The Washington herald., 1916-12-13
The Crimson Stain Mystery
Copyright. lss. By Consolidated Film oOrpn.son.
Novelized BY ALBERT PAYsoN TERHUNE.
From the Consolidated Motion Picture Triumph

as best he could. But his struggles
proved Of little avail.
XIII hint" shrilled vanya, watch
ing the one-sided battle with gieam-
ing eyes. 'Tih himi And then wen
carry away the apparatus and the
She hurried toward the outer door
OF the laboratory to lock IL and thus
prevent interruption. But as she
neared 1t the door few wide open.
On the threshold stood Florence
Montrose.
Hands up, all Of you," sharply
say"
The cripple and Kie, obeyed the
curt mandate with no loss Of time.
But Vanya and Tanner hesitated.
The former edged a little toward
Florence.
The latter noted the maneuver
and again her sweet voice rang out
In the strenuous silence Of the Iabora-
tory, as clear as a silver bugles call.
Hands up, saidv she repeated.
Miss Tosca, 1t will not grieve me at
all to send bullet through you, and
I'll do 1t If you move any nearer to
me. Hands upl"
There was no doubt as to her ear
nestness. AL four pairs of hands
were now In the air. DR.. Montrose
painfully dragged himself upward
from the noor where he sprawied, and
ne collapsed, painting, into q chair.
Now, thenl" continued Florence,
In the same determined voice, "all
four OF you march through the door,
way and down the stairs. Slowly,
mind you'll Slowly I'll be iust be-
hind you. And II one Of you turns or
lowers a hand or tries TO bolt I'll fire.
Now march,"
Florence had a very definite idea
or what she intended to do. From
the summit Of the stairs, as she had
ascended to the laboratory, she had
seen Layton Parrish turn In from the
street and come up the walk toward
the house.
She planned to deliver the four
prisoners into the detectives charge,
to be escorted to the nearest station
mouse. Hence, her command to them
TO march downstairs ahead of her.
Past her and out into the upper
hall. hands high above their heads,
fled the four captives, the cripple last
Of ALL
At one side of the doorway she
waited. marshaling them out into the
hall, one after the other, and down
the stairs. They were a sorry-look-
ing procession.
Florence brought up the rear, her
leveled revolver still menacing them,
her quick gaze ever on the alert, lest
one Of her prisoners seek to escape or
to turn upon her.
At the stair foot they met Parrish.
The detective had just been ushered
into the library.
At sight of the motley crew, guard
ed by Florence, the detective stood
stock still, his mouth wide open, and
stared in utter bewilderment. The
four halted. uncertainty, in front Of
him.
What In blue blazes does this
mean?" demanded Parrish, finding
his voice with manifest difficulty.
Whats up? Who are"
Mr.. PARRISH" interrupted Flor
ence, I've brought these scoundrels
down here to turn them over to you
for arrest?"
"Arrest?" sputtered Parrish. who
are they? What have they done?
And what are you going to do with
that gun, young lady?" he clustered.
Have you got a permit to carry
one? II not, its"
81 found these four people trying
to murder my father just now in the
laboratory" answered Florence.
when he Is well enough he will
come to the police station and make
a formal charge against them And
so will I. For saw them strangling
him. In the meantime I want you
to handcuff them and take them to
the station and have them locked up.
If you don't I'll march them there
myself, through the streets. And
while I'm there I'll make a charge
against you for refusing to"
Refusing to arrest 'em?" broke in
Parrish, Indignantly. Me? Who's
refusing to arrest 'em? Why, you
couldn't keep me from arresting this
bunch of murderers If you tried to.
You didn't understand me right"
Florence was too excited to notice
the queer look that flashed between
Tanner and the detective.
She watched with absorbed interest
the clicking Of the handouts on the
prisoners wrists, and she still held
the pistol ready in case any Of the
four should resist or try to run away.
But none of the quartet made the
slightest move toward resistance or
flight. They calmly awaited their
turns, and as Parrish approached
each, pair of wrists was cbediently
held out for the handouts.
At length the four were safely
manacled to one another and Flor
ence laid aside the revolver.
Come along, now!" gruff1y ordered
Parrish, addressing the fettered four
He opened the front door and drove
them out, ahead of him, with what
seemed to Florence a great deal OF
unnecessary roughness.
From the doorway, she could see
the detective start down the street
still herding them ahead of him.
Then the whole party turned q
corner and were lost from her view
Florence went indoors again and ran
upstairs to her father.
1t was lucky for her faith in human
nature-or rather, for her faith ir
detective nature-that the girl re.
entered the house, instead of follow
ing Parrish and the four people
whose arrest she had caused.