The Washington herald., 1916-09-03

On the night of the Hanna murder
and an hour or SO after the crimes
discovery. several Of these visitors
drifted, one by one, into the den from
an alley entrance. All but one were
men. The exception was Vanya Tosca,
a woman who, for very obvious rea-
son. had long been named 'the YAM
pire."
One man was evidently in high au-
| thority among the little group, to
judge by the almost cringing defer
ences bestowed on him by the rest
He was dark, sinuous, tigerish. with
strange and unforgetable face and
with. gaze hypnotic as snakes.
He claimed to be French by birth and
called himself Pierre La Rue" No
one knew his real name.
"All here" he said, tersely. Here's the
| report. Tanner and / went to Hanna's as
We planned. We got in, easily enough.
Hanna was in the library alone. He was
so old and feeble that l had decided to
F., let Tanner do the job, instead of doing
1t myself. He'd been plaguing me to let
| him try the grip ever since taught 1t to
him. 1t was a false move. For, he
/ bungled. They struggled all over the
room, and they got between the light and
| the window shade. A man smashed in
| through the window and threw Tanner
against the wall Gripping his shoulder.
! 1 got the grip on the fellow; and was
| finishing him when 1 heard the police
| whistle. We showed what cash We could
| find into the bag. Hand over. Tanner"
The man with the lame shoulder shut
| fed forward and laid a canvas sack on
the table. Without troubling to LOOK at
| the plumber, toward which the others
were so avidly craning their necks, La
J Rue continued:
Put the rest OF 1t there"
| n
! clustered Tanner. Dye spose I'm hold
| ing out on you? It's all there"
La Rue said nothing. but slowly turned
! his snakelike gaze on the loudly protest.
ing man. AS his glance concentrated upon
! the sulky follower La Rues eyes under
| went a weird change. They took on a
| glowing crimson tinge.
| Under their hypnotic glance Tanner at
| first fidgeted miserably; then with an
oath thrust his hand into one OF his
pockets, hauled out thick sheaf of bills
and tossed them alongside the bag on
| the table
That's better" approved La Rue, his
smooth voice almost like a pUrr. unless
we can cure you of these petty tricks.
| Tanner. I'm afraid | shall have to put
| the finger-ncCklaCe arouIri your unwash-
| ed throat some day"
| The masked figure had come forward
| Sorting and counting the money with
the speed of a bank teller, he dumped II
all into the bag. crossed TO one side OF
| the wall and drew back a panel that
masked wall safe. lie opened the safe
deposited the bag in il; closed the safe
| and panel; and came back to the rest.
| TN remember his face" said La Rue,
softly
Yes. and he'll remember your eyes,"
! replied the masked man. He saw the
Crimson Stain. The Examiner will have
two-column story on that tomorrow.
! Better get some smoke goggles, La Rue.
Everybody will be looking for the Stain
after this. And you can't control it. 1t
creeps into your eyes whenever you're
! excited"
IF I had five seconds more at his
| throat" unused La Rue, he'd never
have told any one about the stain"
DR.. Montrose sat in his library late
the following afternoon. From a drawer
in his desk he had just taken a copy of
! the Examiner and had begun to read 1t,
when a low rap sounded on the door.
| Almost guiltily, the doctor folded the
paper and thrust 1t back into the
drawer.
Come in" he called.
| Felix, his assistant-a crafty-eyed man
Of smugly, servile mien-opened the
door
{
! TENTS sir" stammered the servant, II
told them you had left word you couldn't
see any one today. But they won't go
away. They say they"
I'm see them" ordered Montrose, a
shadow as of physical pain distorting
his care-scarred face.
| DR. Montrose clasped his bowed head
| between his hands and groaned aloud.
Then, rising to his feet he squared his
bent shoulders and a look of high resolve
come into his haggard face. He crossed
the library to the reception hall. The WIS.,
! itors were Vanya Tosca and Tanner.
They stood cycling DR.. Montrose with
! the look hungry dog might beetow on a
butchers cart. They were depressed in
| half Ill.
well" Dr. Montrose sharply broke the
momentary silence. what do you want "
! You know what We want, DOCTOR"
replied Tanner
And we must have it." added Vanya
I'VE must"
You've both had far too much al
ready" said MontrOse in stern decision
And you'll get no more"
| At his words Vanya WINGED Tanners
teeth began to chatter as II with a chill
You can't mean that, doctorl' ex-
claimed Vanya. You can't refuse Us!
Pleased"
Mo-" reiterated Montrose. You will
neither OF you get any more. I curse the
day first gave It to you. Today I read
of still another murder"
Yes" said Tanner, eagerly, II did that
and La Rue. But It wasn't our fault
Not even Pierre La Rue's. 1t was yours
Yours! You're the cause it-of all Of It."
Yes" chimed in Vanya beseechingly
And you can't take It away from u.s.
now. What would we be without It?
| What would we become?"
Montrose glared at them for an In
slant. then, with a hopeless sigh, sur
rendered. He motioned them across the
laboratory to an intricate-looking ma
chine at which they had been glancing
with furtive longing ever since they enter
ed the room.
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.