Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-03-03

pace for him, and a white. pinehs1
face peered into his. A quaver,n.
voice that he scarcely recognizes a.
manded 20 be told where Felix Hazara
might be found.
Ferndalei" exclaimed the surprises
detective Whats happened?"
I must find Hazard right of. Mis.
Bertel has been kidnapped"
The detective wasted no time :,
talking. He whistIed in a uecn,ia.
manner. The whistle was taken mn
and repeated. hither, yonder. from a
score of invisible sources, like tba
echoing plant of some night bird.
From out the dark and the swirlips
snow Hazard appeared to the two
He hardened to no more than dozen
words of Fendale's dismaying reuort
when the quiet neighborhood began "a
buzz like a disturbed beehive.
The lights in the prison room
came on slowly, and Helen became
aware Of two ghostly. fantastic ig.
ures who stood over by the door. Two
men they were, manifestly. albeit
each was entirely covered with a sort
OF domino that hid every line.
With a swift, noiseless. slidipg
movement, the two weird forms closed
in upon her; but she deity eluded
them. Then darkness again. Tins
handicapped amid strange surround
ings. she was obliged to yield when
each OF her zrists was seized in a
viselike grasp.
She was propelled along the haIl to
a stairway and up this to another
story At last they halted before
double door, which swung apart as If
by its own volition.
Filled with wonder, Helen SURVEYED
a spacious room draped wholly in
dead lusterless blaek-fioor. walls
and ceiling. In the center If the floor
stood an oval table, around which
were arranged six chairs, all the
same ebon hue. Three of the chairs
were occupied by fantastic counter
parts o. the two robed figures holding
her wrists. The sole illumination was
from six wax tapers that burned at
each Of the six places.
A pair OF black velvet portieres. mart.
ed at one end of the room and a sixth
figure entered; one garbed from head
to foot in long fcrmless robe like
the others. with the exception that it
was snow-white instead of black. This
apparition seated itself at the head of
the table.
For peRhaps full minute there was
neither sound nor motion from any Of
the strange masked company. Then
the white domino arose and addressed
the others. At the first sound of his
voice Helen started and looked close
ly at the neutral robe that betrayed
nothing of its wearer's identity.
you ali have seen the captive: is
there any doubt as to her IDENTIFY"
There was no answer and the hol
low voice continued to issue from be-
meath the mask.
1T IS positive. is it. that she is
detective from the Sutherland con-
Germ %
The FIVE ghoulish figures remained
silent, motionless. but Helen felt that
every eye was upon her. Then the
voice asked:
What is your verdict?"
The white leader appeared to pom
der minute. Then he announced:
The cord"
The leader clapped his hands thrice,
and now entered a gigantic negro, as
black as the rooms hangings. He car
ried silken cord, perhaps yard in
length. One end terminated in loop
through which he passed the other
end, thus forming Moose. He tested
the cords strength, glancing from it
to Helen's throat Then he walked
toward her. At the same time her
captors showed her forward.
The negro opened his arms to re-
ceive her. And in the instant of pass
ing she determined her defense. She
could not hope to overpower the giant,
or even to resist him long, but she
meant not to yield as long as breath
was in her.
She fell forward, SO that her shout
| der. when she rose, came up under
the outstretched right arm At the
same time she grasped the wrist with
both hands and jerked it downward.
She heard the man groan: but instant
i " his free hand caught the heavy coil
of her hair and her head was pulled
/ violently back.
So deftly and quickly that she could
not make move to resist, the moose
slipped TO her throat and was drawn
tight. Firmly holding the cord. the
black placed knee in the small Of
her back and pushed her away from
/ him.
She heard shot The hand hold
ing the cord loosened its grasp and
the negro sank Imply TO the floor.
The room was plunged into dark
ness. A momentary subdued stir, then