The Washington herald., 1916-12-08
The Crimson Stain Mystery
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Noveiised by ALBERT PAYsoN TERHUNE.
From tn. ton.olidsted Motion Pieture Trium ph

HAOlu SIT 6Llus us cApTCo-
sIon gradually becoming owlish and
s,upid- At last his face was like a
sleeping walkers. His glance was
fixed, CLASSY, nfeless.
Then, with q grunt Of satisfaction.
La Rue Strengthened up from his own
crouching position.
'Goodl" he muttered TO Tanner and
Morrison. Hes hypnotized as safe
- II he'd been half-witted."
You're sure you've got him
Sinched, Chief?" asked Morrison.
Look at himI" answered La Rue.
AMY fool can, see he's In q trance.
and he'll do what tell him to. He
can't help it"
Turning back to Harold and speak
~ with a slow, impressive incisive-
ness, La Rue said:
Stanley, you are in my power, body
and soul. Ny will rules your will.
My thought rules your thoughts. You
Ne my slave"
Il am your slave" repeated Stanley
orowsaly, as though talking In his
sleep.
You will obey my wishes" con-
dnued Pierre. Then, when you wake
from this trance, tomorrow, you will
forget what you have done"
Stanley nodded stupid acquiescence.
Listen now to your instructions, :"
proceeded La Rue. In one hour
from now you will enter DR.. Mont
roses house at Riverdale. You will
enter by a side door which one Of
these two men will open for you.
You will 80 along a passage and
through a secret panel-way, into DIR.
Montrose's laboratory. You will go
up to DR.. Montrose- ose-an-you-will-
ngle-him-to-deathI Do you
understand"
Il understand" came Stanley's
drowsy voice, Il shall go up to DR..
Montrose and shall strangle him to
death"
Drawing a note from his pocket La
Rue handed it to Tanner.
Il wrote this while we waited" he
said. Have it rushed to Parrish at
once. Tell the messenger to see he
gets it in ten minutes"
Tanner took the note and departed
to sufhmofa messenger. On the way
rhe deftly opened the sealed note ad-
dressed to the detective and glanced
at its contents. He read:
IF you will go at once to the Mon
trose house you will discover the
Crimson stain murderer at work"
When Tanner returned to the 9TH
crs after dispatching the note to
Farrish's office he found Pierre La
Rue and Morrison untying Stanley's
bonds.
Now get up!" ordered La Rue.
Harold obeyed.
In one hour you are to be In DR..
Montrose's laboratory" commanded
La Rue. These men will follow you.
You are to kill DR.. Montrose. You
are to strangle him"
Just ffty-nine minutes later three
men approached the little side door
of the Montrose house. Harold Stan
ley, walking a little in advance of
Tanner and Morrison, put his hand on
the knob of the door. 1t was locked.
He stood with the dazed patience of
a sleep walker as Tanner stepped
forward and inserted a key in the
lock.
Then Stanley passed into the house,
closely followed by the others. Nor
did he pause until he had reached
the end of the stairway passage he
had been ascending. There a SEEM
ingly blank wall checked him.
Again he stood inert and CLASSY
eyed, while Tanner touched a spring
at one corner of the wall. The panel
In front of Stanley rolled silently to
one side, revealing the laboratory.
DR.. Montrose was writing at a Ia
BILE, his back to the panel. Stanley
stepped into the room, drawing shut
the panel behind him.
Montrose turned from his desk,
amazedly staring at his unexpected
visitor.
Quick" whispered Harold, resist
ing the tug Of the panel behind him.
La Rue tried to hypnotic me. I let
him think he'd done 1t. He sent me
In here to kih you. There are two Of
his gang behind the panel. II you
have q pistol here put it in your
pocket. Then let me pretend to choke
you. When I've done it I'm going
downstairs to phone the police. The
two crooks will come IN here. Keep
them covered with your gun until I
get back. Now!"
Releasing his hold on the panel he
once more assumed the CLASSY stare
and dazed manner, and advanced to-
ward the doctor. Behind him he
heard the panel open a little way.
And he knew Tanner and Morrison
were peeping into the room to watch
, his progress.
Straight up to DR.. Montrose he
walked.
What are you doing here?" loudly
demanded Mohtrose. Are you drunk?
Or walking in your sleep? Who let
you in? Ali"
The exclamation was caused by the
swift gripping Of the doctors throat
by Stanley. Though Harold barely
touched the flesh Of the doctor, yet
to the watchers, he seemed to be ex-
erting giant force.
Montrose struggled in vain. 1t was
an excellent bit of acting on both
sides. Presently the doctors strug-
giles grew feebler and he slpnped
back into a chair. apparently fffeless.
Harold looked sleepily at him for a
moment, then, with measured tread
crossed to the outer door Of the lab
oratory and 80 down the front stairs.
The panel slid wide open. Tanner
and Morrison hurried forward. With
scarcely look at the doctors sprawl
ing body they seized the apparatus
and began to haul it toward the panel
opening.