The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-04
HIM. Complimentary?1


"Ah, Olga, why the deuce must you 20
and fall in love with bundle of asnes like
myself? Ashes and bitter ashes, too Some
times / regret But the regretting oniy
seems to make me all the more savage. What
opium and dope are to other ren, danger
and excitement are to me. 1t is not wri.
ten that / shall die in bed. l have told you
that already. There is no other woman
now. And l do love you after a fashion, as
a man loves comrade Wait till this dam
cling bout is over and may talk otherwise.
And now l going to a reception I am
going to shake hands and hobnob with the
elite-beautiful word. And while bow and
smrk and crack witticisms, I and the devil
win be chuckling in our sleeves But this
I'll tell you, while there's a drop of blood In
my veins, breath in my body. III stick to
this fight If only to prove that Tn not =
gutter
He caught her suddenly In bis arms, kissed
her, lightly to the deor, and was gone
before she could recover from her astonish-
ment.
The affair went smoothly, without hitch.
Norton and his men gained the house through
the tunnel without attracting the least At
tention. The Black Hundred, watching the
front and rear of the mouse, never dreamed
that there existed another mode of entrances
or that there was secret cabinet room
Half an hour later the head Of the secret
service. accompanied by his men, together
with SIP der Beggs, VINO was In high
feather over his success. arrived. demanded
admittance. and went at the fount Of the
business at once.
Your name is JONES'" began the chief.
The butler nodded, though his face evinced
no little hewilderment at the appearance Of
these men.
"Wnat is II you wish. STRIP.
az am from the secret service and have
1t from q pretty good source that there b
counterfeit money hidden in this house. More
than that. | can put my hand on the very
place it Is hidden"
"That is impossible, SIR" declared Jones
Indignantly.
atm an old hand, Mr.. Jones. It will not
do you a bit of good to put on that bold
front"
Beggs smiled How was he to know that
this was comedy set especially for his
benefit.
81 should like to see that money" said
Jones, not quite so bravely.
"Come with me-" said the secret service
man. where's the library"
Beyond that door, sir"
The cnief reckoning to his men. entered
the library went directly to certain shelf.
extracted three volumes and there lay the
money in three neat packages
GOOD heave1s," gasped Jones
~ shall have to request you and the fam
fly to accompany me to the station
" But it is all utterly impossible, sir!
know. nothing Of That money, nor how it got
there Its plot. | declare on my oath,
sir, that | am innocent, that Miss Florence
and her companion know nothing about IT.
lyon win have to tell all that to the fed
eral judge. sir. My duty is to take you all
To the station. 1t would be just as wen not
say anything more, sir.
Every well; but some one shah smart Tor
this outra ge."
THAT remains to be seem" was the terss
comment of the secret service man.
He led his prisoners away directly.
Norton and his men had to wait far into
the night The Black Hundred did not in
tend to make any mistake this time by
hasty move. At quarter after 10 they de-
scended Braine was not with tnem- This
was due to the urgent request Of Olga, who
still had her doubts The men rioted about
the house. searching hooks and corners ex-
aiming floors and walls, opening books, pull
ing out drawers, but they found nothing.
they talked freely, however, and the dicta-
graph registered every word The printing
plant, which had so long dehed discovery,
was in the cellar of the house occupied BY
the Black Hundred. Norton and his men
determined to follow and raid the building.
And the reporter, promised himself good
front page story without in any way con
fictng with his promises to Jones
Events came to pass as they expected. Tho
trailing was not the easiest thing. Norton
knew about where the building was, but he
could not go to it directly. He was quito
confident that its entrance was identical with
that which had the trap door through which
he had been flung that memorable day when
he had been shanghaied.
When they reached the building ne warmed
the men to hug the wall to the stairs The
trap yawned, but no one was hurt They
scampered mp the stairs like lot OF eager
boys; broke the door into ind the weird
executive chamber dark and empty ana N
acrid smoke in their nostrils. This latter