The Washington herald., 1914-04-06

, shot Marsh was a collector OF rare and
curious things, and Ward stepped to the
safe and took out the ruby ring. His
friend was deeply interested; the curious
luster of the ring seemed to exert the
same strange fascination on him as il
had on Ward and Margaret. AS he turn
ed after restoring the ring TO the safe
he received a vague impression that
Marsh had been watching his manipula-
ton of the lock. But that too, he rea-
soned. could be ascribed TO his fevered
imagination. When they parted he in
vited Marsh to dine with Margaret and
himself in the evening.
This is Margaret" said a voice. but
the voice was not like Margaret's. II
was cold, Unconditional and devoid of in
Election. You must come at once. 1 am
at" Ward thought she was asking
some one for an address. II am at
81 - street. You must hurry" she
added.
Ward dismissed his doubts. There was
4 possibility the voice had been Mar
garets. He hurried to the address given,
and as he opened a door he was seized
by wiry arms and forced into a chair.
Beside him sat Margaret, but he scarcely
knew her. Her face was frozen into
hard, Iifeless lines, and she stared at the
wall with unseeing eyes.
"Hypnotized," murmured Ward. but
he had no time for further reflection. A
hand was clutChing at his throat. and
as he looked up he saw two men stoop-
ing over him. men whose movements
were agile and Cat-like, men with
swarthy. sinister faces and eyes that
burned with the deep glow of fanatics.
Those eyes-Ward understood now-had
pursued him with their uncanny glintIng
ever since that moment on the steamer
when his friend Mortimer had dropped
dead of heart disease. after giving him
the ruby and telling how he had picked
it up in a strange Oriental temple.
The clutch at his threat relaxed. I'VE
do not mean to do you harm" said a
sepulchral voice. But you have ths
sacred ruby OF the Temple Of Afgha-
man and we wish you to surrender it >
Ward glanced at the girl. She blink
ed in a bewildered way, but the icy
stare had left her eyes.
THE ruby he mumbled, and then
vague understanding came to him. You
can have it-yOu are welcome TO It. It's
in the safe in my rooms. II you will
let us out of this internal trap you can
have it in ten minutes"
THAT is not true said one Of the
men. I'VE are priests of the Temple Of
AfShaman. You cannot deceive US. The
sacred ruby may have been in your
rooms this morning. 1t is not there now.
We have looked for it We thought the
young woman had it, but she also re-
fuses TO tell. You must restore 1t to
US"
Ward squirmed, proclaiming strenuous
ly when he last saw the ruby 1t was
in his wall safe. He declared he would
be only too glad to be rid of It. He
.IaT shA
convinced; they held a whispered consul
tation, after which one of them turned
to Ward.
I'VE believe you," he said. 'It must
be that the other has it We shall go.
You may follow when you wish"
They glided noiselessly from the room.
and Ward stared at his sweetheart, She
told him she had been seized and taken
away during the confusion in the res
taurant. One of the Orientals had fixed
his eyes on her. and she had faHen under
strange spell during which she had
been told to telephone Ward
He heard a scream-it sounded like
Margaret's voice-and felt some one
brushing against him and running nim-
BILE fingers over his body. In the hub
bub and tumult he could not tell what
had happened Suddenly the electrics
blazed again, this time over a scene Of
utter CONFUSION, out Margaret ha0 van
isned. With the assistance of Marsh
he searched the restaurant, but there
was no trace of her and no one had seen
her.
II can't understand" said his friend.
Seems as if some one turned OF the
lights with the intention of carrying her
away. There is a possibility she will try
70 telephone you. Better go back to your
rooms. In the meantime I will put de-
tectives on the case
Ward followed the suggestion. He
paced the floor with quick, nervous steps,
wondering what could have happened to
his sweetheart. The telephone rang, but
it was only Marsh, who had called to in
form him that the watchman had been
drugged in the basement below the res
taurant and that some one had turned
of the lights. The stub of a drugged
cigarette had been found at the watch
mans feet.
He felt better after a long, brisk walk,
and when he returned to his apartments
to dress he was almost convinced that
his strange experiences had been only
figments of his excited brain, Margaret
chatted gaily over the dinner. and the
soft lights and the slow. dreamfuI music
had soothing effect on his nerves. But
presently he began to experience an un-
comfortable sensation that he could as
cribe to nothing tangible. He felt as II
some one who contrived to remain in.
visible was pursuing him with steaIfhv