The evening world., 1916-09-14

cvadsd. -shs 10 small and asndsr,
with big dark eyes and mAssss OF
DARK hair and
Then she 10 prsttisr than { am.
pouted vanya, her rnh voice break
iSs: And you'd rthsr paint hes
Nonsense" Clayton treasured her.
mo one on earth II prettior than you.
vanya- But this Is a portrait I have
. commission TO paint"
II you'd rather spend this osauti-
ful afternoon painting n silly portrait
turo." h fiared Indignantly, why, 70
ahead n do II. But after THE you
can get some other girl to pose for
your 'Delilah.' I'm not coming back
Accustomed though he was to tho
vagaries OF his temperamental models,
Clayton wss amazed by this petulant
outburst. Before he could protest,
Vanya had nounced out Of tho room,
slamming the door loudly behind her.
In the half-lit hall she paused be-
side the crouching figure Of q man.
"Readyr' she whispered. Hell
probably follow mo out hare 70 beg
me not to be angry"
Tanner nodded. gripping . revolver
oiubwise by tho barrel and tsnGns
his muscles for . spring.
but Clayton did not como out into
the hall. lie started after the Depart
ed model for an instant then NUT
tcred:
IF / 20 after her she'll make Q
scene In the hail just a. Florence 10
arriving: I'LL drop her . line tonight
He turned to his easel. The ncxt
moment Vanya had run lightly back
into the room and had slipped be.
tween Clayton and tho nearcst win
dow. so that. facing her. his back
was TO the door.
I'm sorry" she pleaded oontritely.
please I'm sorry I was ros It's
oAy-it's only that you've made me
care 40 much-I-I"-
Her self-oontrol gave way. She
broke into n ut of historical weep
Ing. Her outfunR arms clasped
themselves automatically around tho
astonished -Clayton's neck. holding
him moveless by the straininG inten-
sity Of their clinging grasp.
And before tho dumfoundod man
could speak or stir Tanner was upon
him.
Darling into the studio behind
vanya, the Crimson Stain henchman
waited only until the girl had So
curely seized Clayton In her strong,
willowy arms. Then. carefully aim
ing his blow. Tanner brought down
his revolver butt with all the trained
force OF his arm muscles upon the
artists left temple.
Clayton slumped to the polished
Moor without word or cry. his senses
clean gone. and without having seen
or heard his assallant.
Before Clayton's inert body had
fairly struck the floor Tanner and
'Vanya were leaning above him deftiy
binding ana Eagging the senseless
man. This achieved. they lifted the
body. bore II across to a divan, thrust
the divan forward a foot or two and
dropped Clayton into the space be-
tween the divan back and the wall.
we've nc time to waste" said La
Rue, coming into the studio from the
hall. THE Montrose chauffeur didn't
got my message. He's coming down
the block now with Florence In the
car "A quarter OF an hour ahead OF
time. ! saw him from the hall win
dow"
What are We to do with her 7" ex-
lot here yet. We can't treat her al
we've treated Clayton. At least" she
hesitated, looking Q~uestioningly at La
Rue, II suppose We can't"
NO" he decreed with no hesitation
at all. Our strongest hold over Mon.
tfose Is his daughter. But for her he'd
turn desperate, instead Of giving II e
us. He might even Kill himself. Ant
then where would we be without the
drug2 There Is a safer. easier way
TO take care OF her."
A quick, soft footstep sounded In tn,
hall outside. Tanner at q gesture
from Pierre slipped out into the hall
and with the air OF a departing visitor
strolled past Florence Montrose and or
toward the head OF the stairs Their,
he paused and looked out OF the win.
dow. In the street below stood DIR
Montrose's black car. Drawing up L
the curb behind 1t was a gray roadster
from which Harold Stanley was JUS,
descending.
Nanya, in obedience to a word O,
La lsue's, glided into Clayton's dress
Ing room. Florence. at the same mo,
ment. tapped at the studio door.
Come In" called La Rue.
She entered. and taking q step OF
two into the room. glanced around
her. The door was shut and locked
as she did so. Standing with his bach
against IL, Pierre La Rue faced her
smiling slightly. his arms folded.
At sight OF him Florence gaspcd ir
GnbclicNing horror. Again she wa,
looking into the eyes which for week:
had haunted her in nightmares. the
eyes which had then been suffused by
the Crimson Stain.
Now as she looked she saw La Rue'i
eye gradually redden until they
CLEANED Hike hot coslA