The Delta independent., 1914-10-09
Copyrigh., 1914, by Louis Joseph Vance

my man-whose post of observation
is in the third story of one of the
houses opposite-could get to the
street, she had been caught by several
rough-looking customers, who rushed
out of Trine's house, seized the girl,
and made off with her in a motor-car
bearing a New Jersey license number
I am sending men to watch the Jersey
ferries Call me up in an hour"
Without word of response, and
without word of apology to the Rev
erend Mr.. Wright, Alan dropped the
receiver, snatched up his hat, and fed
that house like man demented.
Rose, escaping from Trine's house,
overpowered and made the captive of
Trine's lowest creatures-gunmen pos
sibly, of the stamp of that animal
whom Trine had charged with the as
sassination of Alan the night before!
There was neither a motor-car in
sight for him to charter nor any time
to waste in seeking one. Alan could
only hope to find one on his way back
toward the ferry. 1t must have been
upwards of an hour before he came
into street which he recognized, by
its dinginess and sQualor, as that In
which he had thrown Marrophat from
the running board of the taxicab.
And then, as he paused, breathless
and footsore, to cast about him for the
way to the ferry. touring car turned
q corner at top speed and slowed to
stop before that selfsame tenement OF
the unsavory aspect to whose sidewalk
he had seen Marrophat assisted by
the loafers of the quarter
And this touring car was occupied
by some half-a-dozen ruffians in whose
hands young girl writhed and strug-
gled when, Immediately on the stop,
they jumped out and wrestled her out
with brutal reconsideration.
Like a shot Alan had crossed the
street-but only to bring up nose to
the panels of the tenement door, and
to find himself seized and thrown
roughly aside by burly denizen when
he grasped the knob and made as II
to follow in.
Keep back. young feller!" his as
sailant warned him viciously. Keep
outa this. now, II you don't want to
get into trouble"
To the speakers side another
ranged, eyeing Alan with a formidable
scowl. At discretion he stepped back
and turned as II persuaded tc mind his
own business, then swung on his heel,
caught the two in the very act of open
ing the door, and threw himself be-
tween them.
An elbow planted heavily In the pit
~.H Ho eto oI, 1S4 80 III
for the time being. A blow from the
shoulder sent the other reeling to the
gutter. And Alan was in the tene-
ment's lowermost hall-a foul and
evil-odored place, dark as a pit the
instant the door was closed, It's murk
relieved only by the fame of kero-
sene lamp smoking In a bracket near
the foot Of the stairs.
Bounds of scufiing of feet were au-
,dible on the first landing. Alan ad-
dressed himself impetuously to the
staircase, gaining its top in half
dozen leaps, and only in time to see
door slammed at the forward end OF
the hall and hear key turned in Its
lock.
A cluster of men blocked the way.
He didn't pause to walt for 1t to be
cleared, but threw himself headlong
Into their midst, and by dint OF the
surprise had gained the closed door
before they recovered and sought to
stay him.
Indifferent to them all, he shook tAs
Knob and shouted: Rose! Rosei"
Her cry came back to him, muf-
lad scream. "AIani uoIpt HaInio
Backing away with a mad idea OF
throwing himself bodily against the
door and breaking it down. he was sud
denly confronted by a hideous mask OF
humanity-face Of man all misshapen,
bruised and swollen and disfigured
with smears of dried blood and dirty
bandage round his temples, but none
the less vaguely recognizable.