The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1915-09-16

letter from Washington arrived.
There on the rocky shore, he sat
gazing out at the waves. waiting.
when suddenly. from around the prom
ontory, came boat rowed by two
stalwart sailors. 1t carried as pas
sengers two dark-complexioned. dark
haired men. foreigners evidently.
though carefully dressed so as 20 con
ceal both their identity and national
ity
AS the boat came up to a strip OF
sandy beach among the rocks, the sail.
ors held it while their two passengers
jumped out. Then they rowed away
as quickly as they had come.
The two mysterious strangers salut-
ed WI. we are under orders from
the intelligence Office introduced one
who seemed to be the leader. ito get
this American. Kennedy"
Information has just come TO us,
the stranger went on. that Kennedy
has invented a new wireless auto
matte torpedo. Already letter is on
its way informing him that it has been
accepted by the navy"
The other man. who had been draw
ing IL cigar shaped outline on the wet
sand. looked up We must get those
models" he put in. adding. both of
them-the one he has and that the
government has. Can it be done?"
Il can get them" answered Wa sin
isterly
And so. while Kennedy was drawing
near together the net about WI. that
willy criminal had already planned an
attack on him in an unexpected quar-
ter
Down in Washington the very morn
ing that our pursuit OF WI came to a
head the officials OF the navy depart.
ment. both naval and civil were hay-
Ing the final conference at which they
were TO accept officially kennedys
marvellous invention. which it was con
iidently believed. would ultimately
make war impossible.
Seated about long table in one OF
the board rooms were not only the Ctii-
GERS but the officials of the department
whose sanction WAS necessary for the
final step. BY a window sat a woman
stcnographer. who was transcrihng
the notes OF the momentous meeting
They had just completed the eNami-
nation OF the torpedo and laid it on
the end OF the table scarcely an arms
length from the stenographer. As she
finished Il page of notes she glanced
quickly at u watch on her wrist 1t
was exactly three O'Clock.
Hastily she reached over for the tor
pedo and with one swift. silent move
ment tossed il out OF the window.
Down below. in clump OF rhodo-
dendrons. for several moments had
been crouching one of the men who
had borne the orders To WI Fang at
the strange meeting on the promon-
tory
His eyes seemed riveted at the win
dow above him. suddenly the supreme
moment for which this dastardly l.ot
had been timed came. AS the torpedo
model dropped from the window, he
darted forward. caught il. turned and
in an instant he was gene
Wa Fang himself had returned after
setting in motion the forces which he
found necessary to call to aid the for
eigu agents in their plots against Ken
nedy's torpedo.
AS Wa approached the door OF his
den and was about to enter. his eyes
fell on our outpost, the blind beggar
Instantly his suspicious were aroused.
He looked the beggar over. with a
frown. thought moment. then turned
and instead OF entering went up the
street.
He made the circuit of the block
and now came TO an alley on the next
street that led back to the building in
which he had his den, still frowning
he gazed about. saw that he was not
followed, and entered doorway.
Up the stairs he made his way until
he came To an empty loft. Quickly he
went over to the blank wall and began
feeling cautiously about as II for a
secret spring hidden in the plaster.
No one in the back ROOM" said
Kennedy rejoinisg me in the den
itself with the prisoner. He's out. all
right"
Before Craig was mirror. AS he
looked into it. at an angle, he could
see part OF the decorations OF the
wall behind him actually open out. For
an instant the evil face OF WI Fang
appeared.
Without word. Craig walked into
the back room. AS he did so, WI
Fang knife in hand. stealthily opened
the sliding panel its full length and
noiselessly entered the room behind
me. With knife appraised for instant
action. he moved closer and closer to
me. He had almost reached me and
paused 10 gloat as he poised the knife
ready to strike. when | heard a shout
from Kennedy and scufiie.
Craig had leaped out from behind
screen near the doorway TO the back
room where he had hidden to lure WI
on. With a powerful grasp he twisted
tho knife from Wu's hand and X fell