The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-06-06

Wachtmann's car. too. Was Wacht.
mann party to it,
What was to be done? looked al
my watch. 1t was already only
couple of minutes of nine, when the
train would be due.
Regardless OF whether Janeff was
listening or not, Kennedy was eager.
ly telephoning to the Woodrock Cen.
trail down in the village He was usins
the transmitter and receiver that were
connected to the two regular house
lines.
Have the ferry held at any cost
he was ordering. Don't let the next
boat go out until Mr.. Brixton get.
there, under any circumstances. Now
put that to them straight, central
You know Mr.. Brixton has lust
little bit Of influence around here, and
somebody's head will drop if they let
that boat go out before he gets there"
"Humph!" calculated Brixton.
Much good that will do Why, | sup.
pose our friend Janeff down in the
storeroom knows it all now Come on,
let's grab him."
| Nevertheless there was no sound
from the detectograph which would
indicate that he had overheard and
was spreading the alarm. He wa,
there yet, for we could hear him clear
his throat once or twice.
No, replied Kennedy calmly, "he
knows nothing about it. | didn't use
any ordinary means to prepare
against the experts who have brought
this situation about. That message
you heard me send went out over
what we call the phantom circuit"
The phantom circuit" repeated
Brixton, chatting at the delay.
Yes, it seems fantastic at first, ]
suppose pursued Kennedy calmly;
but, after all. it is in accordance with
the laws of electricity. It's no use fret
ting and Tuning, Mr.. Brixton. II
| Janeff can wait, we'll have to do so,
too. Suppose we should start and this
Kronski should change his plans al
the last minuteo How would we find
it out, By tclepathy? Believe ME, sir,
it is better to wait here a minute and
trust to the phantom circuit than to
mere chance"
But suppose he should cut the
line" l put in
! Kennedy smiled. 81 have provided
for that, Walter, in the way l in
] stalled the thing. | took good care
! that we could not be cut off that way.
We can hear everything ourselves,
but we cannot be overheard He
| knows nothing. You see, | took ad-
| vantage OF the fact that additional
| telephones or so-called phantom lines
| can be superposcd on existing ply
steal lines. 1t is possible to obtain a
third circuit from two similar metallic
circuits by using for each side of this
| third circuit the two wires of each
| OF the other circuits in multiple. All
three circuits are independent, too.
We could all talk at once without in
terfering with each other"
| AT any other time ! should be
more than interested" remarked
Brixton grimly, curbing his impa.
thence to be doing something.
81 appreciate that, sir" rejoined
Kennedy. "Ah, here it is. | have the
central down in the village. Yes:
They will hold the boat for us, Good.
Thank you The nine o'clock train is
| FIVE minutes lateo Yes-what? Count
Wachtmann's car is there, Oh, yes,
the train is just pulling in. see.
Miss Brixton has entered his car
alone What's that, His chauffeur has
started the car without waiting for
the Count. who is coming down the
PLATFORM"
Instantly Kennedy was on his feet.
He was dashing up the corridor and
the stairs from the den and down into
the basement to the little storeroom.
We burst into the place. 1t was
empty. Janeff had cut the wires and
| fed. There was not a moment to lose.
Craig hastily made sure that he had
not discovered or injured the phan-
! tom circuit.
Call the fastest car you have in
your garage, Mr.. Brixton," ordered
Kennedy. Hello, hello, central! Get
the lodge at the Brixton estate. Tell
them if they see the engineer Janeff
going out TO stop him. Alarm the
watchmen and have the dogs ready.
Catch him at any cost. dead or alive"
A moment later Brixton's car raced
around, and we piled in and were off
like a whirlwind. Already we could
see lights moving about and hear the
baying of dogs. Personally, wouldn't
have given much for Janeff's chances
of escape.
As VIC turned the bend in the road
! just before we reached the ferry, we
almost ran into two cars standing be-
fore the ferry house. 1t looked as
| though one had run squarely in front
OF the other and blocked it off. In
the slip the ferry boat was still steam
ing and waiting.
| Beside the wrecked car a man was
lying on the ground groaning, while
another man was quoting a girl
whom he was leading to the waiting
room OF the ferry.
Brixton. weak though he was from
his illness, leaped out of our car al
most before we stopped and caught
the girl in his arms.
Father" she exclaimed, elinging
to him.
What's this?" he demanded stern
1y, eying the man. 1t was Wachtmann
himself.
Conrad saved me from that chauf-
| feur of his" explained Miss Brixton.
81 met him on the train, and we were
! going to ride up to the house to-
gether. But before Conrad could get
into the car this fellow, who had the
engine running, started it. Conrad
| jumped into another car that was
waiting at the station. He overlook
us and lodged in front so as to cut
the chauffeur off from the ferry"
Curse that villain OF a chauffeur"
muttered Wachtmann, looking down