Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-10-15
,ur'eenth Episode---.
Humanity Triumphant


Reilly. The bullet struck him in the
breast and he staggered and fell. Bur-
ton, giving his faithful companion one
agOniZed glance, was momentarily
taken unawares and soon yielded to
an attack in force
The whole dramatic scene ended al
most as quickly as 1t had beg m Bur
ton was now a prisoner again, and
poor Reilly lay groaning on the floor,
little caring what further suffering
vicious fate might have in store for
him.
For a few seconds 1t looked rs
though the brains of both men would
have been shot out then and there
But, as Burton ascertained suhsC-
quently, Mother Flanagan had beer
an interested spectator not only Of
the fight, but Of Reilly's unexprctcT
release, with Its sequel in the explu-
sion of the bomb outside. the house.
The old bag hersei;, aiGed by I've,
Gun Jake, had experimental w.t.
fuses of various lengths, and mean,
making a last attempt to extort ram
sem from the principal victim before
1t was too late.
knowing that the gang did not pos
sess a second bomb, she determined to
NiihbC hCt tdNtiNo' anu llltl NCltu
shrilly at the very instant one of her
henchmen was drawing a pistol with
intent to fire point-blank in Buttons
face.
You wait for orders. you boob"
she screamed. who tole You to butt
in? Put away that gun. and tie him
up in the chair again"
Her command was obeyed with diff
ficulty, since both chairs had been
broken in the struggle. While Jrhn
was being lashed to a rickety seat, he
looked calmly into the scoWling faces
of his prosecutors.
What good will it do any OF you
to kill me?" he said. you are only
committing stupid crime, which will
surely be discovered, and lead to a
hue and cry of the most determined
kind"
Mother Flanagan thrust herself
forward. Her evil eyes blaZed into
his.
Now you're talkin," she "roaked.
do us bit Of good, an save your
self. viii you give rs $4,000, an
keep mum when we turn you loose?"
John shook his head.
That is not my meaning at all, he
said quietly. ITO ouy my life IN
those terms simply implies the IT,
umph of evil. l will repay you by
help and kindness. l will promise
you the fair treatment which many of
you have never received from society,
but / absolutely refuse to bargain in
terms Of money"
you do, eh?" screamed the vlrago.
We'll see about that. You are In our
hands here, Mr.. Marquis, and don
1 f.,r no
carelessness Of these blunderin' idiots
you and your pal would have gone
up a minnit since in smoke an fire.
You think, perhaps, that the cops are
after us, an if you can only waste
time they'll rescue you. Don't you be-
lieve 1t. To prove my words III give
you one hour. If, however, at the end
of that time you don't promise to pay
down $4,000 plunks just when and
where we want EN-, myself will drive
knife through your ribs, an let tho
boys here finish the job as they like
afterwards" -,.
1t was only too evident that the
Dir Aadful Old creature mean what She
said, but John met her malignant que
unflinchingly, almost with compassion.
Very WELL" he said, Il accept your
respite of one hour. Bind his wounds,
therefore, and give him some water.
straight away Let him have his hour,
too. '*tNow, men," he added. sweep
ing the grim circle of the Hell Cats
with a comprehensive glance, carry
. Ut y.shr terms fairly and 3qua,C:y.'
'DNt meal nat you're wil.tn' to
pay" broke in al eager ice.
~ I'll is to =, cettled at the exp:ra
zion of an hoGr," was the calm answer
He thinks he's playin' with us"
sneered Mother Flanagan, but I'll
teach him. See If l don to-
Nevertheless moved by some linger-
ing sense of fair dealing, she wet a
handkerchief, made it into pad and
bound it tightly over the bullet wound
in Reilly's breast. And thus began an
hour Of mental and physical agony
1t would be hard to say which of thu
two endured the worse ills, the man
who knew that his deepest convictions
would surely be put to the final test
or he who groaned and shuddered in
biting, burning pain.
Meanwhile some stirring events had
happened in the city. 1t will be re-
membered that Burton had employee
a Japanese valet during the absence
on vacation of the smooth-spoken
English servant who usually filled thai
office. He had come to like the lit
tie brown man and retained him il
his service, so that the two Wallets al.
ternately performed the same duties.
When the gunner made their at
tack on Burton's house, choosing tn
hours of broad daylight as the safes.
for their purpose, and depending fol
success wholly on rapidity of move
ment, the japanese happened to be
a dressing room adjoining the library
where his master was at the momen
attending to some belated correspond
ence.
Hearing a sudden hubbub of rush
ing feet and muttered oaths, the little
man ran in only to be blackjacked
forthwith. He fell like a poe-axed
OK, and the Hell Cats did not care
whether or not he was actually dead
The fate of valet was of no account
What they wanted was a bound and
gagged millionaire safe in the limou-
sine Of fast car, and this achieve
ment they carried out with a daring
and efficiency worthy of better
cause.
So the Jap recovered his senses an(
was able to give the police a fairly
lucid account of the attack A couple
of gardeners, moving a distant lawn,
had seen the car drive up and hurry
away again, but paid no heed to that
very ordinary circumstance until the
Wallets startling narrative showed that
his master must have been kidnapped
in that identical vehicle. !
The police decided that a wide
spread publicity would best serve their
ends, and supplied the press with such
meager details as they possessed. OF
course, the local newspapers publish
ed the news under scare-heads.
Grace Coe was sitting down to /;
belated luncheon when her brother