Tensas gazette., 1916-11-10

doors. You are warned"
The grim-jawed millionaire turned
on his visitor.
THAT is NOT ALL" declared the bank
er. Nor Is this afternoons paper.
with its bitter attack on you and
your tenements all But three hours
later my fellow banker, Gresham Of
the Third National. received warn
ing identical with mine, and already
the building of the Third National
bank is in flames! And what. l want
to know, sir, is the meaning Of It all?"
The telephone bell interrupted Gold
en- as he was about to speak.
"Yes, this is Mr.. Golden's house.
Yes, Mr.. Griswold is here. What's
that?" He leaned forward for mo-
ment, listening. Then the receiver fell
from his fiaccid hand. MY God. Girls
void. your building is on fire! The
Union-Traders' bank is burning.
The next minute Griswold was hur-
rying from the house and leaping into
his waiting limousine.
Golden. sitting at his desk, stared
startled and vacant-eyed before him.
Yet that young secretary who was
so foolishly accepted as feather-head-
ed was. at the time being. anything
but idle. Ten minutes after his talk
over the wire with Golden he was IN
taxicab speeding towards the Stein
house on Maple avenue. A block away
| from that house he dismounted, saun-
| tering casually up to the home OF
| Legar's confederate as a tradesman's
delivery wagon stopped before it.
Boy" he said to the youthful
driver of the wagon, that housemaid
at the door there is my steady. But
we scrapped and she won't even see
me- Here's dollar if you let me hand
in that box of groceries for you!"
Sure" said the boy. as he pocketed
the bill. Manley. whistling blithely,
carried his armful of parcels into the
tradesman's entrance.
MY driver says these things weren't
paid for" he coolly announced.
"Dey vass paid for, ef'ry-ding vass
paid fort" cried the German girl.
Then you go and tell him that, "
was the others calm suggestion. And
as the belligerent-eyed maid strode out
to the wagon. Manley slipped in
through the still open door, dropped
his parcels and stole quickly yet
guardedly up through the silent house.
When he came to a large room, half
library and half laboratory. he stared
in wonder at the strange apparatus
which stood on table in the center of
this room. He heard the sound Of ap-
preaching steps. He saw a door on
his right and darted through it. He
realized, as soon as he had done So
that he had committed the fatal error
of diving into trap.
AS he peered out through the still
partly opened door he saw that it was
the German maid who had entered the
room. Then she crossed to the closet
door itself, Strengthened the edge OF
the disordered rug. closed the door
and turned the key in the lock.
A moment later, Manley, with his
ear against the panel, heard the sound
of heavier steps. Then came the even
more interesting sound of voices.
We'll, wat do you say of Oldt Stein
now, maybe? You still t'ink he talb
foolish ven he claim dose actinic rays
in conjunction NIT converging wireless
impulses couldn't maybe start leetle
combustion Won or two miles away
eh?"
"A little combustion, Stein?" said ar
unknown voice. you've peddled 'en
out like gunfre. all over the damned
CITY,"
Manley suddenly ducked back be
hind waterproof. smelling acridly o
acid burns. for footsteps had ap
preached the closet door and the key
was being turned in the lock.
The fugitive stood close against tn,
wall, draped by the waterproof. as thu
spectacled scientist groped blinkingl,
about for his housecoat.
"Und you, Legar, IL you blease. show
me on der map choost vat remains Il
be done. Vich buildings will you hav,
wiped out, ven der viping is still goot !?
Manley, emerging from under cover
saw that the old German had left th'
closet door trifle open. So moving
cautiously forward, he peered out int,
the room. Clustered about the table
bent close over the map, he could Sc,
Stein and Legar and two of his un
known accomplices. Manley advance,
silently into the room. crouching Low
as he went. For on the table he ha,
already caught sight of the blueprin
of STEMS protector apparatus. Sc
holding his breath, he crept closer an,
still closer. He had the blueprint II
his hand. but before he could sill
back from the table edge his presenc
, was detected and his retreat cut of
| He darted for the window, goin
: through 1t like a circus rider througl
paper hoop.
A minute later the conspirator
were after him. But Manley, rollin
through a clump of shrubbery an
doubling rabbitlike on his pursuers
lodged under cover. BY the time b
had recovered his breath and his wit
! he slipped unobserved from tn
, grounds, rounded the block an
climbed into his waiting taxicab.
: Police headquarters!" he told tn
: driver.
: Brief as was Manley's visit to polio
J headquarters, that call resulted &