Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-05-02


} WI benz over and looked. Under the
lens. what had formerly seemed to be
merely black speck Of dirt, became
J now one u the most weird and uncanny
little creatures TO be found IN all the
realm of nature II seemed 10 be all legs
and feelers moving at once. a normal
repugnance. Wa regarded It with a sort
OF unholy fascination.
And II is7' he queried.
What the white man calls the African
tick which carried the recurrent fever"
answered the collie deferentialy.
A flash OF intense exuitation seemed 10
dsrxen WI Fangs sinister face. Several
times he paced up and. down the room,
a. he contemplated the sight which he
had Just seen. Then he came to a sudden
determination
watt he said 10 the cooIie. a. he
moved slowly again into the haekroom.
Ions sin had remained there. with
weepy Mary he was guarding Elaine
when wu-Fang re-entered. Elaine was
thoroughly aroused oy this time. Even
the fact that WI no longer held the
murderoua dirk aid not serve 70 rosssure
her. for the look on mis- face was even
more terrible than before.
He smiled cunningly TO himselk
suffering IL a state Of mind. he said
in low tone. and have decided that II
would be poor revenge for me to harm
you. You are free"
Long Sin. the slave. did not stop TO
question his master. but merely moved
over 10 closet and took out the hat and
wraps which Elaine had worn when she
had been kidnapped in the uptown apart
Il 4.
she got them on with trembling hands
No one stopped her and she nerved herr
self TO take several steps toward the
door. She had scarcely crossed half the
room.
watt ordered WI sharply.
This will be the vengeance Of WI
Fang" he went on inproasively. slowly.
one by one. your friends will weaken and
die. then your family. until finally only
you are loft. Then will come your turn"
lie stopped again ana raised his long,
lean forefinEer. 60" he Kissed II
wish you much joy
He turned to Long Sin and whispered
word 10 him A moment later. Long sin
drew forth large ailken handkerchief
and tied II tightly over Eiaine's eyes.
Then he took her hand and led her out
There was 70 be no chance by which she
could lead q fslding party back 10 the
den IN which she had been held.
don't think that IN all our friendship
have even eeen Kennedy 90 utterly de-
pressed as he was when we returned after
tho discovery Of the vast fortune which
Bennett had cleverly secretsd. came
upon him In the laboratory the next MORN
Ing while he was trying 70 read. He
had laid aside his scientific work. and
now he had even laid aside his book
There seemed 10 DO absolutely nothing
60 do uniil some new clue turned up. II
placed my hand on his shoulder, but the
words that would encourage him died on
my lips. Several times started to speak.
but each time ! checked myself. There
did not seem TO be anything that would
be appropriate for such an occasion.
A sharp ring at tho telephone made
both OF us fairly jump. 50 nervous had
we become. Kennedy reached over In
stantly for the instrument IN the vague
hope that at last there was some news.
A. watched hia faes. It changed first
from despair 70 wonder. and finally Il
seemed 20 HIGHT up with the most re-
markahie look OF relief and happiness
that one could imagine,
Il shall De right over" he cried. lam.
ming the receiver ON The hook, ana IN
the same motion reaching for his hat ana
coat walter he cried, ut is Elaine!
They have let her gos"
1 I seized my own hat and coat In time
to follow him and We dashed out OF the
laboratory
The suspense under which Aant Jose
phone had been living had told on her.
Her niece, Elalne's cousin. Mary Brown.
who lived AZ Rockiedge. had come into
the city 70 comfort Aunt Josephine and
they had been sitting. that morning in
the library Marie. the maid. was busy
about the room, while Aunt Josephine
talked sadly over Elaine's strange dis
appearance. She was on the verge OF
tears.
Suddenly a startled cry from Jennings
out IN the hall caused both ladies' TO jump
20 their feet They could scarcely believ
what they heard As the raithfui ola
butler cried OUT the name.
''Why-Miss Eiaineg he capped
An instant later Elaine herself burst
into the room and flung herself into
Aunt Josphines arms. All talking and
half crying from Joy az once. they
crowded about her. Breathlessly she an
swered the question that flew thick and
fast
In the excitement Aunt Josephine had
seized the telephone and called our
number. She did not even wait % break
tie good news. but handed thu telephone
10 Elaine herself.
We left the laboratory on the rUn. too
fast 10 notice that just around the build
ing line stood limousine with shades
drawn. Even II We mad paused to glance
back. We could not have seen Wa Fang
and Long sin inside. gazing out through
the corner OF the curtains. They were In
European dress now. ana had evidently
come prepared for Just what they knew
was likely TO happen.
IN All the strange series Of events. 1
doubt whether We had ever made, better
time from the laboratory over 10 the
Dodge house than we did now. We we're
admitted By the faithful Jennings ana al
most ran into the library
Oh craiE'" cried Elaine a. kennedy.