The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-08-04

seized her.
"Oh, they're trying to kidnap that
poor girl" cried Elaine, remember
ing her own terrible experience.
Jennings was out of the door in a
moment followed by Elaine and Aunt
Josephine in a great state of excite
ment.
But the moment the toughs saw aid
coming from the Dodge house they
ran to the car as If thoroughly fright
ened and drove away as swiftly as
they had come, while Inez sank down
on the sidewalk, seemingly overcome.
''Take her into the house, Jennings"
directed Elaine, soothing Inez, who
by this time had faxed a perfectly
convincing case of Mysteries.
In the library, where she was placed
in an easy chair, Elaine, her aunt,
Marie and Jennings gathered about,
while between smelling salts and cold
water Inez, weeping and trembling
like the good actress that she was,
managed to tell a pitifuI story of how
she was just poor lady's maid who
had lost her position and now was
pursued on the streets by white
slavers.
ooh, please, miss, may I stay here
a while till feel better?" she pleaded.
"Oh-if could only work for you and
the kind lady who is like a mother, "
she sobbed, turning from Elaine to
her aunt.
1t was a touching story, and it
reached the hearts It was intended
for.
Don't worry; I'll see you through
this affair." nodded Elaine, wiping
away the girls tears and smiling
bravely at her. Take her upstairs,
Marie. She can find plenty to do in
this big house, I'm sure"
Even while Inez was looking her
thanks from her swollen teary eyes
already the car containing the toughs
had drawn up around the lower cor
ner, and WI and Long Sin had taken
the places of the thugs.
Everything worked fine, master "
reported the gunner.
l had gone over to the apartment
after Kennedy had perpetrated his
little joke with the new cigarette
lighter, and there 1 found several let
tiers waiting for him.
Having nothing better to do, decid-
ed to go back to the laboratory, where
I left him at work, and take along the
mail in case there might be something
important in 1t for him
He opened one or two letters, then
came to one which had laid on his
desk in a plain envelope, addressed
evidently in a disguised hand. He
tore it open and read it with scowl.
"Well, Walter, what do you think
of that?" he remarked, tossing it over
to me.
l read it in establishment:
Another attempt 10 about to be
made to kidnap Elaine Dodge.
A'FRIEND.
looked at him and shook my head
blankly, while Craig took up the tele-
phone and called the Dodge house.
mo one answers" he muttered,
working the telephone hook up and
down, but I'm sure someone took
off that receiver over there and lis
tened in. Operator-will you ring
that number again?"
Dodge telephone, Kennedy. thought a
| moment, then scrawled in his familiar
hand on the bottom of the anonymous
note, sealed it in another envelope d.
rected to Elaine, and called a messen
| ger.
Inez, meanwhile, had transformed
herself into a full-hedged maid, look
ing very pretty in her neat cap and
apron, and making herself useful in q
hundred ways about the Dodge house
Without being obtrusive she was
seldom out Of hearing of the tele
phone, however, and 1t happened that
at just the moment when Craig called
up she was there to intercept the call
taking off the receiver, but not an
swering. Instead, she hung up and
wedged the telephone bell with a
piece of paper so that it would not
ring at all.
She was about to move away from
the desk when Elaine entered the Ii
brary.
Didn't I hear the telephone bell
ring?' she asked.
Inez was quick. YES" she replied
my former mistress telephoned that
she is sending my trunk today"
''Oh, very WELL" smiled Elaine, pass.
ing on through the library with an
encouraging nod to the girl.
Inez had killed two birds with one
stone. Not only had she disarmed
suspicion about the interrupted call
but she had laid the foundation fol
the delivery Of trunk which at thai
moment she knew WI and Long Sir
were preparing and packing
1t was a large trunk, and in it the
two willy Cinnamon were packing {
chair, as well as the phosphorus ma
chine
Once Mistress Inez induces Elaine
to sit in this chair" observed WI, tap
ping it significantly as he closed tn,
trunk, half our work is completed"
Uptown IneZ, always on guard, wal
watching for the safe arrival of thu
trunk, when she saw messenger DO,
coming up the steps of the house.
Perhaps, it flashed over her, 1t wa
some message from Kennedy. Sh
must get it, whatever 1t was
Without hesitating moment sh
slipped back into the library while tn
boy was still at the door and wrot
a note of her own at the desk. Sh
had thought out beforehand just wha
plan she was to adopt and the not
read:
Dear Miss Dodge:
The ladies Of the First Baptis
church will send collector for on
rummage sale this afternoon. w
thank you for whatever you can Civ
him. Yours truly,
Miss Ella Burns,
Il Secretary, Woman's Guild.
Inez read over the note she ha
| written haraaIf 40 the mas an oar. kr,