Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-10-03


minutes when Jones returned with hi
purchase. IL find tie house empty of IL.
most valuable asset. H. u.s. furious. not
only NJ the maid. wh". W. realized. wa
virtually helpless. hist si III avn ncglig-
ence.
IN the midst 81 hi violent harangnc the
bell sounded. Va hi bore H. knew what
was going to be found there. II was a
letter on the back IT which wa drawn the
fatal black mask. With shaking fingers
he tore open the cnveiGre and read the
contents: 'Florencr T. now IN our power.
Only the surrender ~ the million will save
her. Our agent will call in IN hour for an
an~wc The Black Hundred"
A. u matter ~ fact. they had wanted
Jones almost ~ badly a. Florence, but
her desire for 4 book-some popular story
Of the day-had saved him from the net.
The letter had been written against this
possibility.
Jones became cool. now that H. knew
just what danger 10 face. The Queen
hotel meant nothing. Florence wonld not
be taken there. He called up Norton. II
took all the buffers patience. however. a.
ii required seven different calls to locate
the reporter.
Meantime the taxirab containing Flor
ence and Susan spun madly toward the
water front. Here the two were separated
by an effective threat. Florence recog-
nized the man Vroon and knew that "a
,laal tar rnar.x. x.arfl - a xunmra III ,.~ru
She permitted herself to be led to q wait
ing launch. Always when she ~disobeyed
Jones something like this happened. But
this time they had cunningly struck at her
heart, and all thouhgt Of her personal
safety became a. nothing. For the pres
cnt. she knew that she was in no actual
physical danger. She was merely 10 b.
held a. a hostage. Would Susan have
mentality enough TO tell Jones where the
taxicab had stoppedt She doubted. In
an emergency Susan had proved herself
q nonentity. n bundle Of hy~terical thrills.
As n matter Of fact. for once Florence's
deductions were happily wrong. Wien the
chauffeur peremptorily~ deposited Susan on
the lonely country road. several miles from
home. she ri hot foot 10 the nearest tele-
phone and sent a very concise message
home Susan was becoming acclimated 70
this strange, exciting existence.
Norton arrived in due time, and he and
Jones were mapping .ont q plan when
Susan'~ message came.
"Good girls said Jones. 'She's learn
ing.. Can you handle this alone, Norton
They want me out of the house again. for
! believe they were after me a well a.
Florence. Halt an hour gomez
Trust .mer' cried Norton.
And he ran ont to his auto. II was q wild
ride. Several policemen shouted after
him. but he went on unmindful. They
could take his license number q hundred
times for al he cared. So they had got
herr They could wait till their enemy's
vigilance Stacked and then would strike?
But Susan. The next time he saw Susan
he was going 10 take her in his arms and
kiss her. Ii might be a new sensation Ia
kiss Susan, always so prim and onish.
Corey Strcet-thai had been her direction.
They had put Florence IN 4 motor boat III
the foot Of Corey street. lie was perhaps
half an hour behind.
Florence never opened her lips. She
stared ahead proudly. She would show
these sconndrels that shc was her fathers
daughter. They piled her with questions,
hut she pretended not 10 hear.
swell. pretty bird. Wen make Won speak
when the time comes. We've got YOU this
trip where We want YOU. There won't be
any jumping overheard this session. be-
lleye me. We've wasted enough time.
We've Got Won and we're going to keep
you.-
"Let her be-" said Nroon moroselv.
well put All the questions We wish when
we're at our destination" And he nodded
significantly toward the ships riding at
anchor.
Florence felt her heart sink in spite of
her abundant courage. Were they going
10 take her 10 sea again! She had ac-
quired a horror Of the sea. 20 big. % ter
rible. 20 strong. She had had an experi-
ence with it sullen power. They had gone
about four miles down when she looked
longingly toward shore. Something white
seemed 10 be spinning over the water far
behind. Al first She could not discern
what Il was. a. she watched II Il grew
aud grew. II finally emerged from the IL
fusion ~ a gigantic bird into the actuality
Of an everyday hvdroplanc. Her heart
gave q great bound. This flying machine
was coming directly toward the launch: II
did not deviate q hairs breadth from the
line. Fortunately the men were looking
toward q huge frcighter a quarter ~ 4
mile farther IN and from thar talL N,