The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-07-08


For few moments after being
left alone In the studio at passy.
Grace almost lost courage. The In.
structlons which tho black. beardv,
man bad given MIN; III do not
meet you at Martelle's. take the boy
TO Lavillac. And before yoa do SO,
cut off his left hand and send Il
TO Mr. Stapletnn." made her aiek.
She rushed TO the door. and tore
frantically at the knob; but Il re-
sisted all her efforts. Sh. heard
again the faint moaning Tho sound
almost drove her frantic. She
rushed TO the window and looked
out. praying for some ~ OF hope.
Then suddenly Hhe saw. where a
few moments before the red light
had flashed. CLEAN OF blue.
She seized tn. field glasses and
cared in wonder. Did this mean
that the kidnapers had been sue.
ccssfui. or d.d II Indicate that the
Ierson giving tn. first signal had
been overpowercd7
Then came Joy. that she was IA.
mlllar with the Morse code.
Richard had taught II to her the
year before.
She picked up the searchlIght
and. without stopping to remove
the red glass, spelled out the word
Help"
Painfully. fearful OF mistakes.
she dseIuhered the return message.
Where are YOU
with trembling fingers. she
spelled out her reply. Then cams
the request for her name. She
gave this impatlently. What DIFF.
ference did II make, 40 long NJ
they came qnickly7
She lighted a candle and cast
about for some means to bar the
door. should the black-bearded man
and his companion return $hefore
help arrived Her oyea fell upon
great plaster centaur. The figure
was at least five feet high--a horse
with n human torso and head. II
che could Jam this in front OF the
door, securing It In place with the
bed and table. she might delay the
ifdnapcrs. She needed but mo-
ment to discover she could not pos
sibly move H.. but AZ she bent over
Il, her head close TO its side. she
beard something which made her
start with sudden Joy.
II was the low sobbing OF a child
concealed within the hollow body
of the statue.
She gave mp her attempt to bar
ricade the door. and began fever
ighly. 10 look for the opening In
the cast II took but a moment
to find II and, with the blade Of
a modelling tool. TO pry the closed
section free. Inside, upon sort
of bed made OF an OLD comfort. was
the missing son OF Mr.. Stapleton.
For the time she forgot the
dangers which surrounded them. In
her 10y at the discovery of the boy.
She lifted the child from his hiding
place, then swung the heavy slab Of
plaster back into position.
She went TO the door. shook II
frantically. and pulled with all her
strength. The door held firm.
There was no hope of escape here.
Then she thought OF the window
The pavement was thirty feet be-
low. Clearly there was nothing to
do but wait. Surely she could In
some way keep the kldnapers oc.
cupied until help arrived!
Suddenly. she heard upon the
stair the sound Of mounting foot
steps.
She blew out the candle and
stepped into the closet, the child's
hand in hers, and drew the door
shut, just as the two men. the
black.beardcd man, now without
his beard, and the artist, Durand,
entered the room They rolit the
candle. threw themselves into
chairs, and began 10 talk.
Now, we can speak freely" said
Durand. How did things Ro?"
Il got the money-gnve the blue
signal. and expected to be halfway
to Brussels by now. What non
sense Is this about red light"
TITS no nonsense. ] saw 1t as
plain as day"
"Tren Francois must have made
a mistake or else he has been
placed under arrest. You didn't tele-
phone Monsieur Stapleton this ad-
dress, did your"