Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1915-06-22
CHAPTER ".

GOu0.
Jones kept saying to himself that he
must strive to be calm, to think, think
Despite all his warnings, the warnings
of Norton, she had tricked them and
run away. 1t was maddening. He
wanted to rave, tear his hair, break
things. He tramped the hall 1t would
be wasting time to send for the police
They would only putter about fruit
lessly. The Black Hundred knew how
to arrange these abductions
How had they succeeded in doing tt
| No one had entered the house that day
without his being present There haG
| been no telephone call he had moi
| heard the gist of. nor any letters he
had not first glanced over. How had
they done it? Suddenly into his mind
flashed the remembrance Of the candle
light under Florences door the night
before. In dozen bounds he was in
her room, searching drawers, paper
boxes, baskets. He found nothing. He
returned in despair to Susan, who,
during all this turmoil, had sat as If
frozen in her chair
Speak" he cried For Gods sake,
say something, think something! Those
devils are likely to torture her, hurt
her!' He leaned against the wall, his
head on his arm.
When he turned again he was calm
He walked with bent head toward the
door,Aopened 1t and stood upon the
threshold for space. Across the
street shadow stirred, but Jones did
not see it. His gaze was attracted by
something which shone dimly white on
the walk just beyond the steps. He
ran TO 1t. A crumpled letter, unad-
dressed He carried 1t back to the
house, smoothed it out and read its
contents. Florence in her haste had
dropped the letter.
He clutched at his hat, put it on and
ran to Susan.
"Here!" he cried, holding out an au-
tomato. IF anyone comes in that you
don't 'snow, shoot! Don't ask ques-
tions, shoCt!"
I'm afraid" she breathed with diff
feulty
"Afraid?" he reared at her. He put
and thuddad TO the floor. He stopped
for it and slammed it into her lap.
You love your life and honor. You'll
know how to shoot when the time
comes. Now attend to me If I'm
not back here by ten o'clock, turn this
note over to the police. If you can't
do that, then God help us ALI" And
with that he ran from the house.
Susan eyed the revolver with grow
ing terror For what had she left the
peace and quiet of Miss Farlow's; as
sassination, robbery, thieves and kid
napers? She wanted to shrek, but
her throat was as dry as paper. Gin.
gerly she touched the pistol. The cold
steel sent thrill of fear over her. He
hadn't told her how to shoot it.!
Two blocks down the street, up an
alley, was the garage wherein Har
greave had been wont to keep his car
Toward this Jones ran with the speed
of track athlete. There might be
| half a dozen taxicabs about, but he
+ would not run the risk of engaging
any one of them The Black Hundred
was capable of anticipating his every
movement.
The shadow across the street stood
undecided. At length he concluded to
give Jones ten minutes in which to re-
turn. If he did not return within that
time. the watcher would go up to the
drug store and telephone for instruc-
tons.
But JONES did not come back.
Where's Howard?" he demanded.
Hello, Jones'; what's up?"
Howard, get that car out at once"
"Out she comes. Wait till give her
radiator bucket of water. Gee!"
whispered Howard. whom Hargreave
often used as his chauffeur, "get on to
his nibs! First time ever saw him
awake. I wonder what's doing? You
never know what's back of those
mummy-faced headwaiters. All
right, Jones!"
The chauffeur jumped into the car
and Jones took the seat beside him.
Where to-"
Number Is !" and the rest OF
it trailed away, smothered in the vio-
lent thunder of the big SKIS engines.
During the cars flight several police
men hailed it without success. Down
this street. up that. round this corner,
so miles an hour; and all the while
Jones shouted: Faster, faster!"
Within twelve minutes from the time
1t left the garage, the car stopped op.
posite No Is Grove street, and Jones
got out.
Wait here, Howard. If several men
come rushing out. or | don't appear
within ten minutes, fire your gun a
couple of times for the police. l don't
want them if we can manage without
They'd only bungle.''
All right, Mr.. Jones" said the chauf-
feur. He had, in the past quarter OF
an hour. acquired a deep and lasting
respect for the butler chap. He was a
regular fellow. for all his brass bus-