rom those horrible arms.
'Wait. my child, till / see if they
ill let you go. They may wish to
old you as hostage"
When he was gone she tried the
oors. They were locked. Then she
rossed over to the window and looked
ut. A leap from there would kill her.
he turned her gaze toward the lamp,
The false father returned, defect
1ly.
1T is as l said. They insist upon
ending some one. Write down the
rections l gave to you. l am very
eaki"
Write down the directions yourself.
ther; you know them better than
Since she saw no escape, she was
stermined to keep up the tragic farce
, longer.
81 am not your father"
$50 l see" she replied, still with
e amazing calm. L
Braine, in the other room, shook his p
,ad savagely. Father and daughter;
e same steel in the nerves. Could u
ey bend her? Would they break II
r? He did not wish to injure her 9
Oily, but million was always $
llion, and there was revenge which Ii
as worth more to him than the
oney itself. He listened, motioning a
the others to be silent 9
Write the directions" commanded L
2 scoundrel, who discarded the o.
oxen man style. III
4 know of no hidden money" W