The Washington herald., 1916-12-14

from La Rue, he sat down In the
doctors favorite chair.
Pierre. taking a stout rope from
under his coat, tied Bob, hand and
foot. Then he left the stupified man
there and departed.
Early next morning Bob Clayton
awoke. To his amazement he found
himself bound to the chair. At the
same moment DIR. Montrose entered
the room and stared in wondering dis
may at the fettered man.
II followed Pierre La Rue here"
mumbled Bob, stupidity. The next
thing remember woke, just now.
What has happened?"
The doctor, rousing himself from
his Mortified daze, cut the prisoner
loose. replying:
Il know no more than you. But
1 must entreat you to promise you
VIII say nothing to anyone about this
Promise mel" -
why. certainly. IL you insist"
agreed Bob. perplexed by the others
earnestness. But"
Thank you'll" cried Montrose in
genuine relief. 'T thank you with all
my heartl"
+ + +
While Pierre La Rue had been busy
stealing the precious drug and its
apparatus. several of his henchmen
had CHANGED to drop in at Tanners
hat. And there the talk had taken
an odd turn. A single speech of
Tanners had started 1t all.
NO" Tanner said in reply to a
query from Kiel. ''The chief hasn't
been here today. He's going to try
to pinch the drug for himself II I'm
any judge Of his character.
I've got another hunch about him,
too" went on Tanner, emboldened by
the others wide-eyed interest. I'VE
never see La Rue except when he has
work for US. None Of US know where
he lives or what he does when we
aren't with him. Well, here's my
notion: believe he's some solid and
respected big-bug In this city and
that he operates in disguise. II we
can find out who he really is, and
threaten to blow to the cops or to
young Stanley. we'll have him where
we want him"
Harold Stanley. on his way to the
office that morning, dropped in at
Clayton's studio. Bob was not yet
there. and Stanley was about to
leave, when the sound Of q familiar
light step in the hallway outside
made him dart into a clothes closet
and shut its door on a crack.
Peeping out, he saw Vanya Tosca
let herself into the studio. The model
listened for a second: then, hearing
Clayton's step on the STAIR she went
into the adjoining room, as though
to make ready for the pose.
Bob strode into the studio and
crossed to the clothes closet to hang
up his hat and street coat. He stepped
back IN surprise at sight Of Stanley.
Harold, with q finger to his lips, en-
Joined silence. Bob. thoroughly mys-
tiled, pushed the door almost shut
and went to the telephone.
There, calling up the importer from
whom he had bought the vase, he
said:
BE sure to have the Cloisonne jar
here at this afternoon. please. DR..
Montrose Is to be here at 3 to give his
opinion on it"
Bob. leaving the telephone, went
into his ante-room for a canvas. The
instant the coast was clear Vanya
slipped out of the dressing room and
out Of the studio. Bob returned with
the canvas, looked to see no one was
in the dressing-room. and then went
again to the clothes closet. To his
astonishment it was empty. Stanley
had departed, In Vanya's wake.
Instead Of going to his office Har-
old returned home. He spent the
bulk Of the morning in the now ia
miliar task of making up as Pierre
La Rue. Thence, he went downtown
to the shop Of the importer to whom
he had heard Clayton telephone.
Promptly at 8 o'clock two porters
came putting up the stairs and into
Bob's studio, bearing a big packing
box. Two minutes later DIR. Mon
trose and Florence arrived on their
visit of inspection.
Bob, with cleat and hammer, pried
of the packing box's cover. So in
terested were he and his guests in
this process that none OF them
chanced to look upward. Therefore
they wholly failed to see Tanner and
Kiel and vanya, who were peering
down in keen excitement, through the
skylight.
With a final tug Clayton tore off
the box cover and plunged his hands
in the tute and paper beneath. Then
he Jumped back. The paper had be-
gun to stir. And before Bob could
speak or move a man sprang out OF
the box and stood bowing before
them. It was Pierre La Rue
All three Of the studios other oc-
cupants stared agape. So did the
three onlookers above them. Then
DR.. Montrose, with q stifled cry, put
his hand on La Rue, as IL to make
sure the intruder was not q ghost.
With q swift motion Montrose then
tore away the newcomers false
beard.
Harold Stanley stood revealed to
the dumbfounded beholders.
$50 that's who he isl" muttered
Tanner in Grass astonishment.
Stanley crossed to the door. Then
he turned and faced the Montroses
and Clayton. what-he said to them
In the few seconds before he left the
room the three on the slkylight could
not hear. But they could note his
words effect on the others in the
studio.
They saw DIR. Montrose turn as
pale as death. They saw Florence
sink to the floor as though under the
weight Of a horror too great for her