The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-16

caught Shades wrist in a s,senRe grip.
 You know the window?" he snapped. Don't make a monkey of yourself and get in any other. And remember this LII send you up, by heaven, ff you 1nterfere-unless you're needed. You watch for that sneak Langdon-thats your job. Do you get me?"
 T got you the first time," answered Shale coolly, though his mouth was ugly. Since when do you have to put me wise twice?'
 Pollock moved uneasily and ezsw one hand across his forehead. es'm not | taking any chances" he rruttered. i and lighting a cigar settled bsck in the corner of the luxurious .:.otor. Neither of them spoke or moved Ssu the car drew up in front of the a,- hotel.
 The moment 1t stopped Shale slipped Q out and hurried down the street, but Pollock, pushing his way through the gaily clad throng that filled the lobby at this aftertheatre hour went direct | to the elevator, his fingers closed tightly around that key in his pocket
 Once in the suite engaged for him by l Shale he threw off his coat and hat and ordering a whiskey- and soda, | drank it almost at draught. Then he began a restless pacing up and down the floor, trying to estimate just how long it would be before the ban quet party would reach the private 1 dining room.
 At last after what seemed to him hours of waiting he saw a group of the players arrive and a few moments later the other members of the supper l nartv a SSad his only Mary and Daniels still to come.
 Trembling with excitement. he poured iliIncsf another drink cf vvSisaey, gave a swift glance out of the window to | where Shale lowered on the fire escape, then took up his post close | to the door. Almost immediately he heard the hum of the elevator and then Mary's voice.
 "Oh, come on, Phil" she was saying, T shan't stay very long, anyway"
 By all means come along" echoed
 Daniels with assumed cordiality. You'll be welcome guest"
 Pollock could see them now, for they had passed his hiding place. and he gave a sigh of relief as Langdon said:
 NO, thanks-I won't come in. It's a supper for you, Mary, and for your
 company-and I feel a little out of pldCe- oOH get LOO urea, CnOuSn-
 and I'll call up tomorrow"
 And Langdon came slowly down the
 corridor which echoed now to the
 sound of the tumutuous welcome to
 Mary-"The New Star!" He made his
 way down to the lobby and settled
 himself in a chair from where he could
 look up at the door of the banquet
 room.
 Walters were hurrying in and out,
 and Langdon could catch glimpses of
 the gay table with Mary, flushed and
 excited, at one end, and could hear the
 laughter and the little bursts of ap-
 plause? Once when hurrying waiter
 left the door wide he saw Mary on her
 feet protesting against the urgent
 hands that were thrusting a glass of
 champagne upon her.
 With an exclamation of anger Lang
 don leaped to his feet, then sank back
 again. He couldn't interfere-not now,
 at any rate. He could, however, guess
 that they were urging her to drink
 toast to the play, and he hoped that
 that meant that Mary was soon to
 leave. While he was impatiently
 hoping that this was true, a bell boy.
 who a moment or two before had gone
 into the banquet room, came out fol-
 lowed by Mary herself
 With a throb of glad relief Langdon
 jumped up and hurried up the shallow
 stairs to the corridor to meet him, but
 to his surprise she was not in sight, = and only the bellboy was coming
 leisurely along the hall It seemed
 curious that Mary could disappear so . suddenly.
 Where did the young lady go?" he demanded harshly, and at the tone the $ startled boy cringed as if expecting a blow.
 ''Wots that to your" he retorted inn r pertinently. She's gone where she was 7 expected. that's where she's gone.'
 Well, wherever it is take, me there l-quick!" snapped Langdon. If you | want authority for it go downstairs and tell Barney that MT. Philip Lang don wants you to take him there." At the name the boy gave a quick choked cry. and with a muffied T thought it wasn't any funny joke" led the way rapidly back down the cor ridor.
 Almost simultaneously the door of
 the banquet room opened and Daniels l face, strained and uneasy, peered into :. the hall. Seeing Langdon. he hurried 3 towards him and was but a few feet r away when the boy paused abruptly and pointed to the door of Pollocks 7 suite.
 l She's in there," he muttered, and
 scuttled off. But not far for even as l Langdon's hand was on the knob, there came a woman's scream and the loud
 report of a revolver echoing high above , the ciamorous gaiety of voices and or , chestra. There was an instants terri !. fled silence, and then the waves of hu- , manity came surging down the corri- | dor, headed by the hotel authorities. But Langdon and Daniels were already across the threshold of the room where , lay the dead body of David Pollock and beside it the unconscious form of Mary
 Page with a revolver lying not five inches from her limp fingertips.
 A thin dribble of blood was running across the carpet towards her, and Langdon snatched her up out of its way with a sudden horror, and his :, great fear found voice in desperate [ cry:
 Mary! Mary. did you do this?" It was not Mary who answered, but
 the hotel detective. who said sternly: n Not did she do this, but WHY did k she do this. MT. Langdon." he corrected. e (To be continued.)