Tombstone epitaph., 1915-08-08

'udtCue0 up an iuulStfuCt ODIcCt, 8uO ushed to the door. pressing the bell with wild eyes, flung the door vide open to him.
 Quick! Where is Mrs. MacGreg. 'r!" ordered Poe.
 A minute later he was opening the ,bject that had landed at his feet al he same moment that the sharp ex olosion had alarmed the whole house. iold. It was a small tin tobacco box )owder-blackened, with a dent in it inside was a note. intact, which read
 The time haz arrive. Wrap the
 money in tight roll. put it in a
 straw hat. tie 1t in tight an hang
 1t by a string six inch long from
 lowest branch of elum tree at the
 dark corner along the park. oppo-
 sitive of the new building at Six
 ty-eighth street & Fifth avenue.
 Be Carefull!
 You are being watched. The
 bullet that came with this order
 meanz bizness. There is lots more
 of them.
 Hang the hat there at 2 minutes
 to one o'clock. then the police is at
 the uther end of his beat an if you
 are careful nobody sees you. You
 can throw the string over the end
 Of the branch and pull the hat up.
 Don't let it be ceen or Death is
 Yours and Cords.
 nnp't ha fpAtiSh -a,,as
 with us for if there is any decte-
 lives around the money will not be
 tuched and you an Cord will both
 get Death for yours.
 At ? minutes to 1. Remember.
 If all is well and you play no
 underhand the boy Cord Is return
 immediate.
 P. s. Spesial.
 Mama, do as the man says or he
 will kill me. Cord.
 What are you going to dol? breathed Mrs. MacGregor. repressinI her horror with an effort whicl strained every feature.
 "Exacty as they say" replied Poe except that cut paper will take th' place of the money"
 But when they disc"
 Now don't lose control!" Po' clasped her hand firmly in his. T sn't right for them to prey on yo, with appeals they make Geordie sign The boys all right Don't worry"
 He took the kidnaper's note. ant went up to the smoking room. Ther' he cut some heavy bond paper into strips the size of paper currency pressed a large bunch into a nea bundle. and forced it into the crown O an old straw hat, tying it in. He sen Andrew out for Clancy. posing as { and when the excited detec i've came in, Poe gave him definite orders about tying the hat on the tree .xactly according to orders at two to one, added advice as to hi: after that, and dismissed Jim.
 He called up a certain number where he was known as MT. Hardy 'eceived some information which seemed satisfactory, and then took a xxi to Washington Square. where the blind beggar had alighted that after loon. He met a man by appointment md went with him to a nearby room where he changed quickly to the gart ,f a conductor on the Fifth avenue bus inc. starting from Washington Square
 You'll have just time to take ou, -our car." said the bus-line employe who had brought him the uniform There won't be many passengers. It's he last trip. Be careful, Mir. Hardy
 Poe ran down the stairs. and hur jed up to the big green auto bus whose conductor he was to be for the rip. Forty minutes later the bus had 'assed the MacGregor mansion on it's Uptown trip, and had come to a stoI t its terminal in the "Nineties."
 Poe held a whispered conversation with the driver. there being nobody bout, and at schedule time rang the ,ell for the return trip downtown There wasn't a passenger aboard, ex' 'ept drunken old woman in shabby 'lothing who sat inside the bus. Poe ,aid no attention to her. At Eighty. sixth street the bus came to a stop Jailed by a street-corner passenger Poe had his face averted as he rang he bell to go ahead. The passenger danced at the drunken woman within, an lightly up the steps, and took a eat alone outside, on the bus top. sit. ing on the side nearest the park Poe went up presently, and collected lis fare.
 He turned to his platform below, ut at Seventieth street climbed the tairs again, and cried in the weary one of bus conductors, Look out for ow branches."'
 Tho lone passenger turned sharply. Ie had been sitting tense, strainins onward in the front seat At Poe's aution he made an irascible motion or him to go down and cried:
 "All right! All right! I take care f myself"
 Poe had started as If to return to is platform, and the young man 'eemed satisfied. turning at once to ,aze ahead along the line of low coughs. Poe. taking advantage of the 'assenger's absorption, slipped down n the passage-way between the seats. so that his head was out of light
 A sudden snap of a branch.