The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-08-06

The thoughts formed themselves
mechanically in her mind. Hell Eyes
sought the ball which had come crash
ing into the room. There was life
once more in her pulses. She found
a scrap of paper and a pencil in her
pocket. With trembling fingers she
wrote a.. few words:
Police headquarters. / am Sanford
Quests assistant, abducted and Inn
%prisoned here in the room where the
ball has fallen. Help! l am going
mad!"
She twisted the paper, looked
around the room vainly for string, and
finally tore a thin piece of ribbon
from her bosom. She tied the mes
sage round the ball, set her teeth and
threw it at the empty skylight. The
first time she was not successful and
the ball came back. The second time
1t passed through the center Of the
opening. She heard it strike the sound
portion of the glass outside, heard 1t
rumble down the roof. A few seconds
of breathless ~silencei Her heart al
most stopped beating. Had it rested
in some ledge or fallen into the street
below? Then she heard the boys
voice:
Gee! Here's the ball come back
again."
A new light shone into the room.
She seemed to be breathing a different
atmosphere-the atmosphere of hope.
She listened no longer with horror
for a creaking upon the stairs. She
walked backwards and forwards until
she was exhausted. . Curiously
enough, when the end came she was
asleep, crouched upon the bed and
dreaming wildly. She sprang up to
find Inspector French, with a police
man behind him. standing pom the
J threshold.
: Inspector" she cried. rushing to-
wards him. Mr.. French! oh, thank
Y Cod"
: Her feelings carried her away. She
Z threw herself at his feet. She was
laughing and crying and talking inco-
herently, all at the same time. The
: inspector assisted her to a chair.
i Say, what's all this mean?" he de-
manded.
5 She told him her story, incoherent-
ly, in broken phrases. French listened
with puzzled frown.
4 Then he realized that she was on
the point of a nervous breakdown
/. and in no condition for i~nterrogations.
'"Thatll do" he said. I'll take care
: of you for a time, young lady. and Ill
ask you a few questions later on. MY
men are searching the house. You
and I will be getting on, if you can
t tear yourself away"
,
: The plain clothes man, who was
1 lounging in Quests most comfortable
Y easy chair and smoking one of his
e best cigars, suddenly laid down his
t paper. He moved to the window. A
s large, empty automobile stood in the
e street outside, from which the occu-
pants had presumably just descend
r ed. He fastened towards the door,
d which was opened, however, before he
j. was halfway across the room. The
t, cigar slipped from his fingers. It was
Sanford Quest, who stood there, fol
l. lowed by the sheriff of Bethel, two
country policemen and Red Gallagher
It and his mate, heavily h~andcuffed
SAY, aren't you wanted down yon
d. der, Mr.. Quest?" the man inquired.
THAT'S all right now" Quest told
g. him. I'm ringing up Inspector French
st myself. You'd better stand by tht
" other fellows ethere and keep you
is eye on Red Gallagher and his mate.
n. II guess Mr.. Quest is all right" thu
IT. sheriff interviewed. We're ringing III
IN headquarters ourselves, anyway"
is The p~lain-clothes man did as he wa
told. Quest took up the receiver from
his telephone instrument and arrange'
lie, the phototelesme.
,e- police station No. 1. central" h
es said-"through to Mr.. French's Of
at flee, II you please. Mr.. Ques
lie. wants to speak to him. Yes, Sar
be ford Quest. No need to get excited
ut. All right I'm through, am
ed Hello, inspector"
A a expression of JOY suddeni
I'M TRANSPORTED Quests face. He wa
zig gazing downward into the little mi
ror.
ad You've found Lenora, then, Il
ed spector?" he exclaimed. Bully fo
ed youi What do l mean? VIVA
cit say! You forget that am a sc
in entifc man, French. No end OF a.
NJ ~pliances here you haven't had tim
Of to look at. can see you sitting Their
rst and Lenora and Laura looking 9
he though you had them on the rack. 70
ne. can drop that, French. I've got Re
be- Gallagher and his mate, got the
va here with the sheriff of Bethel. The
went of with my auto and sold
re We've got that. Also. in less tha
it, FIVE minutes my chauffeur will ]
81" here. He's been lying in a farmhou'