The Washington times., 1914-08-30


| fr"licking about as p,ayfully as a boy
! Eie had all tn" time in the world. Owe
/ his shoulder he san two women wan
derimg down toward the beach. beepc
he went. farther CUT. He WAS a hOl'
! swimmer. but that did not prevent /;
sudden and violent attack of cramps
And il. was rare piece Of irony tina
the ECOr girl should save the ifc %
that scCundrel who was without pity
or mercy. AS she saw his fac" Z
star tied frOwn marred her brow. liu
she could not figure out the puzzle. HaC
she cT seen the man before She die
not kn,w W. she could not tell. Why COulC
not she remember? Why must her poor
head ache so when she tried I" pierce
the wall of darkness which surrounded
her mentally?
The man thanked her (eebiy. but the
gratitude was on his lips and not in
his heart When he had sufficiently re-
covered he returned TO the village and
sought the railway station. where the
Western Union had its office.
Il want to send a code message to my
firm. Do you think YOU can follow it,"
II can try said the operator.
The code was really Slav: and when
the long message was signed it was
signed by the name Nroon.
The day after the news came that
Florence had jumped overheard off the
Banks. VroOn with a dozen other men
had started out to comb all the fishing
villages along the New England coast.
Somewhere along the way he felt con-
tident that he would learn whether the
girl was dead on alive. II she was dead
then the game was a draw: but if she
was alive there was still a fighting
chance for the Black Hundred. He had
had some idea Of remaining in the VIII
lage and accomplishing the work him
self: hut after dcliOcratiOn he con-
Guided that il was important enough
for Braine himself to take hand in.
So the following night he departed for
Boston. from there to New York. lie
proceeded at once to the apartment of
the princess where Braine declared
that he himself would go 10 the obscure
village and claim Florence as his own
child. But to insure absolute success
they would charter Morse's yacht and
steam right up into the primitive har
Dor.
When Vroon left the apartment Nor
ton saw him. He was a man of i'm
pulses. and he had found by experience
that first impulses are generally the
best. He did not know who Vroon was.
Any man VINO called on the Princess
Perigoff while Braine was with her
would be woKth following.
On the other hand. Vroon recognized
the reporter instantly and with that
ever ready and alert mind Of his set
about TO lure the young man into a
trap out of which he might not easily
come.
Norton decided to follow his man. He
might be going on a wild goose chase,
he reasoned; still his first impulse had
hitherto served him we'll He looked
careworn. He was convinced that Flor
ence was dead. despite the assertions OF
Jones to the contrary. He had gone
over all the mishaps which had taken
place and he was now absolutely con-
WINGED that his whilom friend Braine
and the Princess Perigoff were directly
concerned. Florence nad either been
going 10 or coming from the apartment.
And that memorable day of the abduc-
tlon the princess had been in the dry
goods shop.
Nroon took a downtown surface car.
and Norton took the same. lie sat hud-
died in corner. never suSpeCting that
Nroon was watching him from a corner
of his eye Norton was not keen TODAY.
The thought of Florence. kept running
through his head
The car stopped and Nroon got off. He
led Norton winding course which at
length ended at the door OF a tenement
building. Nroon entered. Norton
paused. wondering what next to do.
now that his man had reached his des-
tination. Well. since he had followed
him all this distance he must make an
effort to fihd out who he was and what
he was going to do. Cautiously he en-
tered the hallway. As he was about to
dila pidated stairs the floor dropped from
under his feet and ne was precipitateI
into the cellar.
This tenement belonged to the Black
Hundred: il concealed a thousand doors
and hundred traps. Its history was
as dark as its Railways
When NroOn and his companion. who
had heen waiting for him. descended
into the cellar they found the reporter
imsensible. They bound. bIindfolded.
and gagged him quickly.
Saunders. said Nroon. You tell
COrr,gan thai I've a sailor for him to-
night. and that I want this sailor
equator. Tell him to say TO the mas
Ter that this fellow is ugly and dis
ohedient. \ tramp frcichtcr. whose
captain Is bully. Do yOu understand
me-"
Il get you. But there's no need TO
90 to Corrigan this trip. Hammock is in
pCrt and sails tonight for Norway.
That's far enough
'BannOCk? TIL. very man. Well Mr..
Norton. reporter and amateur detective,
| guess we've got you fast enough this
time. You MAY ~ may not come back
alive. Go and bring around taxi;
some one YOU can trust. III dope the
reporter while you're gone
Long hours afte~ward Norton opened
his aching eyes He could hardly move
ard his head buzzed. abo'n!nahly. What
had happened? What was the meaning
or this slow !ise and fan Of his bed?
''G"rne ont q that now. ye skulk"r'''
roarcd a voice Gown tho companions
NaV.
"Shanghaicd,' the reporter iuurInurrd
He sat up and ran through his pork"ts
Not a SUMMARIZE, no, q match even:
and a second GlanC" told him that the
clothes h" wore W"r" not his own.
"They've landed me this time Shaug-
haied. What the devil am ! going to
do"
ID We hear me-" hawlrd III" strde,t
voice again.
Norton looked about desperately FOR
some weapon Of defense. He saw ar
engineers spanner on The floor by III"
bunk across the way. and with no small
effort he succeeded in obtain
ing il. II" stood ny, his hand behind
his back.
"An right, me hmcko' I'll come down
an git ye.
4 pair or enormous hG"ts began t"
appear down tho c"mpaniCiwav. and
there gradually rose Up from them Il
man as wide AS II church door and
deep as q well.
"Wa't a moment. sad Norton. grip
ping the Spanm"r. Let uS hlv" , i"r-
fcct understanding right "T tho bat
"We're goin' I haN" it, m@;"N. I'"n
Ne worry none.
Norton raised the spanncr and. dizzy
as he was. faced this s"afarimg II"rculrs
Nv. been shanGhaied. and YOU kn"w
IT, Where are "" hOund"'
'COpenhagen
"WCn, for a month or NOR" l"I'H
beat me- up WHENEVER In" opportunity