Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-29
ZUDORA
A GREAT MYSTIC STORY BY HAROLD MAcCRATH

arms. A hand covered her mouth and
she was drawn swiftly behind the wall,
which closed instantly into place again.
She felt her hands and ankles being tied,
and She was blindfolded and gagged. No
one spoke. She was lifted up and car
ried through a secret passngoway. Then
she smelled the sickish odor OF chloro-
form, and after that Darkness. When
she came to she was In a small room.
Sho was still blindfolded, but her ears
were alive. and she could hear tho
plaintive sobblng OF n child.
Meantime storm returned with the Ices
TO find the bench deserted. He sat down
the dishes, grumblingly. and went out to
tho ballroom, He saw Nine. Du Val and
this stranger Baird talking pleasantly.
Madame, whore is Miss Kcene?"
why, didn't she run after you to tell
you TO bring coffee instead Of ices? I left
her just as she departed for tho refresh
there"
Storm rushed away, not at ali pleased
with events. There was no yudora in the
supper room; there was no Zudora any
whore to be found. Then his suspicious
were fully aroused. He knew now. Has
sam All was back OF all this.
lie approached Mime. Du Val. ''NVhere
Is Miss keene's uncle. Hassam AlI?"
"Hassam ALP" she repeated.
%. he loft shortly after tho FIRST dance"
said Baird. "He seemed ILL.," He turned
TO Nine. Du Val. what made you in
vito that contemplate old fakcr?"
storm found that his dislike for Baird
was not so strong as Mt the beginning.
Any ono who called Hassam All con-
temptiblc had NJ least some attribute in
common with himself.
81 will inquire II tho young lady has
been to tho dressing room said Nine.
Du Val. moving off.
But LudOrn'g cloak ana aCnrf mara rItI1
on the bed in the dressing room. That
was enough for Storm. He left the
house Immediately and drove to police
headquarters.
Upon his departure from the Du Val
house Baird resumed his Hassam Ali
disguise and returned home. Zudora was
his. lie concluded to mako his patron
a visit. The real Hassam All was evil
IDENTIFY sinking. TO Baird's eyes tho
mask of death already lay upon the
plnchcd features; the mind alone was
vigorous.
Keen, you are on your death bed"
Am |, indced2" ironically. A Mt of
coughing followed, and Hassam All
writhed upon his cot,
Tho Hassam All standing over him
frowned.
where is the will?" he asked.
do you wish to murder me-"
"In Gods name, no! But you are
dying and I've lone all your work on
promises of tho future. You know that
you are dying"
where is Zudora?"
"Sho Is in the hands OF Nine. Du Val"
You will be a pauper, my man, II you
fail this time. She must die, die!"
mo, she shall not die. You are not
Il human being; you are a hend. Hudora
shall not die for the simple fact that I
have grown to love her!"
Grown TO love her!' Keen fell back,
looking as II he We're really dead this
time.
Baird left the chamber, angry with
himself for having given the old
scoundrel a glimpse of his heart. But
no was dying, there was no doubt of II
at all.
Hudora. together with the Van Wick
meut where they had been %cUnhueo, and
understood that they were to be conveyed
Cor thought she did now; she had been
lured to the Du Val place for the purpose
Of abduction, The ]scoundrels who had
kidnapped the Van Wick child feared her.
Whether Nine. Du Val had any place in
the affair she was not ready to determine;
but it was rather odd that "a good woman
should live In a house with secret rooms
and exits.
1t was through a simple co~untryman's
alarm that Zudora and the child were
brought back to tho world again. The
old man had road about the abduction,
and the sight of a pathetic little boy be-
ing carried aboard a caboose on n siding