The Washington herald., 1916-10-26

20 once to the bed where lay his
ID daughter. II he noticed Har-
s===@z-gold Stanley's strange appear
ance and make-up-if he saw
the glimmer Of the necklace in Har-
old's hand or heard the young mans
words-he gave no sign.
Harold, coveruy removing the rest
of his disguise, went out Of the room,
leaving them alone together.
Directly after lunch, next day, he
called at the Montrose house. Felix
ushered him into the library and
went in search Of Florence. Pres
emily the girl entered the library
Tell me all about it," she demand
ed at once. when phoned you this
morning you promised TO. Tell me.
l don't understand any of it."
He put up hand in laughing pro-
test, as If trying to ward off her
volley Of eager excitement. Then his
face grew grave. and he replied:
Il found a cipher note that told
Of a Crimson Stain plot to get hold
of Mrs. Clayton's necklace at the ball
last night. don't know which of
two people who called at my office
dropped the note"
But who dropped the note in your
Office"
Il think" replied Harold, reluct-
antly, Il think it was Vanya Tosca.
And I think we can learn more from
her, If we don't rouse her suspicious.
I've just asked Bob Clayton to phOne
her to come to his studio at o'clock
this afternoon to pose for him"
But what's the plan?" asked Flor
ence. You said you and Bob"
Wait till we've tried it," he evaded.
Then If it succeeds I'll tell you all
about it. believe 1 am on the right
trail at last"
The curtain that covered the door
way just behind the couch on which
they were sitting moved ever -
slightly. Neither of them noticed it.
From an inner pocket he drew some
thing that famed and glittered and
flashed from a thousand points as he
held it up in the sunlight. Florence
gave a little cry Of wondering admira-
ton.
Mrs. Clayton's necklace" she ex-
claimed. ''You-you haven't returned
it to her. them"
NO" he made answer. And 1
have the best reasons in the world
for keeping it in my own possession
a little longer. What the Crimson
Stain gang goes after, the Crimson
Stain gang usually gets"
He was about to drop the treasure
back into his pocket when a hand
shot out through the curtains be-
hind him. With lightning swtftness
the hand snatched the necklace from
him and darted back through the
curtain folds.
But, out Of the corner Of his eve,
Stanley had noted the darting mo-
ton. Instinctively, with his free
hand, he snatched at the vanishing
gems. His strong fingers closed about
the theifs wrist.
With a wrench, he sought to drag
the intruder through the enveloping
curtain folds and into the library.
The other resisted with desperate
force; but, under Harold's grasp, the
thief's fingers opened. and the neck
lace fell to the floor.
Pick It up, please!" he bade Flor
ence; at the same time finging HIM
self forward and maintaining his
grip Of iron on his unseen oppo-
nent's wrist.
His opponent was tall and strongly
built. His head and face were en-
veloped in mask-hood, through
whose narrow Sits his eyes glittered
as evilly as q snakes.
Out into the hallway reeled the
two hercely struggling men. Harold
for an instant released his iron grip
on the others wrist, and graspins a
handful of the mask-hood, tore It
away from his enemy's head.
To his amaze, he did not thus re-
veal a face, but merely a second and
inner hood-mask, adjusted more
closely than the first.
In the moment of dazed astonish-
ment while Harold stood narveling
at this phenomenon the masked man
took advantage of the brief respite
to wheel about and dash at full speed
up the stairs. Harold, recovering
himself, followed.
But the other had gotten a start Of
several yards and was as agile as a
cat Hurry as he would, Harold
could not overtake him. He was Just
in time, at last, to see the man slip
into the laboratory, closing the door
with swift noiselessness behind him.
Harold cleared the intervening dis
tance at a bound and seized the
laboratory's doorknoo. But tho