The Sentinel=record., 1916-12-24

"}e-," he answered after aDo'her brief pause.
 "Ili be ready" sho promised. "Can't you put on your rdnp elolhes and come back here for lmol2"
 "Im afraid not" he sdG "You sec. I've l terrltly busy day ahead of me I've had no right lu stay as long as | have. I must go f
 "IS if tne Crimson Stain cases that arc 10 keep you busy tod5yo" she asked
 "l's always the Crimson smin." be answered And todays plan of campaign ought to-"
 She interrupted him by getting up and going over ro tUe curtain that hung in the Uhrarl doorway She fanoIed Ste saw the curtain move. When she pulled it quickly aside no one was there. But Nanya Tosca was twenty feet away and moving ln leiSWely fashion toward inc front door
 At sound of Fiorence's step Vanya turned With cordially outstretched hand she retraced her steps
 Good morning Miss Montrose. /" she said effuslveiv i've iusr been upstairs to see your father I'm one of his patients. you know"
 Florence barely touched the eloved hand Nanya offered her and merely inclined her head n reply tc the oth- CTS Salutafou Eut Nluya. not at all offended by her coidness. turned with equal enusiyen-Ss Co greet liar old Stanley, who had followed Flor euce out into tho hallway
 of you're on vour way downtown Miss Tosca, cant we eo together. as far as your home" said Stanley
 Nanya gladly acduicseed. and. with word Of eood-bv to her fneidIv unreSponsive hostess. moved forward to The front door Stanley. as he turned to make his adieux to Flor cnce. was cut to the soul by the look of elievad wonder in his ltle sweet hearts eyes
 Impnlsively he stopped down and whispered a few rapidly breathed sentences into her ear AS if by magic the sorrow fled from Florence's face. iaavine a glow of happy pride She even sent a glance of friendly inter esi in Nanya direction
 Pierre La Rue sat in the place of honor in the low -cciled back room of Tanners upper East Side apartment Tanner himself and a man in a black mask and a third member of the gang were listening to the chiefs curt words
 'Nanya phoned me, just now" La Rue Was saying, "that Stanley and the Montrose girl are going to ride in Van Courtland Park this afternoon I'm going 10 give you your instruc- tpus you three And if you don't hunEie things gain we ought to get them both. It's better chance to put the girl out of the way than we're likely 70 get again For they never let her go out of doors alone any more. NanyJ ought to be here any minute now. By the way, she is bringing along . man she youches for. She says she's known him all her life and that he's ,he real thing; the sort We need Hes street beg ear o cripple-and
 We need husky men," objected Tanner not crippled ones"
 Sop sneered La Rue, Elancine in amused contempt at his henchman Well when ! remember the blum ders some of you stroug-armed men have been making you for example Tanner if seems to me a cripple couldn't do much worse Besides who'd suspect cripple a street pam haudlero''
 "oh, if Vanya swears he's all right I suppose he is" grunted Tanner You know best the kind of men vou want Only. "
 Nanva Tosoa entered Al her 5eals c'umped along ragged heua of r..,.- uCularlN dlsreputahle aspect.
 The new recruit was an unslavtn blear-eved tramp who traHed ure ill-shod foot behind him as he moved
 Robert Clayton, a little later. s.l forth from his studio 10 cau oa Nan>a As he neared the Jpartmert- house where she lived he saw a man mount the front steps and enter X little to his surprise Bob recocui.sd the visitor as Layton Parrish. fdI wondering what new business could call the detective thitncr. he was about to continue his own progress when he saw disheveled looking cripple approach the house cautiously and disappear through it's doorway
 Bob lighted a cigaret and crossed to the opposite side of the street 10 wait After less than half an hour he edw Farrsh emerge from the house and peer cautiously up and down the street
 Bob had slipped into a vestibule and the detective did not see him. het Parrish's oddly furtive manner reused tbe watchers curiosity. And. coming out from his place of con Cealment, Clayton followed him down the street, instead of going to N1nva'e 'e 0usrfucut
 Ior several blocks Parrish went stgaieIt ahead. uot once looking back. Clayton was barely ten wards behind him Presently the detective entered an office building. which Bob recog- nized as that in which Parrish's own office was located
 So near wae Bob to the man he followed that Parrish entered the off, flee a bare slX feet ahead of him and slammed shut the rround-Glass door. There was no response He opened the door.
 1'he room in front of him was empty.
 Clayton stared about him in utter ama2ement
 An odd fancy occurred to the puz- zled man Could it be possible that Parrish had crawled into the desk and shut down the roll top to hide himself from his unwelcome cauer2
 Bob went over to the desk and flung back its roll top Except for