Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-08-15

seen at the bungalow. They passed by
without discovering him. nor could he
make out anything that they said. What
mischief was afoot7 Where was Elaine?
He ran TO the door and tried IT, IL was
locked. Quickly he took from his pocket
skeleton key and unlocked II. There
was Elaine's hat and dress lying in a
heap on the bed. But she was not there
He was now thoroughly alarmed.
She could not have passed him in the
hall. Therefore she must have gone or
been taken out through TIE window.
That would never have been voluntary,
especially leaving her things there.
The window was still open. He ran to
it. One glance out wan enough. He
leaped TO the ground. Sure enough there
were automobile tracks IN tho dust.
Del Mars carl" he muttered to him
self, studying them.
He fairly ran around the side of the
hotel. There he came suddenly upon
Elaine's car standing asone, and recog-
nized It,
There was no time for delay. He
jumped into II and let the swift little
racer out as he turned and gathered mo-
mentum to shoot up the hill on high
/ speed.
Meanwhile. I had been jogging along
4 through the country, lonely and disconso-
late. don't know how 1t hoppened, but
suppose 1t was by some subconscious
desire. At any rate. l found myself at
the road that came out across one lead
ing to the st. German. and 1t occurred
to me that Elaine might by this time
have purchased enough frocks to clothe
her for a year At any rate quickened
my pace in the hope OF seeing her.
Suddenly my horse SHE'D and a ia
miliar little car flashed past me. But the
driver was not familiar. It was Elaine's
roadster. In It was a strangers man
who looked like ''bugologist" as nearly
as I can describe him. Was he running
off with her car while she was waiting
inside the hotel?
1 galloped after him.
Del Mars automobile. with Elaine
bound and gagged in It. drove rapidly
by back and unfrequented ways into the
country until at last 1t pulled up before
an empty two-story house In a sort of
grove of trees.
The men leaped out. lifted Elaine, and
carried her bodily into the house, taking
her upstairs and into an upper room
She had tainted when they laid her down
and loosened the dress from about her
face so that she could breathe. There
they left her, on the floor. her hands and
feet bound, and went out
How long she lay there she never
knew; but at last the air revived her and
she regained consciousness and sat up.
Her muscles were sore and her head
ached. But she set her teeth and began
struggling with the cords that bound
her, managing at last to pull the dress
over herself at least.
In Elaine's car the naturalist drove
slowly at times, following the track OF
the automobile ahead. At last, however.
he came to a place where he saw that
the tracks went up a lonely side road. To
approach In q car was to warn whoever
was there. He ran the car up alongside
the road IN the bushes and jumped out
leaving II and following the tracks UP
the side roadway.
AS no approached a single deserted
house he left even the narrow road alto
gether and plunged into the woods care.
ful TO proceed noiselessly. Through the
bushes. near the house. ne peered. There
he could see ono OF Del Mars men In
the doorway, apparently talking 10 9TH
ers behind him.
stealthily the naturalist crept around
still hiding, until he was closer TO the
house ON the other side. At last no
worked his way around to the rear door
He tried 1t. II was bolted ana even the
skeleton key was unavaillng to slide the
bolt. Seconds were precious
Quickly he went TO the corner OF The
house. There was a water leader. He
began 10 climb Il, risking its precarious
support.
On the roof at last the naturalist
crawled along. looking for some way OF
getting into the house. But he could not
seem TO find any. Carefully he crawied
to the edge Of the roof and looked over.
Below he could hear sounds. but could
make nothing Of them